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Home , Orcus, Zeno of Citium

ROMAN CULTURE SHARU COOK, BRANDON CATANESE, ASHLEY FRANCKOWIAK THE DEEP INFLUENCE OF

Background • When the empire fell to the roman , the romans took Greek slaves some of who ended up as teachers for roman children • This educational influence led to a strong Greek influence on the roman culture is evident in areas of religion, art and architecture, literature and THE DEEP INFLUENCE OF GREECE

Greek Influence on religion

• was adopted by the romans • Roman religion has similar to the but with different names • Under Greek influence, the roman gods became more anthropomorphic which means having human characteristics for example: love, jealousy, hate, etc. • The Romans included deities of the Greek pantheon but was more comprehensive • Both and Greece were polytheistic DEEP INFLUENCE OF GREECE Influence of greece on art and architecture • Almost all Greek aspects of architecture was based on ideals of balance and proportion • There is 3 different styles of Greek architecture that is characterized by the different columns, or orders, supporting the building. • The is a Greek structure that still stands today • Romans eagerly adopted the Greeks symmetrical and proportional designs of the Greeks and combined it with the Etruscans arch • The romans used these styles to create their own structures like the circus maximus, the colosseum, and the pantheon. THE DEEP INFLUENCE OF GREECE Influence on art and architecture continued

• Although there was a distinct blending of different cultural tastes, it came out to create a distinct art and architecture of the romans. • Roman temples are clearly related to Greek temples with the use of marble columns, a wide front porch, and an enclosed sanctuary called a cella. • The realistic proportions, movement, and overall beauty of the Greek sculpture was inherited by the romans. • They copied Greek sculptures before creating their own • Greeks and romans both created free standing statues and releifs that were commonly used to decorate temples • Roman releifs, mosaics, and paintings very commonly had Greek mythology as its central theme. • Most roman statues were clothed with togas while Greek ones were usually nude and bare. THE DEEP INFLUENCE OF GREECE Influence on literature and philosophy • Much of roman literature was influenced by Greek literature. • Having educational influence of Greek nobles lured the influence of Greek literature. • Some Greek lyrics were translated into roman. • The main language in was which was used for writing but Greek was one of the first languages of rome. • Romans produced great poetry. • When romans began writing they adopted a. philosophy from the Greeks. • The philosophy was called and it was a . Which just meant it was a Greek one. • Zeno of Citium founded this philosophy, stoicism. GRECO-ROMAN POLYTHEISM

• The romans had a polytheistic religion mostly influenced by Greek polytheism, but other civilizations beliefs influenced their religion too. • their gods included (aka Jove), , , , , , , , , , , , & . These are just a few of the gods of roman culture. • Although they were based on Greek gods they were a more warlike and angry humanistic set of gods and goddesses. • Became more monotheistic towards the end. ADDITION OF A CULT OF DEIFIED EMPERORS

• Julius Caesar had taken a gigantic win in Gaul he came back as hero but things start to take a turn. • Around 50 B.C.E. Caesar had gained an accumulative wealth, power, and enemy's. • Caesar had then invaded sparking a civil war which soon ended and Julius became the emperor of Rome • As emperor he had many changes put in place but after just 5 years his senate had killed him leaving no heir so his nephew came to power. • 5 emperors of the house of Caesar; they were Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. TOLERANCE OF ALL RELIGIONS THAT WEREN’T HARMFUL TO THE STATE

• Rome was a vast empire and had taken most of its conquests by force but had to keep people from losing their cool such as keeping their religion as long as they honored roman gods too. • Most conquerors made people that they controlled but rome wanted to have good relations with their people, so they incorporated ideas, philosophy, architecture, and religion into their own. • It also taught primitive tribes how to write, speak, and practice religion {although a lot of conquests ended in people forced into slavery} • Even though rome allowed some religions to stay some had to leave theirs because they were harmful to the state • But there was one religion they did not uphold this rule for the people of Judea because they helped Julius in a significant battle TRIUMPH OF CHRISTIANITY

• In the first b.c. centuries, Christians were persecuted, punished and often times put to death. • The Christians were horribly targeted and persecuted in group by nero in 64 b.c. • Later under certain emperors Christianity was tolerated to a point • A huge turning point in history took place in 312 B.c. emperor Constantine converted to Christianity • The number of Christians sky rocketed in Rome after conversion and years LATER iT LOOkEd LikE iT WOULd bEcOME THE OFFiciAL LANgUAgE bUT “pAgANiSM” WAS not going to go away PRIMARY SOURCE

• Titus Carus, a roman philosopher and poet wrote, "On The Of Things", which is an example of Roman literature and culture, around 50 B.C. • Although not much is known on Lucretius' life, it is largely speculated that he was against the religions of the time and their practices which can be seen in the later parts of the excerpt • Lucretius had very modern ideas for the time such as believing in an infinite cosmos, believing that all matter comes from something and dissipates into something, and believing that gods have no connection to the human world. These ideas can be seen throughout the handout • Lucretius' ideas went against the beliefs of religious leaders and their ideology FUN FACT: It is thought that the lack of information on Lucretius is due to religious leaders wiping any evidence of his existence 50 BC ON THE NATURE OF THINGS Whilst human kind I fear perhaps thou deemest that we fare And there shall come the time when even thou, by Titus Lucretius Carus Throughout the lands lay miserably crushed An impious road to realms of thought profane; Forced by the soothsayer's terror-tales, shalt seek PROEM Before all eyes beneath Religion- who But 'tis that same religion oftener far To break from us. Ah, many a dream even now Mother of Rome, delight of Gods and men, Would show her head along the region skies, Hath bred the foul impieties of men: Can they concoct to rout thy plans of life, Dear Venus that beneath the gliding stars Glowering on mortals with her hideous face- As once at Aulis, the elected chiefs, And trouble all thy fortunes with base fears. Makest to teem the many-voyaged main A Greek it was who first opposing dared Foremost of heroes, Danaan counsellors, I own with reason: for, if men but knew And fruitful lands- for all of living things Through thee alone are evermore conceived, Raise mortal eyes that terror to withstand, Defiled Diana's altar, virgin queen, Some fixed end to ills, they would be strong Through thee are risen to visit the great sun- Whom nor the fame of Gods nor lightning's stroke With Agamemnon's daughter, foully slain. By some device unconquered to withstand Before thee, Goddess, and thy coming on, Nor threatening thunder of the ominous sky She felt the chaplet round her maiden locks Religions and the menacings of seers. Flee stormy wind and massy cloud away, Abashed; but rather chafed to angry zest And fillets, fluttering down on either cheek, But now nor skill nor instrument is theirs, For thee the daedal Earth bears scented flowers, For thee waters of the unvexed deep His dauntless heart to be the first to rend And at the altar marked her grieving sire, Since men must dread eternal pains in death. Smile, and the hollows of the serene sky The crossbars at the gates of Nature old. The priests beside him who concealed the knife, For what the may be they do not know, Glow with diffused radiance for thee! And thus his will and hardy wisdom won; And all the folk in tears at sight of her. Whether 'tis born, or enter in at birth, For soon as comes the springtime face of day, And forward thus he fared afar, beyond With a dumb terror and a sinking knee And whether, snatched by death, it die with us, And procreant gales blow from the West unbarred, First fowls of air, smit to the heart by thee, The flaming ramparts of the world, until She dropped; nor might avail her now that first Or visit the shadows and the vasty caves Foretoken thy approach, O thou Divine, He wandered the unmeasurable All. 'Twas she who gave the king a father's name. Of Orcus, or by some divine decree And leap the wild herds round the happy fields Whence he to us, a conqueror, reports They raised her up, they bore the trembling girl Enter the brute herds, as our Ennius sang, Or swim the bounding torrents. Thus amain, What things can rise to being, what cannot, On to the altar- hither led not now Who first from lovely Helicon brought down Seized with the spell, all creatures follow thee Whithersoever thou walkest forth to lead, And by what law to each its scope prescribed, With solemn rites and hymeneal choir, A laurel wreath of bright perennial leaves, And thence through seas and mountains and swift streams, Its boundary stone that clings so deep in Time. But sinless woman, sinfully foredone, Renowned forever among the Italian clans. Through leafy homes of birds and greening plains, Wherefore Religion now is under foot, A parent felled her on her bridal day, Yet Ennius too in everlasting verse Kindling the lure of love in every breast, And us his victory now exalts to heaven. Making his child a sacrificial beast Proclaims those vaults of Acheron to be, Thou bringest the eternal generations forth, Kind after kind. And since 'tis thou alone I know how hard it is in Latian verse To give the ships auspicious winds for : Though thence, he said, nor nor bodies fare, Guidest the Cosmos, and without thee naught To tell the dark discoveries of the Greeks, Such are the crimes to which Religion leads. But only phantom figures, strangely wan, Is risen to reach the shining shores of light, Chiefly because our pauper-speech must find And tells how once from out those regions rose Nor aught of joyful or of lovely born, Strange terms to fit the strangeness of the thing; Old 's ghost to him and shed salt tears Thee do I crave co-partner in that verse Which I presume on Nature to compose Yet worth of thine and the expected joy And with his words unfolded Nature's source. For Memmius mine, whom thou hast willed to be Of thy sweet friendship do persuade me on Then be it ours with steady mind to clasp Peerless in every grace at every hour- To bear all toil and wake the clear nights through, The purport of the skies-the law behind Wherefore indeed, Divine one, give my words Seeking with what of words and what of song The wandering courses of the sun and ; Immortal charm. Lull to a timely rest O'er sea and land the savage works of war, I may at last most gloriously uncloud To scan the powers that speed all life below; For thou alone hast power with public peace For thee the light beyond, wherewith to view But most to see with reasonable eyes To aid mortality; since he who rules The core of being at the centre hid. Of what the mind, of what the soul is made, The savage works of battle, puissant Mars, And for the rest, summon to judgments true, And what it is so terrible that breaks How often to thy bosom flings his strength O'ermastered by the eternal wound of love- Unbusied ears and singleness of mind On us asleep, or waking in disease, And there, with eyes and full throat backward thrown, Withdrawn from cares; lest these my gifts, arranged Until we seem to mark and hear at hand Gazing, my Goddess, open-mouthed at thee, For thee with eager service, thou disdain Dead men whose bones earth bosomed long ago. Pastures on love his greedy sight, his breath Before thou comprehendest: since for thee SUBSTANCE IS ETERNAL Hanging upon thy lips. Him thus reclined Fill with thy holy body, round, above! I prove the supreme law of Gods and sky, Pour from those lips soft syllables to win And the primordial germs of things unfold, Peace for the Romans, glorious Lady, peace! Whence Nature all creates, and multiplies For in a season troublous to the state And fosters all, and whither she resolves Neither may I attend this task of mine With thought untroubled, nor mid such events Each in the end when each is overthrown. The illustrious scion of the Memmian house This ultimate stock we have devised to name Neglect the civic cause. Procreant atoms, matter, seeds of things, Or primal bodies, as primal to the world. WORK CITED

• Wasson, Donald L. “Roman Religion.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 24 Sept. 2018, https://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Religion/ • Carus, Titus Lucretius. “The Nature Of Things.” Translated by William Ellery Leonard, ON THE NATURE OF THINGS, Fordham, https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/lucretius- natureot.txt

• Muscato, Christopher. Study.com, Study.com, https://study.com/academy/lesson/greek-etruscan-influences-on-roman-art.html

• Wasson, Donald L. “Roman Literature.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 22 Sept. 2018, https://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Literature/

• “How Did the Ancient Greeks Influence the Romans?” Reference, IAC Publishing, https://www.reference.com/history/did-ancient-greeks-influence-romans-45c75d7d6d7e59fb • Wells, Arthur Frederick. “Lucretius.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 15 June 2017, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lucretius • “Republic to Empire.” PBS.org, PBS, 2006, https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/republic.html

• Ashbrook, Tom, and Tom Hollond. “Five Dictators of Rome.” Wbur.org, Wbur, 20 Jan. 2016, http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2016/01/20/rome-dictators-nero-history • “Religious Tolerance and Persecution in The Roman Empire.” Primohistory.com, Primohistory, https://www.primohistory.com/Religious%20Tolerance%20and%20Persecution%20in%20the%20Roman%20Empire.pdf • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/christianityromanempire_article_01.shtml