Excellence Redefined: the Evolution of Virtus in Ancient Rome
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Plutarch, Machiavelli and Shakespeare's Coriolanus Patrick
The Changing Faces of Virtue: Plutarch, Machiavelli and Shakespeare’s Coriolanus Patrick Ashby University of Bristol [email protected] Introduction: The hinges of virtue ‘Let it be virtuous to be obstinate’, says Caius Martius Coriolanus, shortly before the catastrophe of Shakespeare’s tragedy (Coriolanus, 5.3.26).1 In uttering these words, he articulates a moral hypothesis which is of central importance to Coriolanus: the supposition that steadfastness of principle is a fundamental good. This is a theory which the play puts to the test. The idea of ‘virtue’ — in a variety of guises — is a key focus of this essay, which identifies as crucial those moments at which definitions of virtue are unsettled, transformed, or confronted with a range of alternatives. Several commentators have connected Shakespeare’s Coriolanus with the political ideas of Niccolò Machiavelli, the Florentine theorist whose notoriety rests upon his recommendation of moral flexibility for political leaders. For Anne Barton, who reads the play in the context of Machiavelli’s Discourses on Livy’s history of early Rome, Coriolanus dramatises the futile persistence of obsolescent virtues (the valorisation of battlefield heroics) in an environment of subtler needs and growing political sophistication.2 In Shakespeare and the Popular Voice, Annabel Patterson hints at Shakespeare’s sympathy with the idea of popular political representation, proposing that ‘there is nothing in the play to challenge that famous interpretation of the tribunate which [. .] Machiavelli made a premise of Renaissance political theory’.3 John Plotz 1 William Shakespeare, Coriolanus, The Norton Shakespeare, ed. by Stephen Greenblatt, Katherine Eisaman Maus, Jean E. -
IMPERIAL EXEMPLA Military Prowess, Or Virtus, Is but One Quality That
CHAPTER FOUR IMPERIAL EXEMPLA Military prowess, or virtus, is but one quality that characterized an efffec- tive emperor. Ideally, a ‘good’ emperor was not just a competent general but also displayed other virtues. These imperial virtutes were propagated throughout the Roman Empire by means of imperial panegyric, decrees, inscriptions, biographies, and coins.1 On coinage in particular, juxtaposi- tions of AVG or AVGG with the virtue and/or the imperial portrait on the obverse would connect the virtues mentioned on the reverses directly with the emperor(s). Not all emperors emphasized the same virtues on their coinage. For example, Elagabalus seems not to have felt the need to stress virtus, whereas his successor Severus Alexander did try to convince the Roman people of his military prowess by propagating it on his coins. The presence or absence of particular virtues on coins issued by diffferent emperors brings us to the question as to whether an imperial canon of virtues existed. But before elaborating on this, the concept ‘virtue’ must be clarifijied.2 Modern scholars investigating imperial virtues on coinage consider vir- tues to be personifijications with divine power – in other words, deifijied abstractions or, as Fears puts it, ‘specifijic impersonal numina’.3 For many, the terms ‘personifijication’ and ‘virtue’ are interchangeable.4 Indeed, vir- tues can be considered personifijications. Yet, not all personifijications are 1 Noreña, “The communication of the emperor’s virtues”, p. 153. 2 ‘But if one is to compare coins with other sources, particularly philosopically inspired ones (i.e. in talking of the virtues of the ideal statesman) it is vital to distinguish what is a virtue and what is not’, A. -
Coriolanus: the Tragedy of Virtus ANTHONY MILLER
SYDNEY STUDIES Coriolanus: The Tragedy of Virtus ANTHONY MILLER From the opening entry of "a company of mntinous Citizens, with staves, clubs, and other weapons" to the next to last, barely coherent action-"Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him!" "Hold, hold, hold, hold!"-Coriolanus displays an ancient world riven by war and civic turmoil.l For all its occasional evocations of a mar moreal Romanitas, it is also a busy play. Its protagonist accepts with relish and superhuman energy the opportunities for martial action that his world presents: Coriolanus is probably the most active of Shakespeare's tragic heroes, certainly the one least given to reflection. Yet the play's busyness is not always warlike. Much of it consists of talk, especially the contentious talk of political debate. Characters plan courses of action, rehearse public appearances, plot acts of vengeance, conjure with names, report off-stage events-and even events that the audience has seen occur on-stage. Much of the discussion revolves around Coriolanus himself. His nature and motives, his martial prowess and farouche political manners, are incessantly and variously canvassed. To a belligerent citizen, Coriolanus's heroics are performed to please his mother, and to be partly proud; to the indulgent Menenius, his nature is too noble for the world; to Aufidius, shrewd and grudgingly admiring, his actions are a matter for almost obsessive, but inconclusive, rumination: Whether 'twas pride, Which out of daily fortune ever taints The happy man; whether defect of judgement, To fail in the disposing of those chances Which he was lord of; or whether nature, Not to be other than one thing, not moving From th'casque to th'cushion, but commanding peace Even with the same austerity and garb As he controll'd the war; but one of these As he hath spices of them all, not all, For I dare so far free him-made him fear'd, So hated, and so banish'd. -
ROMANS F/ 52 PART L: the KINGS of ROME
ruuLAE rcWAE STORIES OF FAMOLJS ROMANS f/ 52 PART l: THE KINGS OF ROME 1 iam dEdum: "for a long time already.' 2 aegrl ferre, to take badly, resent. Sex. Tarquinil: the youngest son ofTarquinius Superbus; see 11:17 and the note there" 3 ut . , . statuerent: "that they decided," result clause (see the grammar note on page 56). 5 Tarquinius CollEtlnus, -I (m.), Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus (nephew of Tarquinius Superbus and husband oflucretia). sorOre . n6tus: "born from the sister," ablative ofsourcewith nEtus, perfect participle ofthe verb n6scor. 6 contubernium, -i (n.), the sharing of a tent in the army, the status of be- ing messmates. in contuberrrid iuvenum rEgi0rum . erat: "was a messmate of . ." Ardea, -ae (f), Ardea (a town to the south of Rome). 7 *hber, libera, hberum, free, outspoken, unrestricted, unrestrained. frnusquisque, tnaquaeque, tnumquodque, each one. 8 *nutue, -ts (f), daughter-in-1aw. 9 *ltxus, -0.s (m.), luxury, luxurious living, extravagance. *d6prehend6, d6prehendere (3), dEprehendl, d6preh6nsum, to get hold of, surprise, catch in the act. CollEtia, -ae (f), Collatia (a town in Latium). 10 LucrEtia, -ae (f), Lucretia (wife of Collatinus). lanificium, -I (n.), wool-spinning, weaving (a traditional occupation of a Roman housewife). L1 offendO, offendere (3), offeadi, oftnsum, to strike against, find, en- counf,er. pudlcus, -a, -lrm, chase, virtuous. *itrdicd (1), to judge, proclaim, declare, think. 12 *corrump6, corrumpere (3), corrtrpl, corruptum, to break, corrupt, seduce, Ad quan corrumpendam: "To seduce her," gerundive (see the grammar note on page 59). 13 propinquitds, propinquitdtig (f), family relationship. Sextus Tarquinius was admitted to the house because he was a rela- tive. -
David Rafferty, the Fall of the Roman Republic
The Fall of the Roman Republic DAVID RAFFERTY the Mediterranean, meant there was no longer anyone for the Romans to fear, which in turn meant that Rome lost her discipline. Another How did crises change ancient theme blamed greed and ambition for Rome’s societies? problems: greed and success had made some men very rich and others very poor. The rich How did key individuals contribute to had appetites which the Republic could not such events? contain, while they also became corrupt, and the poor had nothing to lose from change. A How might we judge the historical similar theme blamed the ambitions of the significance of these crises and the great men who brought down their Republic: individuals who took part in them?1 they were no longer content to be renowned in a free state, but wanted to dominate their fellow-citizens. Historical significance Most modern scholars have not accepted these explanations. But many causes have been Why did the Roman Republic fall? This blamed for the collapse of the Republic, too question was of great interest to the Romans many to list here. Lintott’s CAH chapter briefly themselves, both at the time and later. The outlines some of them, but the Blackwell best starting point is Andrew Lintott’s chapter Companion to the Roman Republic is a better 1, ‘The crisis of the Republic: sources and source. Such companions tend to be uneven, source-problems’ in CAH 9 (that is, volume but this one is excellent, and thoroughly 9 of the second edition of the Cambridge recommended. -
Cicero's Somnium Scipionis and Chaucer's Early
“FOR I HADDE RED OF AFFRYCAN BYFORN:” CICERO’S SOMNIUM SCIPIONIS AND CHAUCER’S EARLY DREAM VISIONS Timothy A. Shonk When Marcus Tullius Cicero began his contemplative work on the perfect state, De re publica, he confronted two questions, one public and one per- sonal, that must have consumed his psychic energies: how to remain influential in the growth of the Roman state after his year of exile in Greece, and how to ensure that his words and concomitant reputation for rhetorical power endured. To answer the first question, Cicero, removed from the office of Consul and the hall of the Senate, had little choice in continuing to work to meld the classes into an ideal functioning govern- ment but to “do so from his study.”1 To this end, he developed an imagined conversation, closely modeled on Plato’s Republic, featuring personages who loomed large in Rome’s recent history: among them, Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus the Younger, Manius Manillus, Publius Rutilus Rufus, and Quintus Mucius Scaevola. The primary speaker, Scipio the Younger, following an opening discussion of the possible explanations of the recent phenomenon of two suns in one day, begins the theme that dominates the work: the three types of government—dictatorship, aristo- cratic rule, and pure democracy of rule by the people—outlining the mer- its and demerits of each system before settling on the view that Rome comes closest to perfection in balancing the three types as best as can be imagined. The second question consuming Cicero had to be his future and his name. -
The Complexity of Roman Suicide Carmine Anthony Ruff
University of Richmond UR Scholarship Repository Master's Theses Student Research 1974 The complexity of Roman suicide Carmine Anthony Ruff Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.richmond.edu/masters-theses Part of the Classics Commons Recommended Citation Ruff, Carmine Anthony, "The ompc lexity of Roman suicide" (1974). Master's Theses. Paper 937. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at UR Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of UR Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE COMPLEXITY OF ROMAN SUICIDE BY CARMINE ANTHONY RUFFA A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN CLASSICAL STUDIES MAY 1974 APPROVAL SHEET ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE • . • • . .iv Chapter I. INTRODUCTION . • . • • • • . • • • • • . • 1 II. ANCIENT SUICIDE: A PROBLEM OF SEMANTICS. • • • • • • • • • • • • 5 Latin Citations to Suicide The Absence of A Standard Word Or Phrase III. PHILOSOPHIC SUICIDE . • .11 The Attitude of the Latin Philosophers Toward Suicide The Divergent Views of the Stoic Philosophers The Effect of Cato's Suicide on Stoicism IV. THE TREATMENT OF LUCRETIA'S SUICIDE BY LIVY AND AUGUSTINE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4 4 Section I: Livy's Lucretia Section II: Augustine's Denunciation of Lucretia v. SUICIDE IN THE AENEID • • • • • • . .61 Vergii's Development of Dido's Suicidal Personality The Condemnation of Suicides in the Underworld Amata's Suicide CONCLUSION. .80 APPENDIX I • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 83 APPENDIX II • . .86 BIBLIOGRAPHY . .91 VITA . .99 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to acknowledge two people who have influenced and inspired his academic and professional life. -
Horatius at the Bridge” by Thomas Babington Macauley
A Charlotte Mason Plenary Guide - Resource for Plutarch’s Life of Publicola Publius Horatius Cocles was an officer in the Roman Army who famously defended the only bridge into Rome against an attack by Lars Porsena and King Tarquin, as recounted in Plutarch’s Life of Publicola. There is a very famous poem about this event called “Horatius at the Bridge” by Thomas Babington Macauley. It was published in Macauley’s book Lays of Ancient Rome in 1842. HORATIUS AT THE BRIDGE By Thomas Babington Macauley I LARS Porsena of Clusium By the Nine Gods he swore That the great house of Tarquin Should suffer wrong no more. By the Nine Gods he swore it, And named a trysting day, And bade his messengers ride forth, East and west and south and north, To summon his array. II East and west and south and north The messengers ride fast, And tower and town and cottage Have heard the trumpet’s blast. Shame on the false Etruscan Who lingers in his home, When Porsena of Clusium Is on the march for Rome. III The horsemen and the footmen Are pouring in amain From many a stately market-place; From many a fruitful plain; From many a lonely hamlet, Which, hid by beech and pine, 1 www.cmplenary.com A Charlotte Mason Plenary Guide - Resource for Plutarch’s Life of Publicola Like an eagle’s nest, hangs on the crest Of purple Apennine; IV From lordly Volaterae, Where scowls the far-famed hold Piled by the hands of giants For godlike kings of old; From seagirt Populonia, Whose sentinels descry Sardinia’s snowy mountain-tops Fringing the southern sky; V From the proud mart of Pisae, Queen of the western waves, Where ride Massilia’s triremes Heavy with fair-haired slaves; From where sweet Clanis wanders Through corn and vines and flowers; From where Cortona lifts to heaven Her diadem of towers. -
Under the Influence of Art: the Effect of the Statues of Horatius Cocles and Cloelia on Valerius
Under the Influence of Art: The Effect of the Statues of Horatius Cocles and Cloelia on Valerius Maximus’ Facta et Dicta Memorabilia In his work, Facta et Dicta Memorabilia, Valerius Maximus stated in the praefatio of his chapter “De Fortitudine” that he will discuss the great deeds of Romulus, but cannot do so without bringing up one example first; someone whose similarly great deeds helped save Rome (3.2.1-2). This great man is Horatius Cocles. Valerius Maximus noted that he must next talk about another hero, Cloelia, after Horatius Cocles because they fight the same enemy, at the same time, at the same place, and both perform facta memorabilia to save Rome (3.2.2-3). Valerius Maximus mentioned Horatius Cocles and Cloelia together, as if they are a joined pair that cannot be separated. Yet there is another legendary figure, Mucius Scaevola, who also fights the same enemy, at the same time, and also performs facta memorabilia to save Rome. It is strange both that Valerius Maximus seemed compelled to unite Cloelia with the mention of Horatius Cocles, and also that he did not include Mucius Scaevola. Instead, Scaevola’s story is at the beginning of the next chapter (3.3.1). Traditionally these three heroes, Horatius Cocles, Cloelia, and Mucius Scaevola, were mentioned together by historians such as Livy and Dionysius of Halicarnassus, whose works predate Valerius Maximus’ (Ab Urbe Condita 2.10-13, Roman Antiquities 5.23-35). Valerius Maximus was able to split up the triad, despite the tradition, without receiving flack because it had already been done by Virgil in the Aeneid, where he described the dual images of Cocles and Cloelia on Aeneas’ shield, but Scaevola is absent (8.646-651). -
Masteroppgave I Historie
Fra Ticinus til Zama Scipio Africanus i den 2. puniske krig Vegard Johnsen Masteroppgave i historie Institutt for arkeologi, konservering og historie (IAKH) UNIVERSITETET I OSLO Vår 2010 Forord Jeg vil rette en stor takk til min veileder Knut Ødegård for all hjelp og tilbakemeldinger under arbeidet. Videre vil jeg takke mine medstudenter for et fabelaktig samhold, både på og utenfor Blindern. Takk også til alle venner utenfor Blindern. Stor takk til Ragnar Holst Larsen for hjelp med redigering. Sist, men ikke minst, en stor takk til mamma og pappa for all hjelp og støtte opp gjennom årene. Vegard Johnsen 5. mai, 2010 i ii Innholdsfortegnelse Forord.........................................................................................................................................i Innholdsfortegnelse .................................................................................................................iii Illustrasjoner............................................................................................................................. v Kilder og oversettelser ...........................................................................................................vii 1. Innledning. Presentasjon og problemstillinger.................................................................. 1 Struktur og metode ................................................................................................................. 2 Kilder..................................................................................................................................... -
Hannibal, Practical Experience, and the Model Historian
Chapter 2 Hannibal, Practical Experience, and the Model Historian 1 Introduction The previous chapter demonstrated that, despite his belief in the didactic pur- pose of history, Polybius places considerable emphasis on the instructive value of practical experience. As this chapter will show, the significance of practical experience for Polybius becomes evident not just in the digressions and pro- grammatic passages discussed previously but also in his narrative of historical events. Polybius’ depiction of Hannibal, the great Carthaginian leader and ad- versary of Rome, is a model example of the importance of practical experience in Polybius’ narrative. In contrast to other leading figures prominent only in the later, fragmentary books of Polybius, the surviving early books preserve a more complete account of Hannibal’s early progression from a young man to a more seasoned commander. This presents an opportunity to trace the impact of practical experience on the development of an individual who had a pro- found impact in the events recorded in Polybius’ work.1 When Polybius pauses in Book Nine (9.22–6) to reflect upon the character (φύσις, 9.22.7) of Hannibal,2 he claims that Hannibal alone was the cause of all that happened both to the Romans and to the Carthaginians in the Second Punic war (9.22.1). Polybius here singles out Hannibal as a great and marvelous subject (μέγα τι φύεται χρῆμα καὶ θαυμάσιον, 9.22.6). The choice of the adjective θαυμάσιον holds important historiographical weight – both for Polybius and 1 Pédech (1964), 204–53 provides a full discussion of the pivotal role that historical agents play in shaping the events of history in Polybius’ text. -
Ancient Rome – Wars and Battles the Ancient Romans Fought Many Battles and Wars in Order to Expand and Protect Their Empire
Ancient Rome – Wars and Battles The Ancient Romans fought many battles and wars in order to expand and protect their empire. There were also civil wars where Romans fought Romans in order to gain power. Here are some of the major battles and wars that the Romans fought. The Punic Wars The Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 BC to 146 BC. Carthage was a large City located on the coast of North Africa. This sounds like a long way away at first, but Carthage was just a short sea voyage from Rome across the Mediterranean Sea. Both cities were major powers at the time and both were expanding their empires. As the empires grew, they began to clash and soon war had begun. There were three major parts of the Punic wars and they were fought over the course of more than 100 years, First Punic War (264 - 241 BC): The First Punic War was fought largely over the island of Sicily. This meant a lot of the fighting was at sea where Carthage had the advantage of a much stronger navy than Rome. However, Rome quickly built up a large navy of over 100 ships. Rome also invented the corvus, a type of assault bridge that allowed Rome's superior soldiers to board enemy navy vessels. Rome soon dominated Carthage and won the war. Second Punic War (218 - 201 BC): In the Second Punic War, Carthage had more success fighting against the Roman legions. The Carthage leader and general, Hannibal, made a daring crossing of the Alps to attack Rome and northern Italy.