DOCSLIB.ORG

Ab Urbe Condita: When Viri Were Viri

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ab Urbe Condita: When Viri Were Viri CHAPTER FOUR AB URBE CONDITA: WHEN VIRI WERE VIRI Livy, like Thucydides, observed human nature and viewed history as a lesson for mankind in which great moral issues were at stake. 1 Toward this end, Livy went even further than did Thucydides, framing his history in "a series of moral episodes ... designed to bring out the character of the leading figures," thus reducing great events of the past to a level comprehensible to his reading public. 2 By endowing his characters with clear-cut virtues and vices, Livy was able to present his readers moral exempla with which they could readily identify. As P.G. Walsh writes, the real heroes of Ab Urbe Condita are pietas,fides, concordia, ratio, clementia, and so forth, who all wage continual war against the villains furor,ferocitas, temeritas, libido, luxuria and their like. 3 Because of this polarized framework, Livy's presentation of Roman history is a pano­ ramic chiaroscuro of dichotomies. His dualistic premise demands sim­ plistic characters so that the reader may know where a particular personage stands in the moral scheme. 4 An incidental component in the creation of what are, at best, two-dimensional characters, was the historian's use of vir and homo as capsule identifications. Livy's masculine terminology reflects that of Cicero in that he generally employs vir for the distinguished and homo for the humble, the foreigner (with an ethnic adjective), and as a term of abuse, sometimes in direct evocation of the Republican orator. The historiographical idiom, however, permits greater freedom and variation of usage than did the forensic speech. An instance is Livy's treatment of tribunes of the plebs. Since he is not bent on defaming them, as was Cicero, Livy, if he employs a gender term, presents them as viri. As with Cicero, moral qualifications determine whether a character is a vir or a homo; but where the orator's ethical yardstick was based upon factional politics, the historian's is founded upon unified loyalty to Country. Thus salient fidelity to Rome may elevate a man of low or foreign birth to the status 1 R.M. Ogilvie, Introduction, Livy: the Early History of Rome (Harmondsworth, 1960- 71) 8. 2 Ibid., 9. 3 P.G. Walsh, Livy, His Historical Aims and Methods (Cambridge, 1961) 66; cf. T.J. Luce, Livy, the Composition of His History (Princeton, 1977) 231-232. • Walsh (supra, n. 3) 82-109; Luce (supra, n. 3) 232. 64 THE CICERONIAN TRADITION AND ROMAN HISTORIOGRAPHY of vir; on the other hand, disloyalty to country or the breaking of an oath is enough to demote an otherwise vir to the rank of homo. The Clarissimus, the Consularis, and the Conservative Vir The Roman historical vir of Livy in many ways resembles the Roman political vir of Cicero. Usually a consular, he is morally sound and acts in the interests of the Republic; never rash, he deliberates carefully and displays moderation on all occasions. Livy's ex-consuls are viri consulares, clari or clarissimi. Active in public life, they fight to the death for the Republic. 5 Like the consulares of Cicero's day, they play the game of factional politics for high stakes, and sometimes lose, as when the Senate refuses Q. Minucius a triumph equal to that of G. Cornelius in 197. In consequence, Minucius awards himself one, iure imperii consularis, to be held upon the Alban Mount where, he sniffs, so many other clari viri have been forced by jealous colleagues to hold theirs (33.23.3). 6 Vir clarissimus may have been an official epithet used in senatorial business, as is indicated when the tribune L. Valerius Tappo employs it of the consul Cato, his opponent in the debate over the Lex Oppia (34.5.2). 7 Livy essayed for verisimilitude in his speeches, 8 and it is likely that he has employed the term proper for a tribune to use of a consul. The epithet's status value is also illustrated when Scipio Nasica, extolling the gens Cornelia, is outraged that his cousin, Lucius, a vir clarissimus and fortissimus, might be imprisoned with latrones (38.59.10). Moral implications as well as social are inherent in the term when Gn. Octavius pontificates to his junior officers on the permutations of human fortunes, maintaining that the real vir is one who will remain steadfast in the overwhelming winds of success and whose courage will not be soured by the uses of adversity (35.8.7). Meritorious service to the 5 Vir consularis: 6.17.3; 22.53.4. Clarissimus vir, Q. Fabius, master of horse: 8.32.15. Multi c/ari viri are candidates forthe censorship in 199 (32. 7.3). Other consulars, Sempronius: vir tam c/arus at insignis, killed in Lucania (25.17.4); Africanus: a maior et c/arior vir, hounded by ungrateful tribunes (38.50.4); elsewhere Africanus expounds upon omnis aevi c/ari viri (28.43.6). Cf. Valerius and Verginius, augurs: 3.7.6; Lepidus, pontifex maximus, and multi c/ari viri: 40.42.12; cf. 37 .57.9; 38.53.4. 'e.g., M. Claudius Marcellus (26.21.2-6). For Minucius' entire story, Liv. 33.22-23. 7 A controversy exists whether Cato was termed vir gravissimus or vir c/arissimus. D. W. Packard opts for c/arissimus, A Concordance of Livy (Cambridge, Mass., 1968) s.v., vir; J. Briscoe supports this on grounds that gravissimus with vir rarely appears in Cicero (as opposed Lo three columns for c/arissimus), and that the expression is seen nowhere else in Livy. A Commentary on Livy. Books 34-37 (Oxford, 1981) 55. 8 Ogilvie (supra, n. 1) 9. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Ab Urbe Condita Construction in Latin
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Papers from the University Studies series (The University of Nebraska) University Studies of the University of Nebraska 1936 The Ab Urbe Condita Construction in Latin Otto William Heick Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/univstudiespapers Part of the Classical Literature and Philology Commons Heick, Otto William, "The Ab Urbe Condita Construction in Latin" (1936). Papers from the University Studies series (The University of Nebraska). 122. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/univstudiespapers/122 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the University Studies of the University of Nebraska at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Papers from the University Studies series (The University of Nebraska) by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. VoL. XXXVI · 1936 UNIVERSITY STUDIES • PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION J. E. KIRSHMAN C. S. HAMILTON T. M. RAYSOR H. H. MARVIN G. W. ROSENLOF R. J. POOL , FRED W. UPSON LOUISE POUND GILBERT H. DOANE THE AB URBE CONDITA CONSTRUCTION IN LATIN BY OTTO WILLIAM HEICK, Ph.D. LINCOLN, NEBRASKA 1936 THE UNIVERSITY STUDIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA VOLUME XXXVI LINCOLN PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY 1936 UNIVERSITY STUDIES VoL. XXXVI Nos. 1-4 THE AB VRBE CONDITA CONSTRUCTION IN LATIN BY OTTO WILLIAM HEICK, Ph.D. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE l. INTRODUCTION 9 THE NATURE OF THE Ab Urbe Condita CoNSTRUCTION 9 PREVIOUS WoRK ON THE SUBJECT 10 AIMS AND METHOD OF THE PRESENT STUDY 11 II. ARCHAIC AUTHORS.
    [Show full text]
  • 2014) ADVANCED)DIVISION) ) Page)1) ROUND)I
    MASSACHUSETTS)CERTAMEN),)2014) ADVANCED)DIVISION) ) Page)1) ROUND)I 1:! TU:!!! What!pair!of!Babylonian!lovers!planned!to!meet!at!the!tomb!of!Ninus,!but!were!thwarted!by!a!lioness?) PYRAMUS)AND)THISBE! B1:!!! What!did!Pyramus!do!when!he!found!Thisbe’s!bloody!veil!and!thought!she!was!dead?! ! ! ! ! KILLED)HIMSELF! B2:!!! What!plant!forever!changed!color!when!it!was!splattered!with!Pyramus’!and!Thisbe’s!blood?! ! ! ! ! MULBERRY) ) ) 2:! TU:! For!the!verb!fallō,)give!the!3rd!person!singular,!perfect,!active!subjunctive.! ) FEFELLERIT! B1:! Give!the!corresponding!form!of!disco.! ) DIDICERIT! B2:! Give!the!corresponding!form!of!fio.! ) FACTUS)(A,UM))SIT) ) ) 3:! TU:! Who!was!the!victorious!general!at!the!battle!of!Pydna!in!168!BC?! ) AEMELIUS)PAULUS! B1:! Who!was!the!son!of!Aemelius!Paulus!that!sacked!Corinth!in!146!BC?! ! ! ! ! SCIPIO)AEMELIANUS) ! B2:! Scipio!Aemelianus!was!adopted!by!which!flamen-dialis,-thus!making!him!part!of!a!more!aristocratic!family?! ) (PUBLIUS)CORNELIUS))SCIPIO)AFRICANUS) ) ) 4:! TU:!! According!to!its!derivation,!an!irascible!person!is!easy!to!put!into!what!kind!of!mood?! ) ANGER/ANGRY! B1:!! Give!the!Latin!verb!and!its!meaning!from!which!the!English!word!“sample”!is!derived.) EMŌ)–)TO)BUY! B2:!! Give!the!Latin!noun!and!its!meaning!from!which!the!English!word!“rush”!is!derived.! ) CAUSA)–)REASON,)CAUSE) ) [SCORE)CHECK]) ) 5:! TU:!!! What!Paduan!prose!author!of!the!Augustan!age!wrote!a!history!of!Rome!in!142!books?) TITUS)LIVIUS/LIVY! B1:!!! What!was!the!Latin!title!of!Livy’s!history?! ) AB)URBE)CONDITA! B2:!!! Which!of!the!following!topics!is!not!covered!in!one!of!the!35!extant!books!of!Ab-Urbe-Condita:!!!
    [Show full text]
  • The Evolution of the Roman Calendar Dwayne Meisner, University of Regina
    The Evolution of the Roman Calendar Dwayne Meisner, University of Regina Abstract The Roman calendar was first developed as a lunar | 290 calendar, so it was difficult for the Romans to reconcile this with the natural solar year. In 45 BC, Julius Caesar reformed the calendar, creating a solar year of 365 days with leap years every four years. This article explains the process by which the Roman calendar evolved and argues that the reason February has 28 days is that Caesar did not want to interfere with religious festivals that occurred in February. Beginning as a lunar calendar, the Romans developed a lunisolar system that tried to reconcile lunar months with the solar year, with the unfortunate result that the calendar was often inaccurate by up to four months. Caesar fixed this by changing the lengths of most months, but made no change to February because of the tradition of intercalation, which the article explains, and because of festivals that were celebrated in February that were connected to the Roman New Year, which had originally been on March 1. Introduction The reason why February has 28 days in the modern calendar is that Caesar did not want to interfere with festivals that honored the dead, some of which were Past Imperfect 15 (2009) | © | ISSN 1711-053X | eISSN 1718-4487 connected to the position of the Roman New Year. In the earliest calendars of the Roman Republic, the year began on March 1, because the consuls, after whom the year was named, began their years in office on the Ides of March.
    [Show full text]
  • The Imperial Cult and the Individual
    THE IMPERIAL CULT AND THE INDIVIDUAL: THE NEGOTIATION OF AUGUSTUS' PRIVATE WORSHIP DURING HIS LIFETIME AT ROME _______________________________________ A Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Department of Ancient Mediterranean Studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia _______________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy _____________________________________________________ by CLAIRE McGRAW Dr. Dennis Trout, Dissertation Supervisor MAY 2019 The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled THE IMPERIAL CULT AND THE INDIVIDUAL: THE NEGOTIATION OF AUGUSTUS' PRIVATE WORSHIP DURING HIS LIFETIME AT ROME presented by Claire McGraw, a candidate for the degree of doctor of philosophy, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. _______________________________________________ Professor Dennis Trout _______________________________________________ Professor Anatole Mori _______________________________________________ Professor Raymond Marks _______________________________________________ Professor Marcello Mogetta _______________________________________________ Professor Sean Gurd DEDICATION There are many people who deserve to be mentioned here, and I hope I have not forgotten anyone. I must begin with my family, Tom, Michael, Lisa, and Mom. Their love and support throughout this entire process have meant so much to me. I dedicate this project to my Mom especially; I must acknowledge that nearly every good thing I know and good decision I’ve made is because of her. She has (literally and figuratively) pushed me to achieve this dream. Mom has been my rock, my wall to lean upon, every single day. I love you, Mom. Tom, Michael, and Lisa have been the best siblings and sister-in-law. Tom thinks what I do is cool, and that means the world to a little sister.
    [Show full text]
  • Women in Livy and Tacitus
    Xavier University Exhibit Honors Bachelor of Arts Undergraduate 2021-5 Women in Livy and Tacitus STEPHEN ALEXANDER PREVOZNIK Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH Follow this and additional works at: https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/hab Part of the Ancient History, Greek and Roman through Late Antiquity Commons, Ancient Philosophy Commons, Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, Classical Literature and Philology Commons, and the Other Classics Commons Recommended Citation PREVOZNIK, STEPHEN ALEXANDER, "Women in Livy and Tacitus" (2021). Honors Bachelor of Arts. 46. https://www.exhibit.xavier.edu/hab/46 This Capstone/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Undergraduate at Exhibit. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Bachelor of Arts by an authorized administrator of Exhibit. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Women in Livy and Tacitus By Stephen Prevoznik Prevoznik 1 Introduction Livy and Tacitus are both influential and important Roman authors. They have written two of the most influential histories of Rome. Livy covers from the founding of Rome until the Reign of Augustus. Tacitus focuses on the early empire, writing from the end of Augustus’ reign through Nero. This sets up a nice symmetry, as Tacitus picks up where Livy stops. Much has been written about the men they include, but the women also play an important role. This essay plans to outline how the women in each work are used by the authors to attain their goals. In doing so, each author’s aim is exposed. Livy: Women as Exempla Livy’s most famous work, Ab Urbe Condita, is meant to be read as a guide.
    [Show full text]
  • Frogs Around the Pond: Some Images of the Mediterranean Sea In
    FROGS AROUND THE POND: SOME IMAGES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA IN GREEK AND ROMAN CULTURE by SARAH JEAN CALDER TRAUT Under the Direction of Naomi Norman ABSTRACT This thesis describes some of the ways that Greek and Roman culture attempted to define the Mediterranean Sea. It surveys selected Greek and Roman authors who used the image of the Mediterranean Sea to talk about power and wealth. INDEX WORDS: Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean Basin, Greek and Roman Culture, Mare Nostrum, Isidorus, Sallust, Julius Caesar, Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Pomponius Mela, Pliny the Elder, Juvenal, Old Oligarch, Pseudo- Xenophon, Constitution of the Athenians, Thucydides, History, Cicero, De Provinciis Consularibus, Augustus, Res Gestae, Plutarch, Quaestiones Conviviales, Hesiod, Works and Days, Petronius, Satyricon, Lucian, The Ship or The Wishes. FROGS AROUND THE POND: SOME IMAGES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA IN GREEK AND ROMAN CULTURE by SARAH JEAN CALDER TRAUT A.B., The University of Georgia, 2001 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS ATHENS, GEORGIA 2004 ©2004 Sarah Jean Calder Traut All Rights Reserved. FROGS AROUND THE POND: SOME IMAGES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA IN GREEK AND ROMAN CULTURE by SARAH JEAN CALDER TRAUT Major Professor: Naomi Norman Committee: Robert Curtis Keith Dix Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2004 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge the guidance that Dr. Naomi Norman has given me throughout my undergraduate and graduate schooling. Without her support, I should never have completed my thesis or my undergraduate degree.
    [Show full text]
  • 0 Contents.Qxd
    Chronology Chart 1-6 Roman Calendar Explanation At the time of Christ, the Roman calendar and dating system were used throughout the Roman Empire. The calendar derived from the old lunar calendar of the Etruscans, which was designed to keep record of times for religious observances and festivals, and which retained as principal days of the month the kalends (first), nones (fifth or seventh), and ides (thirteenth or fifteenth), based originally on the phases of the moon. The months had been restructured by the Romans into a solar calendar of twelve months with several intercalary days at the end of February. March was the first Roman month, making September the seventh, October the eighth, etc. These names derive from the Latin words for seven (septem), eight (octo), and so on. The Roman calendar was reformed by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C., which version operated in New Testament times and still forms the basis of our own modern calendar today. Roman years were numbered ab urbe condita, “from the founding of the city.” The year we call 753 B.C. was the Roman year 1, the year that Rome is believed to have been established. References John F. Hall, “March Gods and the Etruscan New Year,” in By Study and Also By Faith (Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1990), 1:643–58. A. K. Michels, The Calendar of the Roman Republic (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1967). Charting the New Testament, © 2002 Welch, Hall, FARMS Roman Calendar Kalendae First day of the month Named for Mars, Martius the god of the New Year Named for Aprilia, Aprilis Idus The fifteenth of March, a goddess of spring May, July, and October, but the thirteenth of all Named for Maia, other months.
    [Show full text]
  • Virtue, Violence, and Victors: the Role of Pudicitia in Livy's Ab Urbe Condita
    Ellen Snyder Virtue, Violence, and Victors: The Role of Pudicitia in Livy's Ab Urbe Condita Introduction This paper explores the highly gendered role of chastity (pudicitia) in the work of the Roman historian, Titus Livius. Livy, who lived from around 64 B.C.E to 12 C.E., composed a monumental work, the Ab Urbe Condita, which traced Rome's history from its mythic beginnings to 9 B.C.E. While only a fraction of the work remains, the Ab Urbe Condita provides insight into how one writer viewed Roman expansion and how he used the framework of gender to give shape to his vision of Rome's history. Pudicitia While rape within Livy's Ab Urbe Condita has received much scholarly attention, the role that pudicitia plays within this context and within the history as a whole has often been overlooked. Rebecca Langlands' recent monograph, Sexual Morality in Ancient Rome, has taken an important step towards addressing this lacuna in scholarship. Langlands (2006: 115), however, quickly passes over one key aspect of Livy's use of pudicitia; the term is applied only to women and children. In the works of other Roman authors of the late Republic and early Empire, pudicitia is presented as a value important to women and men alike. Livy's break with tradition calls for further exploration. It will be my argument that Livy's conception of pudicitia is an integral part of his construction of sexual violence and its relationship to Roman power at home and abroad. Pudicitia is presented as the possession of those who are most vulnerable to attack.
    [Show full text]
  • LAT 426/526 ROMAN HISTORIANS F2014 Prof. Philip Waddell 5:00
    LAT 426/526 ROMAN HISTORIANS F2014 Prof. Philip Waddell 5:00 – 6:15pm MoWe Modern Languages, Rm 203 214 LSB (520) 621-7418 [email protected] Office Hours: MW 3-4 (and by appt.) REQUIRED TEXTS: 1. Sallust, Bellum Catilinae, ed. J.T. Ramsey (American Philological Association, 2007) 978-0195320855 2. Livy, Ab Urbe Condita Book XXI , ed. P.G. Walsh (Bristol, 1991) 978-0862921781 3. Tacitus, Annales IV, ed. R. H. Martin and A. J. Woodman (Cambridge, 1990) 978-0521315432 RECOMMENDED TEXTS: In addition to the assigned texts, one should always have the following types of works to aid translation and understanding: Translations I have ordered to the bookstore a translation of each of the above texts, which should be more accurate and closer to the Latin than many others. 1. Sallust, Catiline’s War, The Jugurthine War, Histories, trans. A. J. Woodman (Penguin, 2008) 978-0140449488 2. Livy, The War with Hannibal: The History of Rome from Its Foundation, Books XXI-XXX, transl. Aubrey de Selincourt (Penguin, 1965) 978-0140441451 3. Tacitus, Annales, transl A. J. Woodman (Hackett, ) 978-0872205581 Commentaries: Aside from the excellent commentaries of Ramsey and Woodman and Martin, the most thorough commentaries are 1. Karl Vretska, C. Sallustius Crispus, De Catilinae Coniuratione, 2 vol. (Heidelberg, 1976) 2. Patrick McGushin, C. Sallustius Crispus, Bellum Catilinae (Leiden, 1977) 3. Erich Koestermann, Cornelius Tacitus; Annalen, vol 2 (4-6) (Heidelberg, 1963-68) Dictionaries: In the unlikely event that you do not possess a good Latin dictionary, I suggest: Chambers Murray Latin-English Dictionary (978-0550190031). Regardless, your dictionary should have citations to authors and examples of usage.
    [Show full text]
  • Livy's Republic: Reconciling Republic and Princeps in <Em>Ab Urbe Condita</Em>
    Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive All Theses and Dissertations 2017-12-01 Livy's Republic: Reconciling Republic and Princeps in Ab Urbe Condita Joshua Stewart MacKay Brigham Young University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Classics Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation MacKay, Joshua Stewart, "Livy's Republic: Reconciling Republic and Princeps in Ab Urbe Condita" (2017). All Theses and Dissertations. 6668. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/6668 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Livy's Republic: Reconciling Republic and Princeps in Ab Urbe Condita Joshua Stewart MacKay A thesis submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Roger T. Macfarlane, Chair Cecilia M. Peek Michael F. Pope Department of Comparative Arts and Letters Brigham Young University Copyright © 2017 Joshua Stewart MacKay All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT Livy's Republic: Reconciling Republic and Princeps in Ab Urbe Condita Joshua Stewart MacKay Department of Comparative Arts and Letters, BYU Master of Arts As early as Tacitus, Livian scholarship has struggled to resolve the "Livian paradox," the conflict between Livy's support of the Roman Republic and his overt approval of Augustus, who brought about the end of the Republic. This paper addresses the paradox by attempting to place Livy's writings within their proper historical and literary context.
    [Show full text]
  • Livy, Folklore, and Magic: a Reappraisal of Rome's Foundational Mythology
    LIVY, FOLKLORE, AND MAGIC: A REAPPRAISAL OF ROME'S FOUNDATIONAL MYTHOLOGY Jeremy Leonard Albrecht A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2020 Committee: Casey Stark, Advisor Amilcar Challu James Pfundstein © 2020 Jeremy Albrecht All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Casey Stark, Advisor This paper argues for an additional manner in which the social and cultural history of Rome can be both examined and understand through the implementation of folkloric practices. While folklore and history are two distinct academic traditions, there exists a certain amount of overlap between the fields and this overlap is worth exploring in more detail. In the course of this paper, it is argued that many aspects of Roman social and cultural history can be understood and examined through folkloric means. In chapter one, a working definition of folklore is established and shown to apply to the foundational mythology of Rome as portrayed by Livy in his Ab Urbe Condita. Chapter two continues to examine Livy and provides an argument that, in the process of his writing, Livy himself was more concerned with a folkloric interpretation of Rome’s history than he was in staying firmly within the bounds of historical accuracy. Finally, chapter three branches off from Livy and focuses on the arcane and magical traditions which were prevalent in Rome to show that not only were folkloric traditions present in Rome’s traditional mythology, but can also be seen throughout the Republic and even into the early Empire.
    [Show full text]
  • Paper 2 Assignment
    HIST 4023 Roman Republic and Empire Paper 2 - 10 pages Due November 28 at 11:30 am Livy’s From the Foundation of the City (Ab Urbe Condita) is our most important source for the early history of Rome. But he was writing many hundreds of years aer the events he covered in his first five books. In the first paper you explored how Livy was reworking his earlier sources to create his own history. For this paper, you will examine how Livy is writing his work for his own times, and how more recent events shaped his presentation of early Roman history. For this paper you should focus on the first book of Livy, which we read for class earlier in the semester. e exact date when Livy was writing this book is not precisely known, but for the purposes of this paper assume that Livy was working on it until 23 BCE. You should consult the major ancient sources for the period following following Caesar’s death to provide context for Livy, namely Cassius Dio Books 50-53, Suetonius’ Life of Augustus, and Augustus’ own Res Gestae. Some questions you might want to consider: • What events in the late 30s and early 20s might have influenced Livy’s evaluation of Rome in the preface to Book 1? • How can we understand Livy’s Preface in its historical context? What kinds of views does he have about civil wars? • What good and bad qualities in the Roman kings does Livy particularly emphasize, and how might they be relevant to Augustus? • What qualities of the Roman character does Livy particularly emphasize? How might these fit into the new order that Augustus was creating? • How does Livy try to connect the past with the present? What elements is he particularly interested in? • How optimistic or pessimistic is Livy, and how might that be a reflection of the mood of the early 20s? • How might the Res Gestae express the Augustan response to the conditions that shaped Livy’s first book? You are to limit your analysis to the ancient texts themselves – do not look at modern scholarship.
    [Show full text]