DOCSLIB.ORG

GET SERIOUS Older Men

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Behavioural skills Working effectively with others Most of us have, at some point, experienced the challenge of not being able to express ourselves effectively. That heart-sinking moment of knowing that we didn’t quite do ourselves justice in a meeting or presentation. Or that annoying feeling when the point we’ve just made is brushed aside, only to be fervently agreed with when made by someone else. In an increasingly informal age, where social media, text- speak and one-line emails have become the norm, it is ironic that ‘gravitas’, a quality traditionally associated with formality, is becoming increasingly important. In the rush of corporate life, more and more employees are expected to display it earlier and earlier in their careers. Yet despite being an important skill, it is often misunderstood, which can be a challenge for talented treasurers who want to get to the very top of their organisation. Gravitas is often perceived as an inherent trait, normally associated with silver-haired, GET SERIOUS older men. This assumption can act as an invisible barrier GRAVITAS IS AN IMPORTANT SKILL THAT CAN ENABLE YOU to talented employees who TO COMMAND RESPECT AND GET PROMOTED. ANTOINETTE have the potential to reach DALE HENDERSON EXPLAINS HOW TO ACQUIRE IT the boardroom, but don’t fit this ‘type’. If we are really to tackle the lack of diversity at senior levels, it is critical that we address the ‘gravitas myth’. build stronger relationships, gravitas. It is also true that seriousness, solemnity, Why is gravitas win more business, get everyone has the potential dignity and importance. important? promoted more quickly to develop it, with the right It denotes a certain substance Gravitas is a vital quality and get better results. support and guidance. or depth of personality that that talented employees The term comes up elicits a feeling of respect need to have if they want frequently during appraisals, Defining gravitas and trust in others. The to move up the career ladder delivered as a throwaway The word ‘gravitas’ has its word is also linked to ‘gravity’, and maintain their position line to an aspiring leader, roots in ancient Rome and a centrifugal force that keeps at the top. People with who is told they ‘must was one of the virtues that you grounded, and ‘gravitate’, gravitas lead better, present IMAGES DETTMER/IKON OTTO ILLUSTRATION: develop gravitas in order Romans were expected to an energy that attracts people better, communicate better to advance’ without any possess to fulfil their role in to you. and network better. In a practical advice on how to society, along with pietas, As part of my research competitive environment, develop it. The reality is that dignitas and virtus. Gravitas into leadership and gravitas, leaders who have gravitas few people are born with is translated as weight, I interviewed and modelled 56 The Treasurer June 2015 www.treasurers.org/thetreasurer a range of business and DEVELOPING GRAVITAS openness and sincerity in political leaders, with the most Western countries, aim of turning this intangible Here are six tips for developing your own style of gravitas: while conveying lack of quality into a skill that can not respect across most of Asia. only be learnt, but accelerated 1. Become self-aware – understand your unique strengths and Presenting yourself in today’s emerging leaders. areas of development. Ask people for feedback on when you with gravitas in a global While it is clear that there are have demonstrated gravitas and learn how to replicate that in environment requires an as many interpretations of more challenging situations. appreciation of international gravitas as there are successful 2. Hone your expertise – become an expert in your area of work. business etiquette, combined leaders, what I did find is that Find a ‘niche’ that’s uniquely ‘yours’ and create opportunities with an ability to develop to demonstrate it as part of your role. people with gravitas share a rapport with people from 3. Convey authenticity – be true to yourself and reveal more of number of internal qualities diverse backgrounds. As your ‘best self’ at work, rather than trying too hard or emulating that reflect their beliefs, someone else. Stephen R Covey said in values and personal identity, 4. Cultivate presence – practise the skill of ‘being present’, The 7 Habits of Highly and external qualities that focusing your mind on the people around you, rather than Effective People, one of the determine how they present getting distracted. Develop an open and energised posture that key steps to success is to themselves to the outside emanates ease and ‘lights up’ the room. “seek first to understand, world and are experienced 5. Forge connections – broaden and deepen your professional then to be understood”. by others. network, seek out mutually beneficial opportunities with your For organisations looking This enabled me to develop contacts and develop the skill of rapport. to build gravitas in their the Gravitas Wheel©, a 6. Build projection – learn how to ‘switch on’ and amplify your people, the Gravitas Wheel© six-point model to enable message by using your mindset, voice and body language so provides a consistent individuals to explore their that even the largest audience gives you its undivided attention. framework to define, assess personal strengths and which and monitor the development areas, if further developed, of its constituent parts, while would enhance their knowledge, experience best self, expressing taking into consideration leadership style and enable and capabilities; a desire yourself confidently to cultural variations. In them to communicate with to become an expert the largest audiences. defining gravitas, it is critical greater gravitas. in a chosen field; and that an organisation sets out The internal qualities an ability to share your The importance a supporting framework, of gravitas include: expertise eloquently. of gravitas in a which takes note of cultural • Self-awareness: an • Authenticity: an global environment differences, while providing acknowledgment of your ability to remain true to Knowing how to develop and a common objective of values, beliefs, identity your values and beliefs portray yourself with gravitas what having gravitas in that and purpose; recognition irrespective of external is particularly important organisation means from a GET SERIOUS of your strengths and factors; and a commitment in a global environment, leadership perspective. limitations; and an ongoing to acting consistently where individuals are drive for self-development. and characteristically required to make an impact, • Expertise: an in all situations. communicate effectively and appreciation of, and influence decision-making belief in, your unique The external qualities of across different languages, gravitas include: countries and cultures. Antoinette Dale Henderson is a leadership • Presence: an energy that An example of the communications coach, emanates from a person; challenges associated with trainer and author of Boardroom facts and the ability to attract operating effectively in a Leading with Gravitas. • Less than 25% of She also founded training attention and make an multicultural environment and development company board members of impact through physical is the array of idioms used Zomi Communications. FTSE 100 companies appearance, body language to describe different skills. www.zomicommunications.com are women¹ and voice. For example, someone • Connection: an affinity failing to get to the point in • More than half of with people; and the art the Norwegian and Czech FTSE 100 companies 1 Cranfield’sFemale FTSE Board Report 2014 of building networks languages would be described (www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/ftse) have no non-white and relationships, as ‘walking around hot 2 A study of the top 10,000 executives published board members² creating rapport and porridge’, whereas in German in 2014 – co-authored by Trevor Phillips and Professor Richard Webber, of King’s College communicating they would be ‘speaking London (www.green-park.co.uk/press-release- • New businesses eloquently with a broad around hot mush’. Non-verbal britains-competitiveness-risk-deep-diversity- have 8.37% female range of audiences. communication can also deficit-says-new-study) directors on average³ 3 Research from www.approvedindex.com, with • Projection: an ability be a minefield, with direct more detail at www.treasurers.org/start-ups- to ‘switch on’ your eye contact demonstrating exclude-women-their-boards www.treasurers.org/thetreasurer June 2015 The Treasurer 57.
Recommended publications
  • Plutarch, Machiavelli and Shakespeare's Coriolanus Patrick

    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

    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

    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.
  • Some Aspects of the Concept of Virtus in Roman Literature Until Livy

    Some Aspects of the Concept of Virtus in Roman Literature Until Livy

    STUDIA PHILOLOGICA JYV ASKYLAENSIA 16 JUHANI SARSILA SOME ASPECTS OF THE CONCEPT OF VIRTUS IN ROMAN LITERATURE UNTIL LIVY ACADEMIC DISSERTATION TO THE PUBLICLY DISCUSSED, BY PERMISSION OF THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES, OF THE UNIVERSITY OF JYVASKYLA, IN AUDITORIUM S 212, ON APRIL 7, 1982, AT 12 O'CLOCK NOON UNIVERSITY OF ]YVASKYLA, JYVASKYLA 1982 SOME ASPECTS OF THE CONCEPT OF VIRTUS IN ROMAN LITERATURE UNTIL LIVY STUDIA PHILOLOGICA JYVASKYLAENSIA 16 JUHANI SARSILA SOME ASPECTS OF THE CONCEPT OF VIRTUS IN ROMAN LITERATURE UNTIL LIVY UNIVERSITY OF JYVASKYLA, JYVASKYLA 1982 URN:ISBN:978-951-39-8309-3 ISBN 978-951-39-8309-3 (PDF) ISSN 0585-5462 lSBN 951-678-661-8 ISSN 0585-5462 COPYRIGHT © 1982, by University of Jyvliskylli Jyvliskyllin yliopisto monistuskeskus Kirjapaino Oy Sisa-Suomi. Jyvliskylli 1982 ABSTRACT Sarsila, Juhani, Some Aspects of the Concept of Virtus in Roman Literature until Livy / Juhani Sarsila. - Jyvaskyla Jyvaskylan yliopisto, 1981. - 153 s. - (Studia Philologica Jyvaskylaensia, ISSN 0585-5462; 16) ISBN 951-678-661-8 Diss. This study is an interpretation of some essential occurrences of virtus in the Roman literature from the beginnings until Livy. The method can be characterized as philological, more precisely compara­ tive-diachronical. Despite the great variety of literary genres, virtus remains rather similar from one author to another. The fact that the Romans repeatedly emphasized the importance of virtus goes to show the fundamental significance of this concept for their so­ ciety. Originally the conception of virtus was quite narrow consisting in the readiness of the agrarian and militant community to wage war and to endure hard toil.
  • The Magic of Professional Gravitas

    The Magic of Professional Gravitas

    CHICAGOLAWBULLETIN.COM MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2014 ® Volume 160, No. 167 The magic of professional gravitas ince I started this business worlds. our approach in real time. column nearly three As with other things which Maintaining a high level of years ago, I have defy a clear-cut explanation, you PARADIGM SHIFT engagement in these situations is discussed a variety of know it when you see it. People an important element of topics which address with gravitas exude success, an gravitas. Sthe evolution of the legal profes - air of authority and leadership Developing and maintaining sion and the disruptive forces and command respect. They are gravitas takes a lot of hard work. profoundly changing the way in effective communicators and There is an age-old debate about which we practice law. they garner credibility and CHRISTINA whether it is something we are Together, we have explored convey a wisdom often attribut - L. M ARTINI born with. As with most things in ways in which we can weather able to both age and experience. life, there are those who seem to this permanent instability by They have a level of confi - effortlessly demonstrate bettering ourselves as profes - dence which is readily perceived Christina L. Martini is a practicing gravitas, whereas others have a sionals and as people and by by others, yet without attorney, author and columnist. She is more difficult time with it. developing and harnessing those projecting a sense of arrogance. vice chair of the Chicago intellectual Regardless of which camp we qualities and characteristics Those with gravitas are property practice group at DLA Piper are in, everyone can take steps in which help make us uniquely authentic and align what they and has been in private practice since developing and harnessing valuable to our clients and in the say with how they think and 1994.
  • Virgil, Aeneid 11 (Pallas & Camilla) 1–224, 498–521, 532–96, 648–89, 725–835 G

    Virgil, Aeneid 11 (Pallas & Camilla) 1–224, 498–521, 532–96, 648–89, 725–835 G

    Virgil, Aeneid 11 (Pallas & Camilla) 1–224, 498–521, 532–96, 648–89, 725–835 G Latin text, study aids with vocabulary, and commentary ILDENHARD INGO GILDENHARD AND JOHN HENDERSON A dead boy (Pallas) and the death of a girl (Camilla) loom over the opening and the closing part of the eleventh book of the Aeneid. Following the savage slaughter in Aeneid 10, the AND book opens in a mournful mood as the warring parti es revisit yesterday’s killing fi elds to att end to their dead. One casualty in parti cular commands att enti on: Aeneas’ protégé H Pallas, killed and despoiled by Turnus in the previous book. His death plunges his father ENDERSON Evander and his surrogate father Aeneas into heart-rending despair – and helps set up the foundati onal act of sacrifi cial brutality that caps the poem, when Aeneas seeks to avenge Pallas by slaying Turnus in wrathful fury. Turnus’ departure from the living is prefi gured by that of his ally Camilla, a maiden schooled in the marti al arts, who sets the mold for warrior princesses such as Xena and Wonder Woman. In the fi nal third of Aeneid 11, she wreaks havoc not just on the batt lefi eld but on gender stereotypes and the conventi ons of the epic genre, before she too succumbs to a premature death. In the porti ons of the book selected for discussion here, Virgil off ers some of his most emoti ve (and disturbing) meditati ons on the tragic nature of human existence – but also knows how to lighten the mood with a bit of drag.
  • The Holy Lance of Antioch

    The Holy Lance of Antioch

    The Holy Lance of Antioch A Study on the Impact of a Perceived Relic during the First Crusade Master Thesis By Marius Kjørmo The crucified Jesus and the Roman soldier Longinus with the spear that would become the Holy Lance. Portrait by Fra Angelico from the Dominican cloister San Marco, Florence. A Master Thesis in History, Institute of Archaeology, History, Culture Studies and Religion, University of Bergen, Spring 2009. 2 Contents Preface.........................................................................................................................................5 List of Maps..................................................................................................................................6 List of Illustrations.......................................................................................................................6 Cast of Characters.......................................................................................................................7 1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................................9 1.1. Introduction...........................................................................................................................9 1.2. Lance Historiography..........................................................................................................11 1.3. Terms and Expressions.......................................................................................................13
  • From Seven Hills to Three Continents: the Art of Ancient Rome 753 BCE – According to Legend, Rome Was Founded by Romulus and Remus

    From Seven Hills to Three Continents: the Art of Ancient Rome 753 BCE – According to Legend, Rome Was Founded by Romulus and Remus

    From Seven Hills to Three Continents: The Art of Ancient Rome 753 BCE – According to legend, Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus. According to Virgil, Romulus and Remus were descendants of Aeneas, son of Aphrodite. Capitoline Wolf, from Rome, Italy, ca. 500–480 BCE. Bronze, approx. 2’ 7 1/2” high. Palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome. The Great Empire: The Republic of Rome http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvsbfoKgG-8 The Roman Republic (Late 6th – 1st c. BCE) 509 BC- Expulsion of the Etruscan Kings and establishment of the Roman Republic 27 BC – End of the Republic - Augustus Becomes the First Emperor of Rome This formula is referring to the government of the Roman Republic, and was used as an official signature of the government. Senatus Populusque Romanus "The Roman Senate and People“ The Roman constitution was a republic in the modern sense of the word, in that the supreme power rested with the people; and the right to take part in political life was given to all adult male citizens. Although it was thus nominally a democracy in that all laws had to be approved by an assembly of citizens, the republic was in fact organized as an aristocracy or broad based oligarchy, governed by a fairly small group of about fifty noble families. Sculpture Roman with Busts of Ancestors 1st c. BCE-1st c. CE Roman Republican sculpture is noted for its patrician portraits employing a verism (extreme realism) derived from the patrician cult of ancestors and the practice of making likenesses of the deceased from wax death-masks.
  • Birthday Rituals: Friends and Patrons in Roman Poetry and Cult Author(S): Kathryn Argetsinger Source: Classical Antiquity, Vol

    Birthday Rituals: Friends and Patrons in Roman Poetry and Cult Author(S): Kathryn Argetsinger Source: Classical Antiquity, Vol

    Birthday Rituals: Friends and Patrons in Roman Poetry and Cult Author(s): Kathryn Argetsinger Source: Classical Antiquity, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Oct., 1992), pp. 175-193 Published by: University of California Press Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25010971 Accessed: 30-07-2018 15:30 UTC REFERENCES Linked references are available on JSTOR for this article: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25010971?seq=1&cid=pdf-reference#references_tab_contents You may need to log in to JSTOR to access the linked references. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms University of California Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Classical Antiquity This content downloaded from 165.123.34.86 on Mon, 30 Jul 2018 15:30:54 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms KATHRYN ARGETSINGER Birthday Rituals: Friends and Patrons in Roman Poetry and Cult THE PEOPLE OF late republican Rome celebrated at least three different types of dies natales. In the private sphere, Roman men and women marked their own birthdays and the birthdays of family members and friends with gift giving and banquets. In the public sphere, the natales of temples and the natales of cities were observed; these "birthdays" were actually the anniversaries of the days on which particular cults, or cities, had been founded.1 In addition to these, from the time of the principate, the people of Rome celebrated annually the birthdays of past and present emperors and members of the imperial family, as well as the emperors' natales imperii, or accession days.
  • Libertas and Virtus of the Citizen in Cicero's De Republica*

    Libertas and Virtus of the Citizen in Cicero's De Republica*

    Libertas and Virtus of the Citizen in Cicero’s De Republica* Valentina Arena Introduction In 54 ΒὈ. Cicero began the composition of the De republica, a work that he presented to his brother Quintus as a treatise on the best organization of the commonwealth and on the best citizen (de optimo statu civitatis et de optimo cive)} In 51 ΒὈ. the completed work took the form of six books, structured in three pairs, each corresponding to one of the three days in which the dialogue allegedly took place, and characterised by a theo­ retical analysis followed by a historical account. Its subject matter, however, as Cicero himself suggests to his brother, can also be read in a twofold manner. The first three books of the treatise, concerning the government as a whole, present an analysis of the different constitutions (Book I), an account of Roman history (Book II), and an investi­ gation of the role of justice in the foundation of governments (Book III). The last three books, centred on the optimus civis, focus on the education and institutions that produce good citizens (Book IV), the qualities and activities of the rector (Book V), and the du­ ties of the rector at the moment of crisis, followed by the Somnium Scipionis (Book VI).I 2 I would like to thank Michael Crawford, Miriam Griffm, Fergus Millar, and Wilfried Nip­ pel, as well as seminar audiences in London, Berlin, and Zaragoza, for their very helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper. Many thanks are also due to the anonymous readers of SCI for their very useful suggestions.
  • The Rhetoricity of Ovid's Construction of Exile and the Poeta

    The Rhetoricity of Ovid's Construction of Exile and the Poeta

    THE RHETORICITY OF OVID'S CONSTRUCTION OF EXILE AND THE POETA STRUCTUS EXSULIS (WITH A SPECIAL ADDENDUM CONCERNING ALEXANDER PUSHKIN) by SAMANTHA C. TOMAN A THESIS Presented to the Department of Classics and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts June 2012 THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Student: Samantha C. Toman Title: The Rhetoricity of Ovid's Construction of Exile and the Poeta Structus Exsulis (With a Special Addendum Concerning Alexander Pushkin) This thesis has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree in the Department of Classics by: P. Lowell Bowditch Chair Katya Hokanson Member and Kimberly Andrews Espy Vice President for Research and Innovation/ Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded June 2012 ii © 2012 Samantha C. Toman iii THESIS ABSTRACT Samantha C. Toman Master of Arts Department of Classics June 2012 Title: The Rhetoricity of Ovid’s Construction of Exile and the Poeta Structus Exsulis (With a Special Addendum Concerning Alexander Pushkin) In Ovid’s Tristia and Epistulae Ex Ponto, the Latin poet constructs an elaborate poetic persona endowed with its own agency, which evokes the sympathy of the reader through engaging in various modes of discourse. This inquiry examines, in depth, how Ovid fashioned his poeta structus through complex modes of discourse and from making use of conventions of genre, namely elegy and epic. These modes of discourse are identified and explored, as well as Ovid’s markedly hyperbolic treatment of the landscape and inhabitants of his exilic outpost of Tomis on the Black Sea.
  • Excellence Redefined: the Evolution of Virtus in Ancient Rome

    Excellence Redefined: the Evolution of Virtus in Ancient Rome

    Excellence Redefined: The Evolution of Virtus in Ancient Rome A thesis submitted to Miami University Honors Program in partial fulfillment of the requirements for University Honors with Distinction by Emily J. Trygstad May 2010 Oxford, Ohio i Abstract While there has been extensive academic research for over a thousand years in the field of Classics, it is impressive to note just how much research still needs to be done. For my thesis, I plan to take some of my own personal academic interest and channel it into a largely understudied topic: the evolution of the Roman value of virtus, and the effects that this change produced in Roman society. Virtus, which was in many ways held to be the paramount quality an ancient Roman male could possess, was initially expressed through an assertion of martial prowess. No simple translation for this ideal exists, however; “bravery” or “manliness”, while sometimes used, do not fully render the complex importance of virtus. Historian Myles McDonnell sums the notion up best: “the relationship... between virtus and all the other things the Romans valued – liberty, property, family, and fatherland – is one of dependence. Virtus embraces all that is good because it is virtus that guards and preserves all that is good” (McDonnell, 32). Over the course of time, however, history sees virtus make a gradual shift as an ideal manifested through military distinction to a more liberal celebration of “excellence”, not dissimilar from the Greek notion of‟αρετή. While most classicists and historians alike seem to agree that the ideal did indeed evolve over time, the study of what caused this shift has only barely been explored.