Jackson Meyer-Lee Any large1-scale history2 of the Romans3 is inevitably4 a history5 of conquest.6 Livy, for example,7 defines8 his subject9 as the “men and arts,10 through which, at home and abroad, power11/empire12 was born and increased.13” So too Sallust can distinguish14 between Rome’s15 moral16 flourishing17 and decline18 on the basis19 of military20 success21 against foreign22 enemies.23 The importance24 of military25 victory26 as an affirmation27 of political28 and moral29 well-being gives a special30 importance31 to the portrayal32 of non33-Romans34 in Roman35 historiography36. This function37 appears38 most transparently39 in one of the monumental40 records41 of the Roman42 past43, the Fasti triumphales, an inscription44 recording45 all triumphs46 from the time of Romulus, which formed47 the military48 counterpart49 to the “domestic50” list of consuls within the triumphal51 arch52 erected53 by Augustus in 19 BCE in the Roman54 forum.55 In this compendium56 of Roman57 imperium,58 culminating59 in the return60 of the standards captured61 by the Parthians at the notorious62 defeat63 of Carrhae, the data64 recorded65 are simply66 the date67 of the ceremony,68 the name and office69 of the commander,70 and the people71 over whom he triumphed72. The function73 of non74-Romans75 in such a record76 is to be defeated,77 and by their defeat78 they affirm79 the identity80 of the Romans81 in both a negative82 and a positive83 sense84. Negatively,85 the Romans86 were different87 from the defeated88 because89 they conquered90 them. Positively,91 the Romans92 were like themselves in that foreign93 victory94 results95 from and testifies96 to the correct97 “Roman98” configuration99 of the state’s100 internal101 politics102, religious103 practices,104 and the morality105 of individual106 citizens.107 1 Largus 28 Politicus 55 Forum 82 Negativus 2 Historia 29 Moralis 56 Compendium 83 Positivus 3 Romanus 30 Specialis 57 Romanus 84 Sensus 31 58 85 4 Inevitabilis Importantem Imperium (kind of Negativus 32 86 5 Historia Pro + Traho gratuitous) Romanus 33 59 87 6 Conquisitus Non (duh) Culmen Differentem 34 60 88 7 Exemplum Romanus Re + Tornus Dis + Facio 35 61 89 8 Definio Romanus Captus Causa 36 62 90 9 Subiectus Historia (really Notus Conquiro 63 91 10 Artem Greek though) Dis + Facio Positivus 37 64 92 11 Potis Functionem Data Romanus 38 65 93 12 Imperium Appareo Recordor Foris 39 66 94 13 Incresco Transparentem Simplus Victoria 40 67 95 14 Distinguo Monumentalis Datus Resilio 41 68 96 15 Roma Recordor Caerimonia Testificor 42 69 97 16 Moralis (mos) Romanus Officium Correctus 43 70 98 17 Floreo Passus Commendo Romanus 44 71 99 18 Declino Inscriptionem Populus Configurationem 45 72 100 19 Basis Recordor Triumpho Status 46 73 101 20 Militaris Triumphus Functionem Internus 47 74 102 21 Successus Formo Non Politicus 48 75 103 22 Foris Militaris Romanus Religiosus 49 76 104 23 Inimicus Contra + Partio Recordor Practicus 50 77 105 24 Importantem Domus Dis + Facio Moralis 51 78 106 25 Militaris Triumphalis Dis + Facio Individuus 52 79 107 26 Victoria Arcus Affirmo Civitatem 53 80 27 Affirmationem Erectus Idem 54 Romanus 81 Romanus Jackson Meyer-Lee Latin Treasure Hunt Word Total: 258, not counting Roman names or actual Latin words, like Fasti Triumphales or Consul. The line between what is a Roman word and what is an English word that is identical to its Latin ancestor is somewhat vague, but I promise I really didn't have any better readings; this (my writing seminar on race and ethnicity in the classical world) is my only reading-heavy class. Latin Word Count: 107. Ratio: 107 : 151 Percentage: 41% Annotating this passage was interesting partly because of how Roman the subject matter is, which made some of the words very obviously Latin-based. I found it interesting how often an English words was based of an accusative or a participle rather than the nominative or infinitive. Also, it was somewhat intriguing how different from the original Latin root an English word could be, suggest as defeat coming ultimately from "dis" + "facio." Finally, by the time I was two thirds of the way through, I found I could identify which words had Latin roots even if I didn't recogniZe the word shape; it seemed like the more specific or descriptive words would be Latin, while structural and simple words would be Germanic. .