Week One

TOPIC: There's No Place Like Rome

Sources:

Source A: Polybius Histories 6.52.10–6.55.4

Now not only do Italians in general naturally excel Phoenicians and Africans in strength of the body and personal courage, but by their institutions also they do much to foster a spirit of bravery in the young men. 11. A single instance will suffice to indicate the pains taken by the state to produce men who will be ready to endure everything in order to gain a reputation in their country for bravery.

53. Whenever any illustrious man dies, he is carried at his funeral into the forum to the so-called rostra, sometimes conspicuous in an upright posture and more rarely reclined. 2. Here with all the people standing round, a grown-up son, if he has left one who happens to be present, or if not some other relative mounts the rostra and talks about the virtues and successful achievements of the dead. 3. As a consequence the multitude and not only those who had a part in these achievements, but those also who had none, when the facts are recalled to their minds and brought before their eyes, are moved to such sympathy that the loss seems to be not confined to the mourners, but a public one affecting the whole people. 4. Next after the burial and the performance of the usual ceremonies, they place the image of the departed in the most conspicuous position in the house, enclosed in a wooden shrine. 5. This image is a mask reproducing with remarkable fidelity both the features and complexion of the deceased. 6. On the occasion of public sacrifices they display these images, and decorate them with much care, and when any distinguished member of the family dies they take them to the funeral, putting them on men who seem to them to look most like the original in stature and carriage. 7. These representatives wear togas, with a purple border if the deceased was a consul or praetor, whole purple if he was a censor, and embroidered with gold if he had celebrated a triumph or achieved anything similar. 8. They all ride in chariots preceded by the fasces, axes, and other insignia by which the different magistrates are usually accompanied according to the respective dignity of the offices of state held by each during his life; 9. and when they arrive at the rostra they all seat themselves in a row on ivory chairs. There could not easily be a more ennobling spectacle for a young man who aspires to fame and virtue. 10. For who would not be inspired by the sight of the images of men renowned for their excellence, all together and as if alive and breathing? What spectacle could be more glorious than this?

54. Besides, he who makes the oration over the man about to be buried, when he has finished speaking of him recounts the successes and exploits of the rest whose images are present, beginning with the most ancient. 2. By this means, by this constant renewal of the good stories of brave men, the celebrity of those who performed noble deeds is made immortal, while at the same time the fame of those who did good service to their country becomes known to the people and a heritage for future generations. 3. But the most important result is that young men are thus inspired to endure every suffering for public welfare in the hope of winning the glory that attends on brave men. 4. What I say is confirmed by the facts. For many Romans have voluntarily engaged in single combat in order to decide a battle, not a few have faced certain death, some in war to save the lives of the rest, and others in peace to save the republic. 5. Some even when in office have put their own sons to death contrary to every law or custom, setting a higher value on the interest of their country than on the ties of nature that bound them to their nearest and dearest. 6. Many such stories about many men are related in Roman history, but one told of a certain person will suffice for the present as an example and as a confirmation of what I say.

55. It is narrated that when Horatius Cocles was engaged in combat with two of the enemy at the far end of the bridge over the Tiber that lies in the front of the town, he saw large reinforcements coming up to help the enemy, and fearing lest they should force the passage and get into town, he turned round and called to those behind him to retreat and cut the bridge with all speed. 2. His order was obeyed, and while they were cutting the bridge, he stood his ground receiving many wounds, and stopped the attack of the enemy who were less astonished at his physical strength than at his endurance and courage. 3. When the bridge had been cut, the enemy were prevented from attacking; and Cocles, plunging into the river in his full armour, deliberately sacrificed his life, regarding the safety of his country and the glory which in future would attach to his name as of more importance than his present existence and the years of life which he had left. 4. Such, if I am not wrong, is the eager emulation of achieving noble deeds produced in young Romans by their institutions.

This translation (slightly modernised) is that of W. R. Paton, produced for the Loeb Classical Library between 1922 and 1927, now in the public domain and provided by Bill Thayer at:http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Polybius/6*.html

Question: What do you think it tells us about the Romans?

Answer (using source): Polybius' Histories raises many interesting queries about the Romans and the way of life in which they lived. Honor, bravery and personal sacrifice played significant roles in the lives of ancient romans. Through using Horatius Cocles as an example, Polybius signifes how personal sacrifice was considered a great feat and became an act of bravery for the country. " Cocles, plunging into the river in his full armour, deliberately sacrificed his life, regarding the safety of his country and the glory which in future would attach to his name as of more importance than his present existence and the years of life which he had left."

Question: Read the following two extracts from Plutarch; what do they tell us about Plutarch’s aims and intentions while writing his Lives?

Life of Alexander the Great, 1

1. It is the life of Alexander the king, and of Caesar, who overthrew Pompey, that I am writing in this book, and the multitude of the deeds to be treated is so great that I shall make no other preface than to entreat my readers, in case I do not tell of all the famous actions of these men, nor even speak exhaustively at all in each particular case, but in epitome for the most part, not to complain. 2. For it is not Histories that I am writing, but Lives; and in the most illustrious deeds there is not always a manifestation of virtue or vice, indeed, a slight thing like a comment or a joke often tells us more about character than battles when thousands fall, or the greatest armaments, or sieges of cities. 3. Accordingly, just as painters get the likenesses in their portraits from the face and the expression of the eyes, where the character shows itself, but take very little notice of the other parts of the body, so I must be permitted to devote myself rather to the signs of the soul in men, and by means of these signs to portray the life of each, leaving to others the description of the great contests of these men.

Life of Theseus, 1

Just as geographers, O Sossius Senecio, crowd on to the outer edges of their maps the parts of the earth which they know nothing about, with explanatory notes that "What lies beyond is sandy desert without water and full of wild beasts," or "blind marsh," or "Scythian cold," or "frozen sea," so in the writing of my Parallel Lives, now that I have covered those periods of time which are accessible to rational examination and which provide grounds for a history dealing with facts, I might well say of the earlier periods: "What lies beyond is full of marvels and unreality, a land of poets and fabulists, of doubt and obscurity." 2. But after publishing my account of Lycurgus the lawgiver and Numa the king, I thought I might not unreasonably go back still farther to Romulus, now that my history had brought me near his times. And as I asked myself,"With such a warrior" (as Aeschylus says) "who will dare to fight?" "Whom shall I set against him? Who is competent?"it seemed to me that I had to make the founder of lovely and famous Athens the counterpart and parallel to the father of invincible and glorious Rome. 3. May I therefore succeed in purifying Fable, making her submit to reason and take on the appearance of History. But where she obstinately refuses to make herself credible, and refuses to admit any element of probability, I shall pray for kindly readers, the kind that receive with indulgence the tales of antiquity.

Answer (using sources):

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Introduction to Ancient Rome - Notes organised by weeks in regards to University topic