Please read the Preface and Book I of Livy's History of Rome (also available here). Read the preface carefully. Skim through Book I, concentrating on stories you find particularly interesting.Choose one (1) character from one of the Livy stories that you think particularly interesting. What parts of the story do you think really happened, and what parts do you disbelieve? Why? How is the story of this character important for understanding Roman history/subsequent history?
I find the story 1.4 rather interesting. Here we see the twins born to a Pristess who said the father was Mars, the Roman God of War, but her and her two sons were given no refuge by either the Gods or the people, and faced the full cruelty of the King. Now this is the part I find interesting, the King sentences the boys to be drowned in the river; however, when this happens they are saved in a way by a she-wolf by the babies drinking her milk. I find this part of the story hard to believe it literally, but it could be more figurative. I found it also interesting that in this story the two boys were sent down the river in a basket a lot like the story of Moses in the Bible and is saved. Then the two boys grew and became tough men. This shows that one had to be able to pull their weight in the time of Ancient Rome or they got left at the wayside.
ReplyDeleteI found story 1.2 interesting, especially the character Aeneas. The Aborigines and Trojans were at a war the Rutulians at this time and it was a stalemate. As the war went on, the Rutulians began to get help from the Etruscans, who were very wealthy at the time. Aeneas knew this and had to make sure that the Aborigines stayed loyal. Aeneas then brilliantly labeled the two nations of Trojans and Aborigines as Latins. This made each man equal and these two nations began to form into one incredibly strong nation.
ReplyDeleteI found the philosophy and leadership of Aeneas brilliant. He knew he needed the help of the Aborigines to defeat the powerful Etruscans, so he put the Aborigines in the same status of the Trojans. I found it fascinating at how this is the story of how Latins originated. This whole story shows how Aeneas understood the situation he was in and was willing to make a different people a part of his own and combine forces to conquer the Etruscans.
I liked 1.4 a lot. it shows right away how much Ancient Romans loved mythological stories about their heroes. out of all the things mentioned in the story, the king having the twin drowned, the being cared for my a wolf and their subsequent adoption, the wolf part probably couldn't have happened. everything else is totally possible and really the wolf was probably just an allegory for Larentia the "she-wolf".
ReplyDeleteI found the story of Romulus and Remus as a pair to be most interesting. Livy's arguement on where the story actually gets its "she-wolf" from is absolutely hilarious. He points out that Larentia, the woman who raised Romulus and Remus, had the nickname of "she-wolf" in her day. Livy argues that when the story says that a "she-wolf" found the brothers along the river it means Larentia, not an actual female wolf.
ReplyDeleteI found section 1.7 also to be particularly interesting. This is the place in the story where Romulus slays Remus during an argument after Remus hopped over Romulus' wall. Romulus then stood tall and said "So shall it be henceforth with every one who leaps over my walls." I do not believe this bit to be entirely true. I would guess that the brothers got into a heated argument over something small (such is the nature of brothers), began fighting, and Remus was accidently killed in the tussle. I would guess that Romulus would have been distraught by the death of his only brother and closest companion.
Both of these instances illustrate places where the story was manipulated to make the Romans seem stronger than they actually were. Which is completely understandable. When one rules over such a large empire one must make some type of propaganda to seem mighty in order to prevent your subjects from rising up against you. This legend is how the Romans did that.
Matthew Remmich
The story I found interesting was 1.7 where Hercules is discussed. It shows a great deal about the Roman mindset by including Hercules just because of his association with power. Romans love power, and as 1.7 states:
ReplyDelete"Hercules, son of Jupiter, hail! My mother, who speaks truth in the name of the gods, has prophesied that thou shalt join the company of the gods, and that here a shrine shall be dedicated to thee, which in ages to come the most powerful nation in all the world shall call their Ara Maxima and honour with shine own special worship."
By associating themselves with a mythical figure like Hercules, Rome had the image of an unstoppable force and that was what Livy wanted to portray of early Roman history.
-Zack Krage
I found 1.3 the interesting, where Levy describes the differences between the Etruscan and the Latin's, and the boundary between them. He also tells us how the Tiber river got it's name as well as many landmarks around Rome.
ReplyDelete1.11 This story told us how powerful Romulus was and that he was good at stately. In my view I think he was also a good person because he pardoned the parents mostly because his wife asked him to. Another person in the story I thought was interesting was
ReplyDeleteTatius on how he got the information about the citadel. I think this story if possible the only part I don’t believe is “Sabines were in the habit of wearing heavy gold armlets on their left arms and richly jeweled rings” I don’t think they would were that to battle. This story showed how powerful the armies were and how they conquered all these places back then
-Kirk Bender
I enjoyed the "Earliest Legends" because of the character Aeneaus. He foreshadows the power of diplomacy and justice, two ideals that the Romans master. It also shows a switch from the trend of pillaging and raiding to a more complex way of dealing with enemies, diplomacy. This shows valor of the leader of the to-be Romans. He and his people believing in something higher than sheer military power, a common Ancient Era way of dealing with enemies. Aeneaus makes peace with the people of the island he comes upon after leaving the destruction of Troy. According to the second legend, he makes peace with the king Latinus and even goes as far to marry himself to the king's daughter. This is a major advance for Aeneaus's people because they now share culture with the Aborignes, leading to a new culture, the Latins. This is one of the most important developments in the earliest days of the Roman Empire. ---Jackson Pasco
ReplyDeleteI choose the character Rea Silvia.I do think her uncle really did kill her brothers and made her a vestal virgin. people can be cruel especially to get the things they want, it wouldn't be the first time one family member wanted a others thrown. Also that she was raped and gave birth to twin boys. Although I don't believe that Mars was the father. I think she just said that to protect herself and her babies although it didn't work in the end. I do believe the King ordered the twins to be thrown in the river, other King have done the same. I think it's important for understanding Roman history is because it tells us how their uncle became king and how he got killed and lost the thrown.
ReplyDeleteChristina Grimme
I think that most of what Livy has told us about Romulus and Remus seems very plausible. The boys were to be drown, but lucky for them the Tiber was over flowing so they survived the ordeal. Then next part even makes Livy scratch his head as the boys are raised by a she wolf till they are found by a shepherd who take them to his wife to raise. Livy thinks that the she-wolf is the nickname of the shepherds wife. This would make a lot more sense in this case, but a boy being raised by wild animals is not unheard of throughout history. - Trent Dean
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