Early Rome From Monarchy to Republic BC

Rome’s Foundation  Fratricide  Immigration  Criminal Elements

Lecture Outline 1/15  Discussion of Monarchy (Part I)  Short Break (around 6 pm)  Gladiator Graffiti (Part II)  Beginning of Republic (Part III)

Titus Livius  Roman historian  c.59 BC-AD 17  Wrote about the history of Rome from its foundation to 9 BC  142 Books, 35 are still in existence

Livy’s Methodology  Explain history by looking at the characters of people involved (p.34)  “I invite the reader’s attention to...”  Who were the men?  How does the moral decline occur?  Learn from lessons of the past  “The study of history is the best medicine for a sick mind”  “fine things to take as models, base things, rotten through and through, to avoid”

Romulus: Small Town Criminal or City Father?  Survival of the state over individual needs  Whether Mars is the divine parent or not (p.33), Livy encourages his reader to see how this “adds dignity to the past.”  Rome’s success dependent on divine favor  Gives you two different versions of Remus death  Can’t tell what really happened, so don’t judge it  Look at Romulus’ record as king

Rape of the Sabine Women  Romulus offers asylum to former male slaves, robbers and runaways  How to populate the city?  Seek women who can be married

Roman Men Want Classy Women  Suggestion comes to take slave women and offer them asylum  Not acceptable to Roman men  “the young Romans naturally resented this” (p.43)

Community Action  Young men of Rome abduct Sabine women  Deception is ok if you are responding to an injustice  Need respectable women to marry

War Breaks Out  Strong military action, followed by religious action  Dedication of Rome’s first temple  Result:growth of the city

How the Women Saved the City  “We would rather die ourselves than be widowed or orphaned.” (p.48)  “Thus the population of Rome was doubled.”

Story of Tarpeia  Daughter of a Roman commander  Bribed by king of Sabines, Tatius  Promises her “what they wear on their arms”  Puts individual needs before the needs of the state

The Capitoline  Sabines are able to temporarily take the citadel  With the help of the Sabine women, Rome is saved  Put state before individuals

Romulus  What were Romulus’ intentions?  Did he act on behalf of the city?  What was the outcome of his actions?

The Kings of Rome RomulusNuma Pompilius Tullius Hostilius Ancus Marcius L. Tarquinius Priscus Servius Tullius L. Tarquinius Superbus

Lucretia  How do the actions of Collatinus when he is with his soldier friends affect Lucretia?  “Never shall Lucretia provide a precedent for unchaste women to escape what they deserve.”

Other Men’s Wives  Collatinus and the other soldiers visit other men’s homes  They find the wives “enjoying themselves with a group of young friends at a dinner party, the greatest luxury.” (p.98)

The Roman Republic Begins...  Lucretia is the ultimate human sacrifice  Life is out of balance in the monarchy  Boundaries between public and private are transgressed  Sacrifice becomes the national spectacle which unites the community

How did this king’s regime begin and end?  Tullia rides out into the public assembly after Servius Tullius’ death  Then Tullia hails Tarquin as king in public  Tarquin’s reign ends when he enters a private house and violates the modest wife within

The formation of the Republic  Libertas = freedom  Rome has laws, the senate, and its first temples  Brought to you by Romulus

Political Changes  Romans feared that the lower strata of society would take control  Livy cautions that political change must take place when the time is right  Community needs to grow first (p. 105)

The Plebeians  Lower strata of Roman society  Can fight in wars with wealthy privileged Romans,but have very little say in the government  Rebel in 494 (pp.140-2

The Patricians  Descendents of 100 senators Romulus picked  Religious officials  Set laws

Cincinnatus  Exemplum virtutis = example of virtue  Knew when to rule and when to go back to being an ordinary citizen  Interdependence between family and Roman state

Cincinnatus  His farm is set off from the city center  A ship must take him to the public part of the city  He puts his feelings for the state ahead of his paternal instincts

Mucius Scaevola  Burns off his hand  Declaration of Roman citizenship  Rejects private life for his civic identity

Cloelia  Hostage held by Roman enemy  Escapes heroically  Returns to free other hostages  Romans honor her with statue

Horatius  Kills his sister  Is put on trial for treason  Acquited when his father pleads for him

Exemplary Lessons  There are moral difficulties in establishing community  Rome’s greatness is renewed by these figures  Impact of person on the state is the measure of moral character

The Republic is always on the edge of a knife The Bourne Ultimatum