Final Terms Flashcards
The Furies
deities of vengeance and they are chthonic which means that they are from the ground.
Very closely related to miasmas.
Usually venge kin-slaying. Blood demands blood.
Known as the Eumenides which means the “kindly ones” or “gracious ones” or Eriynes. They are so scary so they give them better names.
Importance: they are from the old tradition and are from the Linear B tablets, Hesiod, Homer and mentioned as early as 1200 BCE. Continue a blood vendetta
Roman Monarchy
753 - 509 BCE) 753 to 509 BCE is the Roman monarchy and a lot of myths about origin come from this time period
had seven different Kings
earliest period of roman history
several italic communities
Importance: validates why they are there and explains where they came from
Battle of Actium
509 - 31 BCE
battle between Octavian and Mark Antony which ended decades of Roman civil war and resulted in the rise of the first Roman Emperor. Rome won
Importance: major shift in the politics of Rome going from Republic to a monarchy
Exemplum
an example that can be interpreted as good or bad.
teaches morales, values, and a purpose
Livy is full of exemplum in every story that he tells.
It is either something that you should do or something that you should avoid.
Importance: much of Livy’s work included them as a way to get the Roman population reflecting and deciding if this good or bad thing to do in their lives. They represent either models to live by or warnings of what not to do important to be able to live by example
Augury
the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed behaviors of birds interpreting omens front he observed behaviors of birds ; interpreting something that is good or bad
Importance: Much of Livy’s work included them as a way to get the Roman population reflecting and deciding if this is a good or bad thing to do in their lives. They represent either models to live by or warnings of what not to do. Important to be able to live by example. Livy stressed the importance of augurs
Rape of the Sabine Women
the Sabine’s are mountainous people ;
The story of rag tag Rome under Rommulus and company of criminals, brigands, and highwaymen.
The story is quite early in the mythology of Rome in which after its founding the majority male population sought to obtain wives and more women by inviting their neighbors the Sabine to a feast and stealing their wives and daughters.
The Sabines then wish to retaliate against the Romans yet their old wives prevent the battle defending their new husbands (the Romans)
Importance: This story is interesting because it can be interpreted in multiple ways. It does not paint the foundation of Rome in a positive light, yet it can be argued that its unsavory beginnings can attest to its later power. The story provides meditations of moral ambiguity upon the foundation of rome.
Palatine Hill
the first sedentary settlements in Rome seem to be on the Palatine ; the location of the she wolf’s home, Lupercal
Importance: it is said to be the most desired neighborhood in Rome and where the aristocrats lived; Rome was built around it as told by Livy
Penates
specifically Roman, italic peoples household gods representative of the importance of family and religion
They are a symbol of the continuing life of the family
The duties of Aeneas are not just about Rome but also about his family
Importance: Aeneas brings his Penates with him on his journey from Troy to Italy in order to protect and preserve himself, his family, and the legacy of the past; importance of family and tradition
Carthage
Rome’s enemy and a large trading outpost; huge city in the mediterranean with a navy and fleet of trading boats; they were rich in metal
Importance: had a series of large wars with Rome and the Aeneid gives etiological background about why there is conflict
apotheosis
changing the definition of apotheosis
they think Julius Caesar ascended to heaven and became a star
the elevation of an emperor to divine god
Romans believed that you could achieve this
Divi Filius
means son of a God; Augustus himself, although not the bloodchild of Julius Caesar, made a huge deal that his father was a God and put it on coins.
Importance: the title was often used by Augustus who was the adopted son of Julius Caesar; he used this to advance his political position; this title was used as a propoganda tool
a poem and a mistake
carmen et error, Ovid was exiled to modern day Romania and he does not say for what poem he is exiled for. This is harsh punishment for it and all of his poems are banned from Rome. People think he was exiled Ars Amatoria (manual on how to pick up chicks)
Pious Aeneas
pious means duty to a family ; Virgil describes Aeneas as being remarkable for his piety
Importance: this is his Homeric Epithet and he is referred to this many times ; Aeneas displays this when he brings his home gods with him from Troy to Italy
