foundation stories- Roman Flashcards
who were Aeneas’ mother and father?
(Aphrodite) Venus and Anchises
Why was Aeneas’ mother made to fall in love with a mortal?
Venus had boasted to the Gods that she had persuaded them to sleep with mortal women, causing problems. As punishment, Juniper placed desire for a mortal man into Venus’ heart
How is Aeneas described in the Illiad?
a brave solider and loved by the Gods
Whom did Aeneas take with him when he left Tory? who did he leave behind?
he fled with the public penates, his father Anchises, son Ascanius, however he lost his wife, Cruese and she died.
what was Aeneas’ wife and son name?
w - Cruese
son - ascanius
what were the public penates?
sacred objects, dedicated to the city (like the religious heart, soul of Troy).
what happened to the public Penates after rome was founded?
the Vestal virgins
what does the word pietas mean?
it is virtue and sense of duty a man has to family, gods, and city
how does Aeneas show penates when leaving Troy
he shows family by taking Anchises, Ascanius. He shoes city and religion through taking the public penates
what did Aeneas do before founding a new city in Latium (latium is not Rome but a settlement called Lavinium after his wife, Lavinia)
He fought a huge war with a local tribe who were annoyed by their cattle and spoils being taken. Then he made peace with king Latinus of Latium
What was the name of Lavinia and Aeneas’ new son and why was it a source of confusion
the son was called Ascanius. This is confusing because it is unknown whether there was a second son or confusion of ancient source material as Aeneas’ first son by Cruese was also known as Iulus
Why was Aeneas so important to the founding of Rome, and particularly to Augustus?
Augustus was ruling at the time. Augustus was the nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar, and their lineage can be traced back to Aeneas, legitimising their right to rule to Rome (because they are related to the Gods that founded the roman race
What was the name of the city Ascanius founded, and why did he found it?
it was called Alba longa. He founded it due to the gradual expansion of Lavinium
How was this new city connected to Romulus and Remus?
Alba Longa spawned a line of kings that culminated in the Birth of Romulus and Remus. This is impressive and worth being proud of as the Trojans were ancient warriors and they had local lineage
Who was Antenor?
a trojan elder who advised returning Helen to the Greeks and was spared
Which city did Antenor found
Troy, where the Venetic people lived
summarise the two versions of how Aeneas found the settlement of Lavinium on Italian soil according to Livy
- Latinus was defeated and they made peace and there was an alliance fo marriage
- As they were on the battle ground, Latinus asks who they are and he admired the fame and heroism of them and gave his pledge in eternal friendship. they made a treaty and saluted one another
How does Aeneas show the Roman virtue pietas?
he received the hospitality of Latinus and Latinus in the presense of his household gods, added domestic treaty to public treaty by giving his daughter’s hand in marriage to Aeneas - founding lavinium
what was Aeneas’ new settlement called and why?
Lavinium, after his wife Lavinia
why couldn’t Aeneas hold the penates when he was running away (in some stories)
his hands were bloody from fighting
what are the 2 names of Cruese’s son?
Iulius (as named in the Illiad) and Ascanius
where did Aeneas grow up?
Troy - he was a fierce warrior and fought in the Trojan war
how did troy fall?
after 10 years of fighting, the Greeks couldn’t defeat the Trojans. In a last attempt, they turned to Odysseus, the King of Ithaca. Odyssues made the trojan horse which was filled with greek soldiers, but disguised as a peace offering. The Greeks quickly killed the Trojan warriors and began to burn the city. in the process, they killed the Trojan king, Priam
who was the king of Troy?
priam
who is Aeneas?
He is the son of a Trojan prince. Aeneas’ father was the 1st cousin of Priam
where did Aeneas travel across after fleeing Troy?
Aegean sea - macedon - Sicily - west coast of Italy
how was Rome founded?
The grandfather of Romulus and Remus, King Numitor, was supplanted by his brother Amulius. When they came of age, R and R took revenge on Amulius and killed him, returning to Numitor. Rather than continue to live in Alba longa, they decided to found a new city because Alba Longa, like Lavinium, had become too crowded
Who is Livy? when did he live?
Titus Livius was born in Padua northern Italy in either 64 or 59 BC.
He was a Historian
He was born during a civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey Magnus in 59BC and was a young man when JC was assassinated. Caesar’s adopted son also avenged his murderers (Cassius and Brutus) +(tension between him and MA) in Greece and in 27 he became head of state.
Rome turned into an imperial system and the republic fell
how does the historical context change the way Livy writes about history
- potentially in favour of Octavian potentially because he gave him stability and peace, however livy also supported the old republic (Augustus fought and ended the republic but in a way that was not detected)
- he lived through a significant period of time and was exposed to new ideas
- it gives him some level of accuracy to an extent
- however it would have been difficult to write about the earlier history due to lack of sources
pros and cons of livy?
PROS
– he lived through a significant period of time and was exposed to new ideas - it gives him some level of accuracy to an extent
- an important figure of roman society and was popular?
CONS
- he wasn’t a historisn int he same way as a modern historian - didnt gather evidence int he same way
- a large margin of error is possible as many roman legends were oral and ROme was destroyed after it was sacked by the Gauls in 387BC so many records were lost
- Livy didn’t separate from fact and fiction and he didn’t feel that it was his intentian and he thought Rome had the right to claim its sacred origins
Can you list the family tree?
Ascanius, Aenear Silvius, Latinus Silvius, Alba, Atys, Capys, Capetus, Tibernus, Agrippa, Romulus Silvius, Aventinus, Proca - had two sons: Numitor and Amulius. Numitor had a son and a daughter called Rhea Silvia.
What are some key names in the family tree?
Ascanius, Latinus Silvius (established severasl colonies), Tibernus (drowned whildt crossing river Albula and so it was renamed the ‘Tiber’, Romulus Silvius (struck by lightning and killed), Aventinus (buried on Aventine hill), Proca who had Numitor and Amulius. Numitor had a daughter called Rhea Silvia
who was older: Numitor or Amulius?
Numitor was older
What did Amulius do?
Amulius took the crown from his brother by driving him out. The he murdered his brother’s son. He also made Rhea Silvia, Numitor’s daughter, a vestal to prevent her from having children (they had to take a vow of celibacy)
How did Rhea Silvia become pregnant?
- Mars is the father.
- Mars isn’t the father but it sounded better if he was
- she was abducted
Why is it appropriate that Mars was the father of Romulus and Remus?
He was the god of violence, war - similar to Roman culture
How doesw Amulius try to kill Romulus and Remus?
He tries to kill them by throwing them into the Tiber. However, the Tiber had burst its banks into stagnant pools giving them no access to the regular course. It had an unusually gentle flow
how were the twins saved?
a ‘thirsty’ she wolf ‘offered the babies her teat to suckle on gently’. ONe of the King’s herdemen found her, Faustulus, and he took them home to his wife nick named ‘she wolf’ because of her promiscuity
what is a trait shared by romulus, remus, and their uncle
Kingly greed
how did the twins resolve the decision abotu who should be king?
They used augury (sent by the gods who protected these places)
What happened when deciding who shoudl be the new ruler
Remus was the first to recieve thee augury on Aventine hill whereas Romulus recieved double the amound of birds on Palatine hill. This caused a dispute and they ended up fighting where Remus was killed and so Romulus gained sole power
what does the story of Romulus and Remus tell us?
- the romans were religious (augury)
- violence was normalised
Who is the greater foundation hero, Theseus or Romulus?
- birth stories:
Romulus’ birth story is more impressive - Heroism:
Theseus is a better hero- his labours were completed voluntarily. Romulus killed his brother - foundation:
THeseus created democracy. Romulus founded athens + gave it its identity
Who is Plutarch?
Born in Boeotia, Greece before 50 AD (he dies after 120AD)
- He served as a priest at the Apollo at Delphi 90AD
- lived in Greece for most of his life
- lived in a time when Rome was frimly established 64AD
- pompei destroyed by volcano vesuvius 79AD
- solosseum construction finished when he was there 80D
He is best known for Lives split into
1: greatness of deeds
2; leadership
3: reasons for their misfortune
4: achievemnts
5: relationships to their families
6: relationship to women and gods
why did Plutarch want to promote close ties between Greece and ORme?
to promote close ties because of trade and unification o culture, ideas
how does Plutarch compare Romuluas and Theseus in terms of greatness of deeds?
Romulus:
escaped slavery, became brave through fear, only acomplished things through sheer necessity, only completed meer trifles and mini dramas. he also ignored wrong doen to all
Theseus:
inherited glorious power, reached for great achievements. alhtough he hadn’t suffered himself, he sought out villians on behalf of others. Had enormous courage, greatness of spirit, sense of justice, yearning for honour and exellence
how does Plutarch compare Romuluas and Theseus in terms of leadership?
both were statesman like .. Both of them made mistakes as neither became kings
how does Plutarch compare Romuluas and Theseus in terms of reasons for misfortune?
- Romulus had a bad temper and was irrationally angry. He killed his brother
- Theseus overcame by love and jealousy and false accusations of a a woman killed his son/ just begin blamed and cursed (different sources say differently).
how does Plutarch compare Romuluas and Theseus in terms of achievements ?
R - rose to greatness from lowest beginnings, he was killer of enemies and saviors of familyand the king s of tribes . created a city
T - was an emigrant who combined places together (didn’t create anything)
how does Plutarch compare Romuluas and Theseus in terms of relatiohship with family ?
R - saved his mother from catastrophe, set his grandfather on the throne of aeneas (he was previously living in shame and dishonourable slavery)
T- forgetful and negligent ended up killing his father
how does Plutarch compare Romuluas and Theseus in terms of relatihsip with women, gods ?
T- raped amny women e.g., Ariadne, Antiope, Anazo, Helen.he was lustful, hedonistic. There was no friendship or common enterprise in his marriage (unlike in Romulus kind of)
his mother was left behind and was desterted by T.
R- abducted 800 women but took only one for himself , Hersilia anddistributed the rest to the best citizens. He displayed honour, affection, justice towards women and developed a harmonius community. He was respectful in his marriage
R - the saving of r was due to the goodwill of the gods
T - the oracle givent o Aegeus, to keep clear of a foreign women, suggest it was against the wishes of the gods for theseus to be born
who wrote the story about Romulus and remus?
Livy- writing under Augustus
what were the names of the people who took the twins in?
Faustulus, Larentia
what was the name of Aeneas’ first wife?
Cruese
how do Romulus and remus grow up?
they grow up hunting game ad taking plunder from robers to divide among sheperds. they build a following of gangs.
what type of historian is livy?
a rationalising one
