Topic 3 - Archaeology and Religion Flashcards
what is a myth?
“a myth is a story that matters to a community, one that is told and retold because it has a significance for one generation after another. such a story may be historical, pseudo-historical or totally fictitious”
who was Aeneas?
Aeneas was a Trojan hero and lieutenant of Hector. after escaping Troy, he took a voyage across the seas through Italy, eventually settling in Latium.
who did the Romans invent?
The Romans invented many kings in connection from Aeneas to Romulus
what did Greek authors believe?
Greek authors believed he’s migrated west and he associated Rome and Latium with Greek traditions, his pietas (respect) resonated with Roman moral codes.
what does the earlier version of the foundation myth state?
The earlier version of the foundation Myth states that Remus and Romulus founded Rome together
what does the later version state?
the later version states that Romulus settles in the Palatine hill and Remus in the Aventine, they both see an omen, Remus sees 6 vultures in the sky where Romulus 12. Romulus then kills Remus after he ‘leaps over the wall’ of Remus’ settlement; the foundation in drenched in fratricidal blood.
what did Romulus divide the city into?
Romulus divided the City into 3 tribes; Tities, Ramnes, Luceres and each tribe was subdivided into 10 curiae, representing the original patrician clans. the curiae formed the comitia curiate, the oldest Roman assemble (based on kinship)
who were the 7 kings of Rome?
Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tullus Histilius, Ancus Marcious, L. Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius and L. Tarquinius Superbus.
what real world effect did they have?
even if they are mythical, the institutionsthey established or the structures they built were real and were dated to a pre-republican era.
was it hereditary?
it was non-hereditary, no Roman king/emperor knew they would be king growing up
how were kings appointed?
Kings were elected, chosen by the people and confirmed by the Senate, between the kings, an interrex was appointed for a year
were they all Roman?
several kings were non-latin (Numa, Servius, the Tarquins) they were not just Roman, they were more than that, perhaps why it grew so much, kings did not belong to the patrician families
how was the regime overthrown?
their regime was overthrown, not by a popular revolt, but by an aristocrat one.
where do the Villanouans live?
The Villanouans are living in small towns, villages, no cities as of yet. They are an early state kind of people
where do we see loads of metals? why is this dangerous?
we see a lot of metals from in burial contexts, including knives and swords etc. although this is dangerous as we cannot assume this meant that they were a violent civilisation
what happened upon death?
they were cremated upon death in a sort of urn-hut type thing as a representation of their houses. in the early days of Rome, the hut of Romulus could have been represented in a similar way
what did elite tombs have?
the elite tombs held a lot of elaborate things such as paintings, pottery and weapons perhaps highlighting status?
what was inside the tombs?
inside the tombs, the walls were often painted with elaborate scenes with a lot of focus on natural activities, nature, hunting, animal etc
what colour represented what gender?
Darker skinned figures represented men and lighter skinned figures were women, to differentiate between the two.
what are they buried in?
they has an affinity for burials in a sarcophagus (sarcophagus of the spouses) in most cases being made out of terracotta instead of marble that we would associate with later classical Greek sculptures
what is Bucchero?
Bucchero was a material made and designed to look like ceramic, it was a luxury although it did not survive well due to material.
how common was metal work in tombs? what was engraved on it?
metal work was common in tombs as well, engraved to depict different scenes, mainly scenes from their mythology.
what was Roman religion centered on?
Roman religion was centered on practice, sacrifice and divination, there was a lack of centralised religious authority
where does religion take place?
it was embedded in Roman culture and society, religion doesn’t just take place at temples but at home too
where was the cult of Isis strong? what happened?
cult of Isis arrives in Italy 2nd C BCE and was strong in Compania. it became prohibited in Rome with sanctuaries being destroyed
