ANCIENT ITALY (500 B.C.

)
Latins
Sabines
Etrusians
Italy is never a unity. Broken down into mountain
ranges.
ROME
Located at the mouth of the Tiber River because it
was at a natural crossroad and connects to the sea.
There is a cluster made up of 7 hills around the river
LIVY
Livy describes history with very low critical
standards (written as literature)
Livy wrote the book to celebrate to the best of my
ability the history of the greatest nation on earth
Believed that the moral character of Romans is what
made Romans great.
Not strictly factual
Intended to give people a sense of high moral
standards to origins
AENEUS
Son of Venus
Defended his city against the Greeks
Classic Roman devotion to family
In another version of the legend, he visits the site of
Tome and found the Latin people
Represents the future of Trojan people as Troy
becomes Rome
During the fall of Troy, carries his father on his back
as his father is carrying the statue of the god Larus
Carrying his father while he carries the statue of
Larus shows how he represents the devotion to the
city as a whole and to the gods
The idea of pietas (the idea of devotion)
AENEUS AND ALBA
Aborigines and King Latinus: Romans were
descended from a blended people
The legend of Aeneas finding the Latin people
secures Lavinium to Rome
Aeneas reached Italy and fought war again Turnus
He did NOT found Rome, he found LAVINIUM, but
thats where the people of Rome came from, which
links the royal house of Troy to the Roman Republic
~~~~~~****the more you know****~~~~~~~
THE SEVEN KINGS
1. Romulus
2. Numa
3. Tullus
4. Ancus
5. Tarquin the Elder
6. Servius Tullius
7. Tarquin the Proud
ROMULUS AND REMUS
The famous foundation story for Rome
The legend of the wolf
Numitors brother took away the throne from him
and killed his sons but not his daughter
His daughter becomes pregnant with two sons from
Mars (Romulus and Remus)even though she is in
virgin prison
The sons are put into the Tiber River and get washed
up against the bank
A wolf finds them and feeds them
Later, a shepherd finds them and grow up
They eventually learn their origin and return to Alba
to serve justice
They established the city in the banks where they
washed up.
April 21
st
is celebrated as the birth of the city
Twins fought about who should be kind first
Remus gets killed by Romulus and within this action,
performs the first act of fratricide (the killing of a
brother), Romes original sin (parallel to Cain and
Abel)
ROMULUS: FOUNDER OF ROMAN STRENGTH
Rome started as a small community in the Palatine
Hill (walls were built around the hill)
Foreigners are enemies as a norm
Romulus tried to start building respect for new
founded Rome by placing a symbol on Rome
(symbols of imperium)
o The symbol is lictors carrying fasces (a
bundle of whips and an axe)
o Symbols represent power to command, the
extension of power of life and death
o Used fasces as physical punishment
Romulus supposedly establishes the first senate (the
council of elders)
They held victories over the neighboring people
o Veii
o France
o Sabines
ROMULUS: RAPE OF SABINE WOMEN
*note that the asylum was more of a sanctuary and
slaves reached it to be free
Romulus established a religious festival so that locals
could come from Sabine
The the Romans busted in and abDUCTED THEIR
WOMEN???????
Then the Sabines were like hell no were not gonna
take this sitting down
So they formed an army and attacked to get back
their women cause wtf
Then the perfect angelic women kept the crazy men
from killing each other
Peace was established between the two leaders
because IF THE WORLD WAS RUN BY WOMEN
THERE WOULD BE NO WAR
The Sabines decide to stay
The theme of this story is about bringing outside
populations into Rome and blending of people
THE DEATH OF ROMULUS
A storm killed him or took him away
The senate was telling army that Romulus was tekn
up to heaven by the storm (as a god)
Quirinus is the divine nature of Romulus
He is used as a model for treating emporers as
divine/gods
In another version, he was killed limb from limb by
the senators and apotheosis a lie announced to a
gullible people
2
ND
KING: NUMA, FOUNDER OF ROMAN RELIGIOSITY
Believed that civic order = respect for authority (aka
the gods)
Interregnum= the period between kings
People and the senate were allowed to choose a new
leader, which represented trust between the people
and the government
taking the auspices (taking control of people that
are the bridge between gods and humans)
3
RD
KING: TULLUS HOSTILIUS
Rome ran into trouble with neighbors
Tullus Hostilius had eye out for Roman dominance
over Alba
Then there was this HUGE battle between Alba and
Rome
It was called BATTLE OF THE CHAMPIONS
because they were um great or something
Then they decided like
Hey man
Lets NOT kill each other in masses
You have a set of triplets, we have a set of triplets
Lets just make them fight instead hahaHAAHha
So they did
It was Horatii, the Roman triplets versus the Curiatii,
the Alban triplets
Who ever won would dominate the loser city
Remaining Hortatius kills his sister bc shes sobbing
over her enemy lover
Romans won by killing enemy one by one as they
were wounded to various degrees
Horatius father supported sons murder, so when
trialed, he is set free
This story puts an emphasis in loyalty: the moral is
that the state must be put over anything
THE END OF MANARCHY
THE TARQUINS
Livy draws out the idea that tyrannical rule erged
from good kingship before this point (ex., Tarquin
the Elder)
1
st
Tarquin was not completely tyrannical
Etruscan Lucumo from Taraquini
From a family that migrated from Greece (again,
trying to connect ancient Greece AGAIN)
Inspired and egged on by his wife Tanaquil (she was
an ambitious bitch)
Bitch but she was super smart
She interpreted an omen correctly that an eagle (bird
of Jupiter) swoops down, picks up crown, and places
on his head again
she interpreted this as a divine crowning
His rule introduced corruption
o Manipulates election as king
o packs the senate with his own supporters
He makes his ruling legit through the conquest of
Latium
He creates public works to keep plebeians busy
(which contributes to Roman greatness)
o Drains swamp to create THE FORUM
(which is basically this market place that
became fab for meeting places and it unified
the hills) it was called THE GREAT DRAIN
o Also wanted to build the great temple of
Jupiter on Capitol (Jupiter Best and Greatest)
(didnt finish)
o The Capitol becomes religious center
KING 6: SERVIUS TULLIUS
The story goes that he was a captured slave
Tanaquil interprets omen
Tarquin adopts Servius and uses him as a place
holder on the throne
Tarquin gets assassinated
Taraquil pretends hes still alive
Servius keeps his place as king by popularity
Hes remembered for accounting of all people
He gets overthrown by descendants of Tarquin
Servius built great walls, which implied
unification of hills
ASSEMBLY OF CENTURIES
18 knights
80 first class
20 second class
20 fourth class
30 fifth class
TARQUIN THE PROUD
He was the elders son/grandson
Dramatic meeting overthrows Servious (he actually
thrOWS HIM DOWN THE STIAR???S???
He has TYRANNY written all over him, the jerk
Ok lets see
Bodyguard, executions, neglect of the Senate, sole
judge in capital cases, murder of dissenters on
trumped-up charges
THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA AND THE FALL OF THE
MONARCHY
In one debate, the men argued which wife was most
virtuouis
They went from hosue to house in Rome where
women were drinking/partying
Lucretia was visited and she was spinning wool
Tyrants son fell in lust with her
He went back to visit her
The comes to chamber and threatens her with slave
murder and murder to her as well and said that he
will accuse her of adultery
Wow ok bitch
He raped her
Lucretia wants to kill herself to prove innocence and
to establish an exemplum for future women and to
prevent excuses for adultery as rape
All the guys were like yooo Lucretia chill yall dont
need to kill yourself
Shes like fuck yall I do what I want to keep my
honor who do you think I am Zuko????
The main thing is that she wasnt pressured into death
Story is a stong example of dying for an idea
Not establishing a norm, just bring up the possibility
Died for PATRIACHY FUCK
She demands personal vengeance on the rapist
You couldve gotten your revenge first lazy
LUCIUS BRUTUS OATH
OK brutus is mute as fuck so he cant talk and in
slang, brutus means stupid in roman
Lucius Brutus is Tarquins nephew
Lucius decides that Tarquin was so tyrannical, he law
low from him by being/acting stupid and mute
He turned into the butt of the jokes (someone to bully)
Two sons are sent to the oracle of Delphi
They ask Apollo which of them was going to be king
Delphi said the first to kiss your mother in returning
will hold emporium in Rome
They race to Italy and kiss their mother
But they found that Brutus kissed the ground
(MOTHER EARTH, GAEA THAT UGLY DIRTY
FACE)
He holds emporium as the royal concil of Rome
Brutus comes to hear Lucretia, pulls dagger out of
her body and takes an oath to never allow another
Kind in Rome.
They made Lucretias demand a political idea instead
of a personal revenge
That ends the end of the kings in Rome
Brutus doesnt kill anyone. He doesnt go hard. Go
home man, go home.
BUT he does become founder of the republic. He has
redeemed himself. A little.
END OF MONARCHY, BEGINNING OF THE REPUBLIC
The expulsion of the tarquins happened in 509 BC
Sextus is murdered, King Tarquin dies in exile,
Kings power is distributed among two new leaders
that hold equal power
Election takes place for the first pair of consuls
Tarquin is replaced by Publius
Brutus leads people to swear the oath of no kings
BRUTUS AND HIS SONS
Conspiract to readmit Tarquin to Rome
They try to get reinstated
they start secfrets meetings with people who favored
monarchy
the emabassaders receive letter of conspiracy people
Brutus two sons are part of it
Brutus has to watch as two sons are tortured, then
beheaded even though he was Consul at the time
Again, he placed the state over his family
Point is Brutus is paid incredible cost for his
patriotism
THE INVASION OF PORSENNA
The order of the republic have to be stressed through
the stories (human excellence is rewarded with
freedom, in tyranny, it is feared)
King Lars Etroscan, King of Clusium gathers army to
reinstate the Tarquins
Horatius single handedly holds army back so people
can get through the bridge
He then tells them to cut the bridge while he is still
on it
He sacrifices himself for the republic (but he lives.
Not as badass)
A roman aristocrat named Mucius Scaevola tries to
assassinate the king.
Accidently kills the scribe (the kings secretary)
Throws an empty threat and then burns his right hand
off as a symbol of indifference to pain
He then bore the name lefty
Porsena says she will leave them alone in trade of
hostages
Cloelia leads a breakout of the hostages at the Tiber
and they swim back.
THE FIRST SECESSION OF THE PLEBS
494 BC
Plebs are the common people of Rome (everyone but
the senators)
When the Plebs become miserable, senators see it as
an opportunity to bring them down further
Rome is still small and surrounded by enemies
There is a triple invasion (Volscians, Sabines, and
Aequi)
The Plebs were actually pleased with the
invasions????? Whaaa
The Plebs are able to achieve the following through
the need for them as the invasions increase:
o Stop to slavery (like debt slavery)
So people are like Im, soooooo down for that
So they fight against invaders and they win, nbd
But THEN the aristocrats remove temporary ban on
slavery
The Plebs revolt after the senate tries to force them
into military service as a distraction
The Plebs secession goes all the way to the Sacred
Mount
They insist on having their own representatives
The idea that the government is nothing without its
people and vice versa is described through Meneius
Agrippa, the story of belly and limbs, where limbs
revolt against the belly until they realize they need it
to (the importance of concord)
Micolo Machiavelli
o Supported the struggle between the Plebs
and the Senate of Rome because it made
the Republic both free and powerful
CORIOLANUS: PATRICIAN ARROGANCE
He seeks to reverse results of secession (meanwhile
theres famine in Rome) by proposing time to turn on
tribunes (they make up charge to bring him to trial
and he is exiled to Vultians)
After his exile he goes TRAITER BACKSTABBER
and joins their army and invades Rome as highly
respected leader among the enemy people
People plead with the Senate to offer him his terms
for peace but he rejects them; nurses a person grudge
without interest for the good of his own country
Finally he listens to his MOM
Negative exemplum
Corilanus gives up invasion and returns to exile
Nobody knows how this fucker died
LUCIUS QUINCTIUSN CINCINNATUS
He was this great aristocrat
Began with narrative w/ attack on himself
The tribians are fighting to get laws written down
Son Caeso leads resistance against Tribians
Unjust condemnation of son Caeso
Caeso is then framed for murder (462 461 BC)
Huge bail to set up and he escapes punishment
Reduced to being poor because of this and works in a
small farm
Cincinnatus sets expressive example
Both sides were fighting dirty
Cincinnatus stands in the middle of senate/ tribians
CINCINNATUS AS A CONSUL
Capture of capital by sabine
Moral authority castigates senate as well as tribunes
and refuses re-election
He was made dictator in 458BC to rescue Republi
and steps up, doesnt nurse resentment towards state
and resign office as soon as accomplished goal
DICTATOR 485 BC
Cincinnatus is summoned to take over command of
republics army
He defeats Aequil and whips his army back into
shape
Resigns office after 16 days
CAMILLUS
TYRANNICIDE: MAELIUS AND AHALA
Back to Brutus oath, what happens to tyrants who
seek power in Rome?
Exempla:
The Execution of Suprius Maelius
Whatever
Gaius Servilius Ahala <- comes out execution
80 yr old becomes a dictator and sends to kill
Maelius after he takes advantage of grain shortage
Gaius gets praised even though he was killed w/o
trial (political violence)
THE DECEMUIN (10 MEN) AND THE SECOND
SECESSION OF THE PLEBS (451-449 BC)
Kingship must be suppressed because it turns into
tyranny.
This story is about tyranny coming from the republic
Elected tyranny: no tribunes, no appeal, no
consolation of senate or people
THE STORY:
Tribunes fought to have laws written down
They found 10 men to write down the laws
10 men were elected by popular vote
Starts out well, with the 10 tablets of laws
then another board of 10 were elected
Appius Claudius, the greedy little bitch, decides to
stay in the new board bc he got reelected
the new board of 10 start to act like 10 motherfuckers
(tyrants)
There's an invasion with more forceful political
power
This leaves Rome vulnerable
Appius Claudius falls in "lust"with aristocratic
maiden named Verginia
Appius Claudius decides to make laws to get her into
his clutches
Arranges relatives and friends to reinforce these laws
Claudius' friend claims that she's a runaway slave
The friend gives Verginia to Claudius
Father kills Verginia with his own sword to prevent
her from getting raped by Claudius
Popular revolution in 449 BC
Restoration of Republican Constituation including
tribunes
There was codification of Law of Twelve Tables
renews conrod and strength from military victories
SELF SACRIFICE: DECIUS MUS
Decius Mus is an example of an ultimate act of
sacrifice for the state
3 generations of his family carried out a ritual to save
the state
In a great revolt, Romans facing Latins there were
two consuls present and Mus was one of them;
Decius carries out the sacrifice when the priest shows
a flaw and stands on a spear then jumps on his horse
and rides into the enemy
Virtus was tempered by social concord of people and
Senate, concord with the gods, and the constant
struggle to maintain social faithfulness
pax deorum is the sense of religious support of gods
that results in peace with the gods; seen as peace
treaty where by violation of treaty on part of men
brings displeasure of gods
CAMILLUS
Livy's formula: emphasis on civic virtue: shaped and
tempered by constant struggle between senators and
people and concord between gods and men
Story begins:
There was a 10 year long war struggle to overcome
Veii
It was a manner of restoring relationship with the
gods
there was an omen at the Alban lake: Romans would
not be victorious unless the Alban lake (which had
risen on it's own) was drained
they restore social unity by inviting the plebs to share
Veii
Romans proclaim Camillus dictator
Camillus prayed to Apollo and promised him gifts
Romans offer Juno a new home separate from Veii,
in Rome and she accepts
There is a unification of people and that of people
and gods as well
After the capture of Veii, there is much discord,
popular anger
Plebs are disappointed with their share of the plunder
Blocks tribune's proposal to send colonists to Veii
Success depend on them being truly Romans
Camillus was sent to exile fro the misappropriation of
plunder in Veii (he wanted to sacrifice 1/10 for
Apollo, as promised)
BUT THIS WAS AS MISSSTTAAKKKEEE
because they got rid of their leader at a time of
NATIONAL CRISIS
Livy claims that Romans forgot how to be Roman
o arrogance in prosperity
o
o neglet of the divine (Voice in New Street)
o neglect of the divine (Voice in New Street)
o neglect of justice (banishment of Camillus)
o Roman-ness is defined by character and
actions, not blood
o LAST WARNING from the gods gets
ignored because the Voice in New Street
was heard by a commoner and nobody
listened (social arrogance)
o neglect of divinely sanctioned law
BATTLE AT ALLIA
The battle enraged the Gauls, which attack Romans
in revenge
Romans didn't take precautions
Romans were thrashed by the Gauls because unlike
the Romans, the Gauls had their shit together and
were acting disciplined
Then the Romans get their shit together and start
acting Roman again
Livy emphasizes recovery of good relations w/ Gauls
and having a better relationship with the gods
Therefore, Plebian Albinius helps Vestals save sacred
objects
Social division is overcome because Plebian is lower
class
The Gouls try to sneak through an undefended cliff
The sacred goose of Juno (the Warner) notices and
alerts Romans of sneak attack
This represents the Romans getting divine favor back
Manlius Capitolinus saves the day
Finally the Senate appoints Camillus dictator even
though he's still in exile
Results in Romans coming to terms with the Gauls;
agreement is made that Gauls will leave in exchange
for 1k pounds of gold. And more because the balance
is unbalanced by the sword
Ransom of Tome is interrupted by Camillus, who
halts the migration from Rome to Veii (the
abandonment of Rome)
Romans want to move to Veii because Rome is in
disaster
Camillus fighting this shows that Romans won't
abandon Tome's gods, which symbolizes Roman
staying Roman
If they abandon Rome, they abandon being Roman as
well
Do not "abandon all the gods of the state and those
we worship privately"
Camillus is A HERO BECAUSE he has saved
Romans from Gouls and their mission (staying
Roman)
DISCORD AND CONCORD
It's always tribunes + people/plebs VS the senate
SPQR: Senatus Populus Que Romanus
The popular power are set in opposition of the Senate,
which leads to divided government, which leads to
discord.
THE GREAT PROBLEM: How to forge concord

from discord:
o EASY WAY: come together to fight against
an external enemy
o HARD WAY: through political virtue and
effective leadership