Roman Literature I

Roman Literature I

I. Earliest sources of Greek legends probably through Etruscans
A. Vase paintings on Etruscan art: Hercules, Chimera, etc.
B. Aeneas story widely circulates, also Diomedes, Ulysses, Philoctetes in Italy
C. No evidence of indigenous R literature, but Etruscans wrote something (lost)
D. Greeks started writing about Rome with Pyrrhus
II. First Roman authors
A. In imitation of Homer, Ennius and Naevius wrote Latin epics (fragments or lost)
B. Fabius Pictor was a POW with Hannibal, wrote lost first hand account of the war
C. Plautus wrote Roman comedies, near translations of Greek New Comedy, 200
D. Cato, De Origines, in 4 books: Monarchy, Early Republic, Middle, Modern, 180
E. Terrence, six comedies, less bawdy than Plautus, 150, a freed slave
F. Polybius, a Greek writing Greek and Roman history, a hostage in Rome after the Achaean War, friend of Scipio Aemilianus and primary source for 264-150 BC. Accompanied PCSAm to Carthage, saw him weep at fall of Carth. His theme: How amid so many rivals, R conquered the Med World in 50 years

III. Why did Rome fail to develop a written tradition earlier?
A. Strong Oral Tradition? Yes, but not the answer 2 styles can co-exist
B. Annalist tradition goes pretty far back, with Fasti (list of consuls)
C. Sibylline Books allegedly date to 515 BC or so
D. Etruscan literature was required reading in Roman schools
E. Writing was principally an instrument to maintain the status quo, not to entertain
F. Why did this change? Hellenism
G. By 125 many R historians writing (expanding) R history – often in Greek! E.g. Cincius Alimentius (lost), C. Acilius -184 (lost), Why in Greek?
H. In Latin but lost: Sempronius Tuditanus, Valerius Antias, Claudius Quadrigarius, Coelius Antipater. Livy used all of these as sources.