Archaic Rome: The Monarchy

Archaic Rome: The Monarchy

1. Legendary arrival of Aeneas, 1177, standardized by Vergil (70 –
19 BC)
A. Eventually dated to seven years after the Fall of Troy.
B. Stories varied on the relation ship of Aeneas to Romulus and Remus.
C. Problems arose when a great interval of time between Troy and
Romulus
realized.
D. Solution: invent generations in between. Vergil followed example
of
others.

2. Legendary origin of family of Iulii: Iulus/Ascanius the son of
Aeneas
and Creusa (Trojan wife) who inherited high priesthood; Silvius (son by
Lavinia, Latin princess) inherited political power of Aeneas and
Latinus.

3. Romulus and Remus, b. 770 founded Rome 753
A. Date scientifically determined by Livy, counting backwards
B. R + R sons of Rhea Siliva and Mars who slay the evil Amulius and
restore grandfather Numitor.
C. They leave Alba Longa, found Rome in 753, using augury to determine
the
spot.
D. Romulus slays Remus with a spade (other stories invented so he not
be
fratricide)
E. Romulus establishes 1200 year realm, Senate of 100 patres, welcomes
refugees.
F. Rape of the Sabine Women (see Davide, Poussin)
G. Romulus a conqueror, but ignores the Senate.
H. Murdered by senators (patres) in 716.

4. Numa Pompilius r. 715-673, a Sabine
A. Cult of Janus, Temple of Janus (shut only during peace)
B. Commoners kept in superstition, fear
C. New priesthoods established, expansion or Sabine/Latin religion

5. Tullus Hostilius (672-642) – Roman - and Ancus Marcius (642-17)
- Sabine
A. duel of Horatii and Curiatii, destruction of Alba Longa
B. warlike Tullus struck by lightning.
C. Ancus like Numa, but defends Rome in war.
D. Monarchy still elective

6. The Etruscans: Tarquin I (616-579), Servius Tullius (679-535),
Tarquin II (-509)
A. Height of Etruscan power
B. Import of many Etruscan elements (fasces, toga, etc.)

7. Overthrow of the monarchy
A. Attributed to the Rape of Lucretia (Shakespeare sonnet)
B. Brutus throws off his mask of stupidity, rouses the people
C. Res Publica = commonwealth declared.
D. Tarquins try to return to power, are frustrated, ask Lars Porsenna
for
help.
E. Evidence of Lars Porsenna as king of Romans (treaty)

8. Archeology in conflict with Roman legend
A. Villanova age settlements in Rome (match to Vergil’s story of
Evander)
B. Lars Porsenna calls himself king of the Romans after the end of the
monarchy
C. Continued Etruscan presence in Rome – ca. 475.
D. NB – Roman concept of time between Aeneas – Romulus reassessed.
The Early Republic

I. The Fall of the Monarchy, birth of the Republic 510-09
1. First consuls L. Junius Brutus, L. Tarquinius Collatinus
2. Collatinus deposed, Valerius Publicola elected
3. plot to restore the Tarquins
4. battle for Rome, Brutus KIA, finally replaced by Sp. Lartius, MHP
II. War of Porsenna
1. M. Horatius Cocles
2. Cloelia
3. archeology vs legend
4. Lake Regillus 496, last monarchical attack, Castor and Pollux
5. Arrival of the Claudii under Attus Clausus, 502
III. The Etruscans in Italy
1. Origin of Etruscans – Lydia, over the Alps, indigenous?
2. Etruscan confederacy, formerly Veii a big city
3. Fasces, purple toga, gladiatorial combat
4. Women of ancient Etruria: Tannaquil
5. Deciphering the language
IV. Social unrest of Rome
1. The five secessions: 494, 449, 342, ?339, 287
2. Coriolanus, 490
3. Spurius Cassius, 486
4. Cincinnatus’ dictatorships 458, 432
5. The Decemviri, Appius Claudius, Verginia (think Lucretia) 451
V. Wars with Volsci, Fidenae, Veii,
1. Camillus and the schoolteacher
2. The Fall of Veii, 396, Camillus banished
3. Fabius the Ambassador and the Gauls
4. Allia River
5. Brennus, Vae Victis, Camillus saving the day, 387
6. legend vs. historical archeology
VI Social Unrest part 2
1. Plebeians force political equality de iure, but de facto is more
gradual
2. lex Connuleia allows patrician-plebeian marriage
3. Lex Sextia-Licinia allows plebeians be consul in 367, Sextius is
consul
in 366
4. first plebeian dictator 356
5. first plebeian censor 351
6. first plebeian praetor 337
7. lex Ogulnia opens priesthoods to plebeians
8. lex Hortensia gives plebiscita the force of law
VII. Samnite and Latin War
1. Samnium the other big Italic power in central south Italy, clash
inevitable
2. First Samnite War 343-341 short, inconclusive, battle of Vesontio.
3. Latin War arises when Rs refuse to extend full citizenship to
Latins;
Rome wins
4. Second Samnite War 327-304 – Caudine Forks
5. Appius Claudius builds Appian Way 312
6. Third Samnite War 299-291, Samnium defeated, battle of Sentinum

VIII. Exposure to Greece
1. Demaratus, father of L. Tarquin I was Corinthian
2. Etruscan affection fro Greek alphabet, vases
3. Tarquin II sneds sons to Delphi
4. Arsitodemus, son of Lars Porsenna has Greek name
5. Twelve Tables drawn by Roman ambassadors to Greece
6. Trade with Magna Graecia
7. Expansion into S. Italy ca. 280
IX. War with Pyrrhus
1. Tarrentum assaults Roman ships, R ambassador
2. Tarrentum calls in Pyrrhus for defense
3. Pyrrhus has phalanx and elephants
4. battles of Heracleia 279, Asculum 278 “Another such victory and I
am
undone!”
5. C. Fabricius Luscinus and Cineas
6. Pyrrhus abandons Italy for Sicily, 277-75
7. Battle of Beneventum, “What a battlefield I leave Rome and
Carthage!”
8. Pyrrhus abandons Italy, killed in Argos in a street fight
X. Rome and Carthage
1. First of three Punic Wars 264-41 (218-201, 149-146) “Punic”
from Poenus
2. First war around Sicily, Romans forced to create a fleet
3. Regulus episode
4. battles: Agrigentum, Mylae, Ecnomus, Adys, Bagradas, Drepanum,
Aegates Islands.
5. Hamilcar Barca
XI. Roman religion
1. Pontifex Maximus is the high priest
2. numen of divine beings
3. Three major colleges of priests: Pontifical, Augural,
Quindecimiviri
4. sacrifice to avert disaster
XII. Roman marriage and betrothal
1. conferreatio vs. cunnubio
2. common-law marriage
3. marriage for love vs arranged marriage a social inverted benefit
4. betrothals are made to be broken
XIII. Slavery
1. ubiquitous in Ancient World
2. based on conquest, not skin color
3. fuel for the Roman economy and caused imperialism (?)
4. 1/3 slaves set free and enfranchised
5. Plato, Aristotle on free souls, servile souls
XIV. Creation of Roman literature
1. Fabius Pictor, a POW during 2PW
2. Ennius, epic-like work of Punica, Naevius also.
3. Plautus comedies – slapstick, mistaken identity, randy old man
gets
comeuppance