Roman Literature 201

Roman Literature 201
And Roman High Schools

I. Education in the ludus
1. Typically schools taught by Greek teachers, some ex-slaves
2. Roman schoolboys escorted by the paedagogus
3. Most learning by strict memorization
4. Roman (rich) girls educated in school often as far as age 11 or 12
5. A mix of Greek and Roman authors, Homer above the rest
6. Ennius, Naevius rank with Greek tragedicians (A, S, E)

II. T. Lucretius Carus
1. Put Epicurean philosophy into Latin De Rerum Natura
2. Promotes atomic theory
3. Shuns deep emotion, especially love
4. Turned away from active involvement of gods in men’s lives
5. Legend says he committed suicide, Cicero published it posthumously

III. Decline of theater for mime
1. Plautus no longer in vogue – too long (sitcoms replace Shakespeare)
2. Terrence even less popular, too puritanical
3. Commoners like mime shows, a Roman version of satyr plays (?)
4. Theater very bawdy – as in HBO Rome

IV. Annalists vs historians
1. A few annalists (Licinius Macer, Valerias Antias, etc.) writing a fairly dry year by year account without much analysis
2. Julius’ commentaries on Gaul are almost press releases assembled as a book
3. Sallust wrote real history and earned to palm – but he writes ca. 44-30
4. Other lost writers abandon annalist school for historical analysis

V. M. Tullius Cicero
1. Often published his court case briefs
2. Very famous correspondence, published after he died
3. Turned to stoic philosophy when politically muzzled, again when Tullia died
4. Returned to politics after Ides of March with Philippics
5. Cicero sometimes wrote fictional dialogues of great Romans (On Old Age)

VI. Other fields
1. Legal: First plebeian Pontifex Maxumus Ti Coruncanius revealed legal rituals converting law from ritual to justice, long followed by Mucius Scaevola
2. Etymology: Terrentius Varro on Latin vocabulary and grammar
3. Physics: Lucretius
4. Horoscopes: Nigidius Figulus
5. Biography: Atticus