The Origins of Rome
Word Study
Peoples asset cast anchor league
Expansion ally cult uprising
Romance languages belief colonize
Rush royalty divinize rule
Infantry utilitarianism pragmatism toga
Latium and the Latins
Latium is a narrow territory, on the lower valley of the river, an arid plain,
dominated by the volcanic masiff of the Albans. The Latins occupied this
region where they founded ancient cities: Alba Longa, Lanuvium, Ardea,
Praeneste, and Rome. The fate of the Latins was closely tied to that of
Rome.
Various small peoples grouped themselves in federal leagues enabling
them to defend themselves. The Alban League united about fourty such
tribes, whose religious centre was the sanctuary of Jupiter Latialis on
Monte Cavo. Several ancient Latin cults and beliefs were carried on by
Rome. Centres such as Lavinium, Lanuvium, or Tusculum played an
important role in the early elaboration of Roman mentality.
Latin was a common asset of those cities: it owes its surprising destiny
as a language to Rome. The Latins preserved an archaic dialect with its
semantic purity due to their early spirit of organization and an inborn
tendency of conservation. There are though various Greek and Etruscan
loans: the Romans used to adopt foreign words only if these belonged to
a more developed civilization. Latin spread along with Roman
expansion. At the end of the Empire, the unity of the spoken language
disappeared, and various Romance languages started evolving from it.
The legend of the origins
The legend is double, and we distinguish two important moments: the
first colonization of Latium and the founding of Lavinium by Aeneas,
then the founding of Rome by Romulus.
On the fall of Troy, 1184 B.C., Aeneas cast anchor near Latium. He
married Latinus’ daughter, allied with Evandrus of Corinthus, and broke
down the uprising of the Ruritanians. He founded Lavinium not far from
the river. Aeneas’ son, Julius, founded Alba Longa. Twelve kings ruled
over that city. The granddaughter of the latter, Rhea Sylvia, gave birth to
twins, Remus and Romulus. Romulus carries the glory of founding the
city of Rome.
The second moment of the legend is that the two twins were abandoned
on the river, they being the illegitimate sons of god Mars, but were
saved and nursed by a bitch-wolf, in the cave of Lupercal. After growing
up, they leave Alba, fight against each other in 753 B.C. , in the moment
of the founding of the seven-hill city of Rome. The taking of the
auspices, Romulus’ divine destination, the erection of the protecting wall,
Remus’ death are the main episodes of the founding legend. The
character of Romulus conditor is one of the main elements of the Roman
national spirit. Romulus becomes the symbol of the evolving glory of
Rome, rules, and then he is divinized.
The city of Rome has a very strategic position, an exceptional one. It is
the city of the first bridge, accessible to maritime navigation and placed
at crossroads, favorable for commerce.
Rome during the royal period
Roman royalty had lasted for two centuries with successive civilization
phases. Primitive Rome led a humble life. The League of the Seven
Hills dates back to this epoch, and it stands for the first real union of the
Latin tribes.
Up to 650, the Roman city, weak and tiny, cannot carry out the wars and
expeditions attributed to it by the analystics wishing to date back the
military glory of Rome to the earliest time. Alba, the federal center of the
league carrying its name, falls under the rush of the Latin cities turned
against it, not only under the Roman rush. From the middle of the 7 th
century to the 8th, Rome changes, giving the impression of a city widely
open to Greek and Etruscan influence.
During the last period, royal Rome meets the real presence of the
Etruscans, and its civilization feels this impact, but only temporarily. The
political and social structure of the city raises problems. The city is
divided into three tribes of Etruscan origin. The political division of the
city corresponds to military organization. The leaving of the Etruscans
marks a deep cut in the life of Rome: it falls under the threat of those
surrounding it. The Latins need unity. The fifth century is one of
austerity. The army is reorganized; they feel the need of a powerful
infantry. The Roman analystics celebrates the leaving of the Tarquins
and the beginnings of the Republic. Roman conscience finds a legitimate
pride in these memories, and the logo of the Roman Republic ever since
its beginnings has been: libertas.
Law and religion in primitive Rome
There are strong ties between religion and law and the origins of
civilizations: law is penetrated by religious and magical characteristics.
The oldest rules of Roman law bear a religious hue. Royal laws are
called leges regiae. There are archaic prescriptions in which magis is
present.
The authority of the father is present here, one of his roles being the
maintenance of the specific cult of the gens. The first written code, The
Laws of the Twelve Tables, from the 5th century B.C., has a religious and
magical character. Religious attitude is characterized by magic also.
The Etruscans: people and civilization
The starting point of the Etruscans’ expansion, the vital centre of their
empire, was Tuscany. Their national name was Rasenna, but the Latins
called them Etrusci, and thus, populus Tuscus left its name as
inheritance to the province it had first civilized.
The Etruscan civilization comes into being around the year 700 B.C. It
follows that Villanovian civilization which, in the 8 th century B.C., in
Tuscany and in the north of Italy , was extremely flourishing. Changes
take place, especially concerning tomb decoration, jewelry, construction
etc. These unveil new techniques, rapid development of a great
economic and commercial property. The beginning of this new
civilization, which was conventionally named orientalizing, after the
Oriental richness of ornaments, indicates the beginning of the Etruscan
civilization. (Adapted from ROMA SI DESTINUL EI VOL.1-2 by
Raymond Bloch, Jean Cousin).
Fill in the gaps with the words in bold:
Found, league, asset, Greek, expansion, fall, uprising, rule, impact,
carry, bridge, humble, Etruscan, rush .
The Latins occupied Latium where they………… ancient cities.
The small peoples grouped themselves in ………… for defense.
Latin was a common ………. of those cities.
Latin has various …………loans: it spread along with Roman…………
On the ………… of Troy, Aeneas cast anchor near Latium.
Aeneas broke down the ………… of the Ruritanians.
Twelve kings ……….. over Alba Longa.
Romulus ………….. the glory of founding the city of Rome.
Rome is the city of the first ……………
Primitive Rome lead a ………….. life.
Alba fell under the ………… of the Latin cities.
Rome was exposed to……… influence in the 8th century B.C.
Rome’s civilization felt the …………. of the Etruscan influence.
Arrange the following events in the order they succeed in the text.
The Alban League united 40 tribes. ………..
The Latins founded ancient cities. ………..
The first colonization of Latium, the founding of Lavinium………..
Aeneas cast anchor near Latium ………..
Julius founds Alba Longa ………..
Rhea Sylvia gives birth to twins ………..
Twelve kings rule over the city ………..
The twins are nursed by the bitch-wolf. ………..
Romulus founds Rome. ………..
The twins fight against each other. ………..
Answer the following questions:
Why did small peoples group themselves in leagues?
What centers played an important role in the elaboration of Roman
mentality?
Which language was a common asset of those cities?
What languages evolved from Latin?
How many kings ruled over Alba Longa?
How long had Roman royalty lasted?
Whose influence was important to Rome in the 8th century?
What event took place when Etruscans left Rome?
What characteristics influenced law in those times?
What was religious attitude marked by?
What was Rome’s first written code of law?
Translate into English:
Romanii au ridicat un zid protector în jurul cetăţii.
Roma avea o poziţie strategică favorabilă comerţului.
Liga Celor Şapte Coline datează din această epocă.
În acea perioadă a istoriei sale, Roma ducea o viaţă umilă.
Oraşul se afla sub influenţă greacă şi etruscă.
Structura socială şi politică a cetăţii ridica probleme.
Secolul V a fost unul de austeritate.
Armata a fost reorganizată deoarece era nevoie de o infanterie
puternică.
Există o strânsă legătură între lege şi religie.
Romulus era simbolul gloriei crescânde a Romei.
Primul cod scris, Legile celor Douăsprezece Table, din sec. V î.e.n.,
aveau un caracter magic şi religios.
Autoritatea tatălui era foarte importantă, el având rolul de a menţine
cultura specifică a ginţii.
Romulus şi Remus se luptau între ei în momentul fondării oraşului celor
şapte coline, Roma.
Write a paragraph for each group of words with reference to the
text.
Rome : strategic position, placed at crossroads, accessible to maritime
navigation, favourable for commerce, humble life, weak, tiny, wars,
expeditions.
Etruscans: impact on Rome, three tribes, military organization,
beginnings of the Republic, rapid development, Oriental richness of
ornaments, social and economic development.
LIV Alina, wife of Cornelius Nepos, to her sister Postumia, wife of
Publius Ceccinius of Verona (December 13)
Just a word in haste, dearest Postumia. Rome is standing on its head.
There has never been such an uproar. Public offices have been closed
and most of the shopkeepers don’t even open the shops. Word must
have reached you before this: that Clodia Pulcher introduced her brother
dressed as a votary into the Ceremonies of the Good Goddess. I was
standing a few feet from him when he was discovered. They say it was
the Lady Julia Marcia who called attention to it. Our singing had been
going on for an hour, and the responses. Some women flew at him and
tore off the turban and the bands. Such screaming you never heard.
Soon women were striking him from all sides as hard as they could;
others dashed about covering up the sacred things. Of course, there
wasn’t any other man within shouting distance; but presently some
guards came and picked him up, bleeding and groaning, and dragged
him off.
This is the end; really, I don’t know what to say. Everybody says, This is
the end. People are even saying, Now let Caesar move Rome to
Byzantium. In a moment I must hurry down to the trial. Cicero made a
terrible and wonderful speech against Clodius and Clodia yesterday. All
sorts of people are being called to testify and rumors are flying about.
Some think that the Queen of Egypt had a hand in it, because Clodia
served as her instructress; but the Queen was indisposed and did not
even go to the rites.
……………………………………………………………………………………
……….
My husband has just come in. He says that Pompeia’s family-twenty of
them- went to Caesar last night to urge him to speak in her defense. It
seems that he was very quiet and listened to them for an hour. Then he
rose and said he had no intention of appearing at the trial: that it was
possible that Pompeia was not implicated in this matter, but that was not
difficult for a woman in her position so to conduct her life that such a
suspicion would never fall upon her; that the suspicion was damaging
enough, and that he was divorcing her the very next day – that is today.
………………………
( Thorton Wilder, The Ides of March, The Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s
superb novel of the last days of the Roman Republic” , pg. 154-155)
Explain the meaning of the underlined phrases in the sentences
below.
Rome is standing on its head.
Lady Julia Marcia called attention to it.
Some women flew at him and tore off the turban.
Others dashed about covering up the sacred things.
There wasn’t any other man within shouting distance.
The guards dragged him off.
Rumours are flying about.
The Queen of Egypt had a hand in it.
Clodia served as her instructress.
They urged him to speak in her defense.
Just a word in haste, my dear!
Turn the following sentences into Indirect Speech:
“This is the end; really, I don’t know what to say.” She
said………………….
“Let Caesar move Rome to Byzantium.” People said …………….
“I must hurry down to the trial.” She added ………………………
“My husband has just come in.” She observed……………………
“It was possible that Pompeia was not implicated in this matter.” He
stated…
“All sorts of people are being called to testify and rumours are flying
about.” She whispered……………….
“I have no intention of appearing at the trial.” Caesar said…………………
“It was lady Julia Marcia who called attention to it.” They said……………
“I was standing a few feet from him when he was discovered.” She
narrated ………
Read the following text and answer the questions below:
Suetonius: The lives of the Caesars: Book One
When he sat down, the conspirators thronged about him and Tillius
Cimber, who had put himself at the head of them, came close to him as
though he were about to ask a question. When Caesar with a gesture
tried to hold him at a distance, Cimber seized hold of his toga at both
shoulders. As Caesar exclaimed:”Then this is violence!” one of the
Cascas, standing at his side, plunged a dagger into him, just below the
throat. Caesar caught hold of Casca’s arm and ran his pen through it:
but as he tried to rise to his feet he was held down by another stab.
When he saw that he was surrounded on all sides by drawn daggers, he
wrapped his head in his robe at the same time drawing its folds about his
feet with his left hand so that when he fell the lower part of his body
would be decorously covered.
In this manner then he was stabbed twenty-three times. He said no
word, merely groaned at the first stroke, though certain writers have said
that when Marcus Brutus fell upon him he said in Greek, “You, too, my
son!”
All the conspirators took themselves off and left him lying there dead for
some time. Finally three common slaves put him on a litter and carried
him home, one arm hanging down over the side.
Antistius the physician said that of all those wounds only the second one
in the breast had proved fatal.
( Thorton Wilder, The Ides of March, The Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s
superb novel of the last days of the Roman Republic” , pg. 190-191)
- Who sat down?
- What did Tillius Cimber do?
- How did Caesar react?
- What did Caesar say?
- What did one of the Casca brothers do?
- What was Caesar’s reaction of defense?
- Did Caesar wrap his head in his robe?
- How many times was he stabbed?
- What did he tell Marcus Brutus?
- What did the conspirators do in the end?
- Who took Caesar’s body home on a litter?
- What was Antistius’ opinion about the stabs?
Watch the video provided on the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juWYhMoDTN0
A Glimpse of Teenage Life in Ancient Rome
While watching, pay attention to the following details:
- Annual festival – Liberalia in Rome
- Lucius is a teenager
- Where does he live? What does his quarter look like? How do
people live there?
- What happens to the mortality rate of children?
- He wears a protective amulet, has a protective deity
- At the age of 17, he completes education, He learns to speak
publicly, read, write Latin and Greek, his father teaches him to run, swim,
fight
- He wants to become a military leader
- He is still a child, the father patronizes all his transactions
- The family arranged marriage to a 7-year old girl
- Liberalia is a huge celebration
- Traders sell trinkets in the streets
- Large wagons are not allowed in the city
- Fathers and uncles take the kids to the celebration
- Fathers, guardians still mind the adult children
- Re-telling deeds of heroes, lessons to live well, of history relevant to
them
- Rome starts the expansion wars
- Before attending the celebration, they group goes to the baths
- Change in baths, cold, tepid rooms, very hot rooms
- Massage, oil, remove dirt
- They return home for dinner with food, wine, the drinking continues
into the night
After watching the video, formulate your own opinion about the
education of children in those times.
