What I found interesting from this weeks reading is how Livius suggests that the gods had a direct effect on the founding of Rome. What made me interested in this story was how Livius tells the story of Romulus and Remus as if it were a true historical event. I find it interesting how Livius suggests that the founding of Rome was not an act of man but partially an act of the god’s. It is as if the gods had chosen these two boys to bring about the Roman civilization. God chose people in the Bible to do his will as well. For example, God chose Abraham's line to bring about God's son Jesus, to save the world from their sins. LIvius claims that the founding of Rome was a result of the god's will in the life of man.
What I found that was interesting in the reading was how the city of Rome was made, its chances were low and they had enemies as well. There were many people that were in the reading that helped Latinus such as the Aborigines. It also started out as a village called Lavinium. I also found it ironic that they talked about the Roman holiday called Lupercalia. I am researching the history and of Valentine's day, and Lupercalia is were it originated. I also thought that how the babies that were thrown into the river, and raised by a she wolf. It also said it could have been someone with that name. Its all interesting as well that how they have all this information, and the battle outcome, even though it is so old!
I found it interesting that Livy would occasionally give to different accounts of a historic happening without claiming that one account was true and the other was not. For example, he begins a story with: From this point there is a twofold tradition. According to the one, Latinus was defeated in battle, and made peace with Aeneas
What I found fascinating was that Livy takes a very educational approach to history. In the preface, when he talks about why he wrote the history, he says: "There is this exceptionally beneficial and fruitful advantage to be derived from the study of the past, that you see, set in the clear light of historical truth, examples of every possible type. From these you may select for yourself and your country what to imitate, and also what, as being mischievous in its inception and disastrous in its issues, you are to avoid." They say 'history repeats itself' and Livy, realizing this, says that the greatest thing about history is that it provides us with examples that we can learn from to govern our present lives. What an insight as our nation faces troubled times...
What I found to be of interest to me during this week's reading in Livius was the similarity between the story of how Lucius Tarquinius rose to power and how Clytemnestra and Aegisthus rose to power. Both killed their spouse(s) in order to marry another who could bring them into a position of power. In Livius, it says that,"Lucius Tarquin and the younger Tullia, by a double murder, cleared from their houses the obstacles to a fresh marriage..." In Aeschylus, Clytemnestra kills her husband Agamemnon in order to marry Aegysthus, who would then become king. So it is interesting that this kind of marital murder for power is seen in Greece as well as later in Rome.
In this week’s reading what I found interesting was how Romulus had sent out representatives to different regions of lands to collect women. Romulus sent these men because the population of women was low and they needed growth in their population. Also what I found interesting was that you were not allowed to have a marriage with other towns. So Romulus negotiated with other communities to join his town because they would find favor in the god’s eyes and the gods would bless their women’s children.
When the Sabines and the Romans were fighting over the women, and the women ran in between the armies, "appealing to their fathers in the one army and their husbands in the other not to bring upon themselves a curse by staining their hands with the blood of a father-in-law or a son-in-law," (Livius, 21) I was reminded of the Oresteia and the idea of blood vengeance. The house of Orestes in the play is cursed because of someone killing his kin. The difference is that in the Oresteia, only blood-kin are cursed by killing each other, but here relatives by marriage are threatened with a curse. -Katie
The beginning of the Roman city/people reminded me of the way Jacobs family grew and interacted with other people. The Romans began with Romulus building his city after they had previously been a roaming band of men. The city flourished and control extended yet there was one fatal flaw. The Romans were all men and therefore could not produce heirs. Jacob had a similar problem. He and his family were like Nomads going from place to place, and although they had many slave woman (which could be used as concubines), there was no free woman that Jacob’s sons could call their wives.
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10 comments:
What I found interesting from this weeks reading is how Livius suggests that the gods had a direct effect on the founding of Rome. What made me interested in this story was how Livius tells the story of Romulus and Remus as if it were a true historical event. I find it interesting how Livius suggests that the founding of Rome was not an act of man but partially an act of the god’s. It is as if the gods had chosen these two boys to bring about the Roman civilization. God chose people in the Bible to do his will as well. For example, God chose Abraham's line to bring about God's son Jesus, to save the world from their sins. LIvius claims that the founding of Rome was a result of the god's will in the life of man.
What I found that was interesting in the reading was how the city of Rome was made, its chances were low and they had enemies as well. There were many people that were in the reading that helped Latinus such as the Aborigines. It also started out as a village called Lavinium. I also found it ironic that they talked about the Roman holiday called Lupercalia. I am researching the history and of Valentine's day, and Lupercalia is were it originated. I also thought that how the babies that were thrown into the river, and raised by a she wolf. It also said it could have been someone with that name. Its all interesting as well that how they have all this information, and the battle outcome, even though it is so old!
Aaron Mihic
I found it interesting that Livy would occasionally give to different accounts of a historic happening without claiming that one account was true and the other was not. For example, he begins a story with: From this point there is a twofold tradition. According to the one, Latinus was defeated in battle, and made peace with Aeneas
*two
What I found fascinating was that Livy takes a very educational approach to history. In the preface, when he talks about why he wrote the history, he says: "There is this exceptionally beneficial and fruitful advantage to be derived from the study of the past, that you see, set in the clear light of historical truth, examples of every possible type. From these you may select for yourself and your country what to imitate, and also what, as being mischievous in its inception and disastrous in its issues, you are to avoid." They say 'history repeats itself' and Livy, realizing this, says that the greatest thing about history is that it provides us with examples that we can learn from to govern our present lives. What an insight as our nation faces troubled times...
~Christopher
What I found to be of interest to me during this week's reading in Livius was the similarity between the story of how Lucius Tarquinius rose to power and how Clytemnestra and Aegisthus rose to power. Both killed their spouse(s) in order to marry another who could bring them into a position of power. In Livius, it says that,"Lucius Tarquin and the younger Tullia, by a double murder, cleared from their houses the obstacles to a fresh marriage..." In Aeschylus, Clytemnestra kills her husband Agamemnon in order to marry Aegysthus, who would then become king. So it is interesting that this kind of marital murder for power is seen in Greece as well as later in Rome.
what i found interesting was that livy implied that the Gods had alot to do with the founding of Rome and that man had verv little to do with it.
In this week’s reading what I found interesting was how Romulus had sent out representatives to different regions of lands to collect women. Romulus sent these men because the population of women was low and they needed growth in their population. Also what I found interesting was that you were not allowed to have a marriage with other towns. So Romulus negotiated with other communities to join his town because they would find favor in the god’s eyes and the gods would bless their women’s children.
When the Sabines and the Romans were fighting over the women, and the women ran in between the armies, "appealing to their fathers in the one army and their husbands in the other not to bring upon themselves a curse by staining their hands with the blood of a father-in-law or a son-in-law," (Livius, 21) I was reminded of the Oresteia and the idea of blood vengeance. The house of Orestes in the play is cursed because of someone killing his kin. The difference is that in the Oresteia, only blood-kin are cursed by killing each other, but here relatives by marriage are threatened with a curse.
-Katie
The beginning of the Roman city/people reminded me of the way Jacobs family grew and interacted with other people. The Romans began with Romulus building his city after they had previously been a roaming band of men. The city flourished and control extended yet there was one fatal flaw. The Romans were all men and therefore could not produce heirs. Jacob had a similar problem. He and his family were like Nomads going from place to place, and although they had many slave woman (which could be used as concubines), there was no free woman that Jacob’s sons could call their wives.
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