"All history is biography," said Emerson, and he's certainly right in thinking that an understanding of the lives of individual men and women is essential to history. Fortunately for us, many ancient writers shared Emerson's idea of the importance of biography, and they've left us many fascinating accounts of important Roman leaders. Among the most interesting biographies are those contained in Plutarch's "Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans." Please read one of the following selections from Plutarch. Cite an incident or sentiment that seems to you particular important in understanding Roman character/values/history, and explain why you chose this particular passage/event.Abridged versions:
Tiberius Gracchus, Gaius Gracchus, Fabius Maximus, Cato the Elder, Camillus
Unabridged versions:
Tiberius Gracchus, Gaius Gracchus, Fabius Maximus, Cato the Elder, Camillus
The incident that I found to be important in understading Roman character, value adn history is what the senatorial class did to Tiberius when things didn't go there way. It shows us the good character and values of Tiberius who wanted to do good for the the people and help them out to the best of his ablitiy. But the senators were not in happy with what he proposed and resorted to violence, which the bad character and values that people started to use.
ReplyDeleteI chose Cato the Elder - definitely a man of contradictory values. I think the following sums him up fairly well:
ReplyDelete“In short, he thought that a man should own nothing that he could do without, and that it was better to have fields where food could be raised than a flower-garden that needed care. Only useful things had value in his eyes, but he carried this idea to an excess that made him cruel, for when a domestic grew old in his service he turned him off instead of taking care of him.”
Granted, we’re talking about a “mere” servant…but then there’s:
“Although Cato was very rich, he lost no opportunity to increase his wealth, even unjustly.”
He railed against extravagances on one hand, then on the other he would not let his scruples interfere with his acquiring more wealth.
And then there’s the arrogance…after the battle against Antiochus:
“Cato gives an account of this exploit in his writings, and praises himself very much for it. He says, ‘All those who witnessed the action were ready to declare that Cato owed less to the people of Rome than the people of Rome owed to Cato…’”
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no expert on ancient Roman etiquette, but talking about oneself in the third person just seems kind of…out there. I might expect it from a professional athlete, movie star, or a musician…but not from a leader of men. When I was an officer, I was always taught not to brag on my accomplishments…it was unbecoming – I mean other than Custer and Patton, but that’s a different story.
“He also said that in all his life he only repented of three things: the first was that he had trusted a woman with a secret; the second, that he had gone by sea when he might have gone by land; and the third, that he had passed one day without doing any important business.”
Nice to see that he only made three “mistakes” in his lifetime…one involving a woman (what guy hasn’t been there?), one by choosing the wrong mode of transportation (I can understand that…I traveled by Greyhound once, but wished I had taken the Amtrak), and then once when he didn’t do any important business for the entire day – but that was just once.
This illustrates to me the feeling that Romans might have talked a good game, but didn’t necessarily let this effect their daily actions. Kind of like the old saying we had in the army, “If you’re going to talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk”. He was definitely an interesting character, though…
Ruth Wilson
ReplyDeleteFabius Maximus was an outstanding general and man; he was unfailingly courtious, honnorable and loved his country more than his reputation. By the latter, I refer to his chosen stategy of hidding in the hills, never attacking Hannibal, but still keeping him constantly afraid of an emminant attack. This stategy got him labled as a coward and a fool: two things that a dictator should never be called in Rome. The Romans were supposed to stick by their leaders, right? Evidantly not so! On a brief return to Rome its self, his dirrect underling chose to defy orders and attack, thus be covered in glory. He ended up being almost killed, along with half the Roman army. Fabius saved the day and didn't even say "I told you so." I couldn't do the same. I'm a poor winner and I can admit that! The sad part about Fabius is that he got so used to being the darling of his people that when Scipio devised the plan that finally won the war with Hannibal, Fabius refused to go along with it because that would mean going to the role of adviser, not the lauded general. That's a hard thing to transition to. Unfourtantly for him, he died soon after news of Scipio's success reached Rome.
Through out his life, he showed honor and his love of Rome and her people. If I were of his family, his would be the death mask I would want most often.