Arts and Culture - Ancient History: Rome

The Aeneid was written by the Roman poet, Virgil, in the first century BCE. It tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a refugee fleeing the conflict caused by the Trojan War. According to Virgil, Aeneas fled to Italy where he established the city of Rome. The Romans were great admirers of Greek literature and culture and The Aeneid represents how the foundational myths of Rome were associated with the continuation of Greek legacy.

Cicero was a politician, philosopher, political theorist, linguist, and orator who lived in Rome during the waning years of the Roman Republic. He is primarily remembered by contemporary history as a skilled orator. He notably opposed Julius Caesar when Caesar took control of the Roman Republic and he issued a series of diatribes against Mark Antony when the latter tried to take power for himself after Caesar’s death. Cicero was executed for his troubles, but history remembers him as a great public speaker, an important contributor to the development of European language, and a principled defender of republicanism.

Dido is the legendary founder of Carthage. The veracity of her existence is hard to prove, but the ancient Romans believed that Dido founded the city of Carthage during the tumultuous years after the end of the Trojan War. She appears as an important character in The Aeneid.

The Temple of Portunus was built in the late second century BCE in the city of Rome. It is one of the best-surviving temples left behind by the Roman Republic. The Temple of Portunus was constructed in the style of the Ionic order. The Ionic order is one of the three main architectural styles of the classical period of European history. It is characterized by the use of volutes (which are essentially ornamental bases for columns).

The latin phrase cursus honorum translates to “sequence of offices.” It was a term used during the history of the Roman Republic to describe the correct traditional order of political offices sought by aristocratic politicians (similar to the United States; if an inspiring president first serves as a representative, then a senator, then secretary of state). The highest position was that of the consul.

Much of the primary history of the Gallic Wars was written by Julius Caesar (the Roman general who led the Roman army during the Gallic Wars). For this reason, the history of the Gallic Wars cannot really be trusted — after all, how can one expect Julius Caesar to provide an unbiased account of his own actions?

In the latter years of the Roman Republic, the power of individual generals was growing due to a series of reforms and political changes. Originally, imperium_, or “the right to rule and command the army,_” was bestowed on an individual by the Roman Senate. Over time, however, as generals grew more and more powerful, they began to bestow imperium upon themselves and used their personal armies to reinforce their claim.

Praetors are one of the branches of magistrates in the government of the Roman Republic. At various times in the history of the Roman Republic, praetors had different responsibilities, but they were always primarily judges. For example, the praetor urbanus settled legal disputes between citizens in the city of Rome.

Social life in the Roman Republic was organized around tight-knit and extremely patriarchal families. The Romans placed great emphasis on family life and practiced ancestor veneration. Roman society was dominated by men and Roman families were no exception.

The Roman Forum was the social and ceremonial center of the city of Rome. The Roman Forum grew organically and gradually, throughout the history of settlement in Rome. Among many other functions, the Roman Forum served as the final stop on the procession of so-called triumphs, which were a sort of military parade to celebrate Roman conquest of a new territory.

The Latin word imperium most closely means “the right to rule and command the army.” It was a title that originally was bestowed on a would-be ruler by the Roman Senate effectively as a coronation. Once an individual was granted imperium, they had the ultimate political authority in the Republic.

The cursus honorum was the Roman term used to describe the correct sequence of political office sought by would-be politicians. It begins with the office of quaestor, followed by aedile, praetor, and finally, consul. So, an individual politician who wanted to one day be consul would first seek to serve as a quaestor, aedile, and praetor — effectively moving up the ladder of power with each title.

Roman Senators were generally appointed for life. Unlike other elected positions in the Roman Republic, Senators had relatively few checks on their power. Senators were drawn from the aristocratic patrician families of ancient Rome.

Kafka and Lord Byron were prominent authors, however they lived many centuries after the fall of Rome, so they would not be good choices. Homer was the Greek poet who composed The Odyssey and The Iliad, but he did not write the poem in question, so he would not be a good choice. Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor and wrote some of the most important works in Stoicism, however he did not write the Metamorphoses, so he would not be a good choice. Lastly, Ovid is most famous for the poem in question, so he would be the best choice.

Early Roman society was divided up into two major classes - plebeians and patricians.

Patricians were the 'noblemen' or aristocrats of Ancient Roman society. They held most of the positions in Roman assemblies, were the only group allowed to be part of the priesthood, and generally held far more power than most others. One could only become a patrician through birthright.

The plebeians included everyone else, excluding slaves. They comprised the lower and working class folk. Compared to the patricians, they held very little power in the early Roman empire, and had to work much harder to attain wealth and social status.

Livy, also known as Titus Livius, lived in Rome in the first century BCE. He is one of the most famous Roman historians and is most notable for comprehensive history he wrote on the development of the Roman Republic.

The Aeneid is an epic poem written by the Roman author, Virgil, around 20 BCE. In The Aeneid, Virgil tells the story of the foundation of Rome by refugees fleeing the Trojan War.

Claudius Ptolemy lived in Alexandria, in Roman Egypt, in the second century CE. The key to understanding this question is to know that the last name Ptolemy was a name associated with Hellenistic or Roman rule in Egypt.

The Latin phrase Mare Nostrum translates as “Our Sea.” It was the Roman name for the Mediterranean, and reflects their hegemonic desires. We might compare the Roman belief in their ownership of the Mediterranean with the American concept of Manifest Destiny.