The Roman World Sources and Interpretation

by Nagle, D. Brendan

• ISBN13: 9780131100831
• ISBN10: 0131100831
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-09-16
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

As the only single volume, comprehensive, thematic-chronological Roman reader available, this volume presents a selection of historical documents from the founding of Rome to its fall. It is designed to provide enthusiasts of history and civilization with a balanced selection of readings illustrating the social, cultural, political and military history of Rome. Visual Documents provide a unique view of explanatory essays. The volume examines Rome of the kings, culture of the Roman Republic, war and warfare in the Republic, society and culture in the Republic, The Roman Revolution, Augustus and the Principate, Roman peace, religion and culture in the Roman Empire, daily life in the Roman Empire and the transformed empire. For those interested in a thorough, readable look at the social and cultural history of Rome.

Table of Contents

Preface	x
Rome of the Kings	1	(18)
The Founding of Rome	6	(2)
The Superiority of the Roman Constitution	8	(1)
Romulus	8	(1)
The Importance of Rome's Geographic Site	9	(1)
The Sabine Women	10	(1)
Romulus' Governing Strategy: The Patres and the Auspices	10	(1)
Numa Pompilius, Second King of Rome	11	(1)
Numa's Religious Reforms	12	(1)
Tullus Hostilius and Ancus Marcius	12	(1)
Tarquin the Elder	13	(1)
Servius Tullius	14	(1)
The Centuriate Assembly	14	(1)
The Balanced Constitution	15	(1)
Tarquin the Proud: The Monarchy Ends in Tyranny	16	(1)
Lucius Brutus the ``Liberator'': ``No One is a Mere Private Citizen when the Liberty of his Fellow Citizens is at Stake''	16	(3)
Political Culture of the Roman Republic	19	(30)
Order and Liberty: The Monarchy and the Republic	24	(3)
The Importance of Concord: Secession and Concession	27	(3)
Values that Made Rome Great	30	(7)
The Roman Constitution According to Polybius	37	(5)
Getting Elected	42	(4)
Techniques for Absorbing Non-Romans into the State	46	(3)
War and Warfare in the Republic	49	(27)
Roman Views of their Enemies: Celts and Samnites	54	(3)
Annoying Greeks: ``Incompetent to manage their own affairs but thinking themselves competent to dictate war and peace to others.''	57	(1)
Roman Dedication: Decius Mus at the Battle of Sentinum (295 B.C.)	58	(1)
The Roman Army in the Second Century B.C.	59	(6)
Quarreling Consuls: The Dangers of Divided Command	65	(1)
A Draftee's Viewpoint: The Speech of Spurius Ligustinus	66	(3)
Roman Militarism: The Sack of Carthage	69	(3)
The Triumphal Parade of Aemilius Paullus	72	(4)
Roman Society and Culture in the Republic	76	(26)
The Twelve Tables: Rome's First Law Code	84	(4)
Roman Religion	88	(2)
Augury in Action: The Choice of Numa	90	(1)
``Secret Rites Performed at Night'': The Bacchanalian Conspiracy	91	(3)
Patricians and Plebeians, Patrons, and Clients	94	(1)
Patria Potestas and Materna Auctoritas: The Power of Fathers and Mothers over their Children	95	(2)
Marriage: Legalities and Realities	97	(1)
``A Wife without a Dowry is Under her Husband's Thumb''	98	(1)
``Sell Worn-Out Oxen . . . Old and Sick Slaves''	99	(1)
The Economics of Farming	100	(2)
The Roman Revolution	102	(31)
A Survey of the Revolution	112	(3)
Greed Unlimited and Unrestrained Corrupted and Destroyed Everything	115	(1)
Social and Economic Conditions: The Gracchi	116	(3)
Politicians and Generals Out of Control	119	(2)
Soldiers Out of Control	121	(4)
Social and Cultural Changes: ``The Beginnings of Foreign Luxury''	125	(1)
``He Mocked All Greek Culture and Learning''	126	(1)
In Defense of Public Service	127	(1)
Cicero on the Decadence of the Roman Elite	128	(1)
Women of the Late Republic: Standing Up to the Triumvirs	129	(1)
Sempronia: A Woman of the Late Republic	130	(3)
Augustus and the Principate	133	(23)
A Contemporary's Estimate of the Young Octavius	141	(1)
The Res Gestae: What Augustus Wanted Posterity to Think of Him	141	(5)
A Senator's Estimate of Augustus	146	(2)
Reaction to Augustus' Moral Reforms	148	(1)
The Succession	149	(1)
Imperial Women	150	(3)
Augustan Literature	153	(3)
The Roman Peace	156	(31)
``Nations by the Thousands . . . Serve the Masters of the Entire World'': What Held the Roman Empire Together	166	(3)
``They Make a Desert and Call It Peace'': A View of Rome from the Provinces	169	(2)
The Alternative: ``If the Romans Are Driven out What Else Can There Be Except Wars Among All These Nations?''	171	(1)
Training Soldiers	172	(1)
Foreigners in the Roman Army	173	(1)
Making It in the Ranks	173	(1)
Making It at Rome The Career of an Emperor: Septimius Severus	174	(2)
A Celt Makes Good	176	(1)
A Roman View of Foreign Competition	176	(1)
Provincial Administration: Hands-On Style	177	(2)
How Patronage Worked	179	(1)
Slaves Running the Empire	180	(1)
Obligations of the Rich: The Philanthropy of Pliny	181	(1)
The Contributions of Freed Slaves	181	(1)
Getting Along Together: The Role of Citizenship	182	(1)
The Role of Law	183	(1)
The Law in Action	184	(3)
Religion and Culture in the Roman Empire	187	(30)
Civic Religion	193	(1)
The Ideology of Paganism	194	(1)
The Divine Emperor	195	(2)
Rural Religions and Superstitions	197	(1)
A Holy Man Stops a Plague at Ephesus	198	(1)
Jesus of Nazareth	199	(4)
Paul of Tarsus	203	(1)
Paul's View of Christian Marriage	204	(1)
Christian Practice	205	(1)
Pliny's Encounter with Christianity	206	(2)
Rabbinic Judaism	208	(2)
Judaism of the Diaspora	210	(2)
Divination, Astrology, Magic	212	(1)
Moral Behavior for the Philosophical Pagan	213	(4)
Daily Life in the Roman Empire	217	(28)
Peasant Life	224	(1)
City Life: How the Urban Lower Classes Coped	225	(3)
The Upper Classes: Technology and the Good Life	228	(2)
Leisure: Gymnasia, the Baths, the Circus, the Arena	230	(5)
Daily Life as Seen Through the Law Codes	235	(3)
Family Life	238	(7)
The Transformed Empire	245	(19)
``Now Declining into Old Age'': A Review of Roman History from a Late Empire Viewpoint	253	(1)
New Founders of Rome: Diocletian and Constantine	254	(1)
Constantine and Christianity	255	(1)
The Majesty of Emperors: Desires and Realities	256	(4)
The Emperor and the Barbarians	260	(1)
Christianity Rome and Classical Culture: A Different Vision	261	(2)
Organization and Ideology	263	(3)
Determining Church Doctrine	266	(1)
The Pagan Response	267	(5)
The Hellenization and Romanization of Christianity	272	(2)
Monasticism	274	(1)
The Fall of Rome	275
Maps and Visual Sources
The Geography of Italy	2	(23)
The Forum	25	(37)
The Roman Marching Camp	62	(8)
The Mediterranean CA. 200 B.C.	70	(33)
Roman Holdings in Italy CA. 200 B.C.	103	(19)
The Secret Ballot at Rome	122	(17)
The Augustan Peace	139	(18)
The Roman Empire	157	(39)
The Roman Temple	196	(36)
Baths	232	(32)
The Basilica	264

Excerpts

The aim of this reader is to provide students of history and civilization with a balanced selection of texts illustrating the social, cultural, political, and military history of Rome from the time of the kings to late antiquity. At times the richness of the material was overwhelming, but more often than not, the accidental survival of individual sources limited choice to a handful of texts. In selecting the documents I had the help of a large number of colleagues and friends who assisted at various stages in the preparation of the book. My thanks goes in particular to Steve Chrissanthos, Kate Porteus, Lee Reams, Chris Rasmussen, Brigette Russell, and Mehmet Yavuz, all of whom either read portions of the book, contributed suggestions or both. I am especially grateful to my son Garrett who read the entire manuscript with great care and offered many keen and helpful insights. Prentice Hall reviewers contributed numerous useful suggestions: John K. Evans, University of Minnesota; Valerie French, American University; Dave Hood, California State University, Long Beach; Fred Lauritsen, Eastern Washington University and Cheryl Riggs, California State University, San Bernadino. Finally, I would like to thank Charles Cavaliere, Executive Editor at Prentice Hall, who recommended the format for this book and helped it forward at every stage. Unless otherwise noted the translations are my own. D. Brendan Nagle