Download Group Readings: Vergil, Hadrumentum, the Muses

Chapter 1 Culture Readings
Since Chapter 1 of Ecce Romani does not contain a clear Culture unit, I put together a reading packet based
on the famous mosaic of Vergil and the Muses from Hadrumentum, as well as the Encaustic painting found
in the chapter. This packet expands on each topic and allows students to explore them in more depth.
This is designed to be a group jigsaw reading and the ideal method would be to have each group read one
section and answer the questions associated with it. Then, reorganize the groups into “teaching” groups in
which each student comes with information about a different section and explains it to his/her peers.
I would recommend coming back into a whole-class discussion after this is accomplished and provide
various images on a Powerpoint/SmartBoard to bring these concepts to life. – Mr. C
Hadrumentum
Hadrumentum was a Phoenician colony near Carthage (modern-day Tunis). In fact, Hadrumentum predated Carthage, as it was founded in the 9th century B.C.E., making it one of the oldest Phoenician colonies
in North Africa. It is located southeast of Carthage on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
Hadrumentum grew to be one of the most important Roman cities in North Africa, due to its major port
on the Mediterranean and its access into the fertile inland regions of North Africa. During the Punic Wars,
the city of Hadrumentum allied itself with the Romans (instead of the Carthaginians) in an effort to
preserve itself. This decision saved the city from destruction by the Romans. At the end of the 2nd Punic
War, the famous Carthaginian general Hannibal overtook the city and used it as a base against the
Romans, led by the famous general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus. Scipio would eventually lead
Rome’s army in the destruction of Carthage. Following the Punic Wars, Hadrumentum engaged in a
period of peace and prosperity during the Pax Romana.
Under the Roman Empire, the city became extremely wealthy, eventually being given the title “colonia”
(the highest honor for a Roman city) by the Emperor Trajan. During this time, the city became famous for
its mosaics (pictures made out of tiny pieces of colored stone or glass fitted together) and artwork. At the
end of the 3rd century A.D., the Roman Emperor Diocletian split North Africa into 3 separate provinces,
with Hadrumentum as the capital of the newly created province of “Byzacena.” This made the city the 2nd
most important in all of North Africa, behind Carthage.
Later on, during the Middle Ages, Hadrumentum would be taken by the Muslims of North Africa. In fact,
the city still contains the oldest Mosque in North Africa.
1. Why do you think Hadrumentum was such an important Roman city? (Think of it’s location)
2. How does the history of Hadrumentum relate to the material we learned for the 1st quiz? Do any
terms look familiar here?
3. What do you think the culture of Hadrumentum was like, given that it was a Roman city in North
Africa?
4. Who is Scipio and what do you think he has to do with our textbook?
Vergil
Publius Vergilius Maro was born in 70 BCE near the town of Mantua (near the northern Italian border of
the Alps). Some linguists have argued that, judging by his last name, Vergil was descended from Etruscan
ancestry. While tradition holds that Vergil came from a modest family background, we know that he was
sent to Milan and then Rome for his education (which must have been expensive!). So, most modern
scholars now believe that he came from a well-to-do family. He suffered from poor health, spoke with a
rustic accent, and was very shy. After considering a career in rhetoric (the art of public speaking), he
eventually turned to poetry.
His first major work was a collection of ten poems that tell the story of shepherds, known as the
“Eclogues.” Through this topic, Vergil comments on many of the social events and problems of his time. In
particular, he was focused on Octavian’s treatment of Roman farmers after the Battle of Philippi. In this
battle, Octavian’s forces destroyed the army led by the assassins of Julius Caesar. Through his victory,
Octavian avenged his uncle’s murder. In payment to his veterans, Octavian promised them land
throughout Italy. Unfortunately, any farmers who happened to be living on that land were kicked out and
their land was given to the soldiers. Tradition states that Vergil’s family farm was lost in this manner.
Vergil’s 2nd major work, the “Georgics,” uses the theme of farming and working a farm to provide more
social commentary on Roman culture and the place of human beings in the universe. Tradition tells us
that Vergil would read the Georgics to Octavian (soon given the title “Augustus”), after his victory over
Antony and Cleopatra in the Battle of Actium. Augustus enjoyed Vergil’s poems so much that he ordered
him to create an epic poem of the founding of the Roman people, known as the “Aeneid.”
After traveling to Greece in 19 BCE to revise the Aeneid, Vergil met Augustus in Athens who asked him to
return to Rome. At this point very sick, Vergil caught a deadly disease and died upon landing back in Italy
in September of 19 BCE. In his will, Vergil ordered all of his poetry to be burned (including his unfinished
copy of the Aeneid). This was overruled by Augustus, who ordered the works to be preserved and the
Aeneid to be published in its unfinished form. This has led to a scholarly debate as to whether the poem is
actually finished, or if Vergil would have revised and edited it. Vergil is regarded as one of the most
influential poets of all time, influencing many major western works of literature. One of the more famous
is Dante’s Inferno, in which Vergil serves as Dante’s guide through hell and purgatory.
1. What connection is there between Vergil and a famous Italian culture we learned about in our
introduction classes?
2. What connection is there between Vergil’s upbringing and our discussion on how language
spreads?
3. What major (and controversial) event serves as one of the main topics of the Eclogues?
4. During what major period of Roman history that we’ve studied previously do you think Vergil
wrote? (Think of culture…)
The Muses:
From the Ancient Greek word “moūsai,” the Muses were the Greek (and Roman) goddesses of the arts,
literature, knowledge, dance and music. According to Greek tradition, they are the 9 daughters of Zeus
and Mnemosyne (the personification of “memory”): Clio (the Muse of epic poetry), Thalia (the Muse of
comedy and pastoral poetry), Erato (the Muse of love poetry), Euterpe (the Muse of flutes and lyric
poetry), Polyhymnia (the Muse of sacred poetry), Calliope (the Muse of epic poetry), Terpsichore (the
Muse of dance), Urania (the Muse of astronomy), and Melpomene (the Muse of tragedy).
In literature, the Muses are always invoked at the beginning of a work in order to insure that the work is
great. For instance, the first lines of the Odyssey are “Tell me, O Muse, of the man of many turns…” The
first lines of the Iliad are “Sing, Goddess, of the wrath of Peleus’ son, Achilles…” And finally, Vergil invokes
the Muses in his Aeneid with the lines: Musa mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso/ quidve… (“Muse,
recall for me the reasons, by what offense to her divinity, or why…”). Dante begins his Inferno with “O
Muses! O high genius, aid me now!” Shakespeare, in Henry V, “O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend/ The
brightest heaven of invention/ A kingdom for a stage, princes to act/ And monarchs to behold the
swelling scene!” According to tradition, the poet is not simply asking the Muses for guidance by doing
this, he is actually inviting the Muse to sing the song through his mouth/words.
The nine Muses are often identified by certain objects/emblems they carry. Clio is often depicted holding
scrolls; Calliope is often depicted with a writing tablet; Erato is often shown with a kithara (an Ancient
Greek musical instrument—similar to a lyre); Euterpe holds an aulos (an Ancient Greek musical
instrument—similar to a flute); Melpomene holds a tragic mask; Polyhymnia holds/wears a veil;
Terpsichore holds a lyre; Thalia holds/wears a comic mask; Urania holds a globe/compass.
1. What words can you think of in English that might possibly be derived from “muse?” (Think about
what a muse is)
2. From what culture do the muses come? What does this tell you about Roman culture/the spread of
culture in general?
3. Do we do anything similar to invoking the muses in our culture today?
4. Why do you think the Ancient Greeks and Romans created the idea of “muses?” Do we do anything
similar today?
The Encaustic Painting
Look at p. 5 of Ecce Romani. This image is known as an “encaustic painting.” This style of art was created
by the Romans by mixing paint with beeswax. Then, this new paint would be used to paint the desired
picture onto a piece of wood. Finally, the wood was heated over a fire, with the heat causing the paint to
permanently fix to the wood. For those of you who are scientifically inclined, this heating process
chemically binds the paint to the wood, making them one in the same. This is much more effective than
simply painting on top of wood. Indeed, the word “encaustic” comes from a Greek (and then Latin) word
for “fire” or “burning.” On a darker note, this is the origin of the term “holocaust.”
This encaustic style of painting was developed in Roman controlled Egypt, specifically in the area known
as “Faiyum,” between 100-300 AD. Because of the dry, desert-like conditions, these portraits are
remarkably preserved and we have hundreds of them. This gives us a good sense of Egypt’s multicultural
and multiethnic society. These portraits were often created to depict the dead, often called “mummy
portaits.” Often, they were placed on top of the mummy itself. They give us a rare glimpse into the
physical features, dress, and ornaments of men, women, and children of the Roman Empire. Interestingly
enough, CAT scans have been performed on the mummies these paintings depict and have shown a high
correlation between the age, sex, and physical features of the mummy and the painting. This suggest that
these encaustic paintings were created close to the time of death of the individual.
In Ancient Egpytian tradition, there is an emphasis on the importance of the deceased’s spirit having a
likeness in the tomb for the soul to recognize in the afterlife. In the portrait in our book, this young boy is
dressed as a Roman child in a tunic with two red stripes. He wears an Egyptian “youth lock” of hair
behind his right ear (again signifying the cultural fusion of Roman controlled Egypt).
1. Why does “encaustic” painting work better than normal painting?
2. What does this passage tell you about the culture of Ancient Egypt?
3. Do we do anything like encaustic paintings for our dead today?