* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Greek Myths arriving in Italy
Glossary of ancient Roman religion wikipedia , lookup
Factorum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX wikipedia , lookup
Military of ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Roman calendar wikipedia , lookup
Ancient Roman architecture wikipedia , lookup
Roman army of the late Republic wikipedia , lookup
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest wikipedia , lookup
Slovakia in the Roman era wikipedia , lookup
Roman Republican governors of Gaul wikipedia , lookup
Travel in Classical antiquity wikipedia , lookup
Switzerland in the Roman era wikipedia , lookup
Roman funerary practices wikipedia , lookup
Roman economy wikipedia , lookup
Romanization of Hispania wikipedia , lookup
Food and dining in the Roman Empire wikipedia , lookup
Roman agriculture wikipedia , lookup
Early Roman army wikipedia , lookup
Culture of ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Roman historiography wikipedia , lookup
Education in ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Greek Myths arriving in Italy Lecture Summary: 1. Discussion of Wiseman’s Chapter I Ovid’s Fasti Based on Ovid’s poem the Fasti, 1.391400, translated by William Massey 1757 Publius Ovidius Naso – “Ovid” (43 BCE – 17 CE) – wrote love and erotic poetry; is also our best source of Roman myth Metamorphoses and the Fasti fasti means Calendar, poem is collection of stories based on the Roman festival calendar Giambattista Tiepolo: The Empire [or Triumph] of Flora 1743 Flora Games of Flora April 28 – May 3 Ovid’s Fasti 4.945-6: The goddess Flora decked with flowers appears who a soft scene of jesting freedom bears (Massey translation in Wiseman) there comes a goddess decked with garlands of a thousand varied flowers, and the stage enjoys a customary license of mirth. The rites of Flora also extend into the Kalends of May. (Fraser translation 1931) Flora In Greek myth: Chloris (= pale), nymph of the Elysian Fields: raped and married by the West Wind (Zephyrus) who gave her a garden as a wedding gift; Zephyrus turned her into a goddess of flowering spring, protectress of fields and gardens; name Latinized as ‘Flora’. Origins of games of Flora: in context of a famine and crop failure, plebeian aediles fined wealthy land-owners for encroaching on the ager publicus (public land) 241 or 238 BC; some of fines paid for a new temple to Flora; senate did not recognize games; After another famine - games officially recognized by Roman senate (173 BC) Boticelli’s Primavera (1481) Titian, Tarquin and Lucretia (1571) Bellini, Feast of the Gods (1514) The Feast of the Gods by Bellini Based on Ovids’ Fasti 1. 391-438 January 9, the Agonalia Present: Priapus, Silenus, Bacchus, satyrs, Pan, nymphs, Mercurius with his caduceus , Jupiter with his eagle, Neptune with his trident, Ceres with her crown of corn-ears, Apollo with laurel wreath and lyre. Ovid, Fasti 1. 391A young ass, too, is slain in honour of the stiff guardian32 of the countryside: the cause is shameful, but beseems the god. [393] A feast of ivy-berried Bacchus, thou wast wont to hold, O Greece, a feast which the third winter brought about at the appointed time.31 Thither came, too, the gods who wait upon Lyaeus and all the jocund crew, Pans and young amorous Satyrs, and goddesses that haunt rivers and lonely wilds. Thither, too, came old Silenus on an ass with hollow back, and the Crimson One32 who by his lewd image scares the timid birds. They lit upon a dingle meet for joyous wassails, and there they laid them down on grassy beds. Liber bestowed the wine: each had brought his garland: a stream supplied water in plenty to dilute the wine. Naiads were there, some with flowing locks uncombed, others with tresses neatly bound. One waits upon the revellers with tunic tucked above her knee; another through her ripped robe reveals her breast; another bares her shoulder; one trails her skirt along the grass; no shoes cumber their dainty feet. So some in Satyrs kindle amorous fires, and some in thee, whose brows are wreathed with pine.33 Thou too, Silenus, burnest for the nymphs, insatiate lecher! ‘Tis wantonness alone forbids thee to grow old. [415] But crimson Priapus, glory and guard of gardens, lost his heart to Lotis, singled out of the whole bevy. For her he longs, for her he prays, for her alone he sighs; he gives her signs by nodding and woos by making marks. But the lovely are disdainful, and pride on beauty waits: she flouted him and cast at him a scornful look. ‘Twas night, and wine makes drowsy, so here and there they lay overcome with sleep. Weary with frolic, Lotis, the farthest of them all, sank to her rest on the grassy ground under the maple boughs. Up rose her lover, and holding his breath stole secretly and silently on tiptoe to the fair. When he reached the lonely pallet of the snowwhite nymph, he drew his breath so warily that no a sound escaped. And no upon the sward fast by he balanced on his toes, but still the nymph slept sound. He joyed, and drawing from off her feet the quilt, he set him, happy lover! to snatch the wished-for hour. But lo, Silenus saddle-ass, with raucous weasand braying, gave out an ill-timed roar! The nymph in terror started up, pushed off Priapus, and flying gave the alarm to the whole grove; but, ready to enter the lists of love, the god in the moonlight was laughed at by all. The author of the hubbub paid for it with his life, and he is now the victim dear to the Hellespontine god. The god Priapus, Guardian of gardens His ithyphallic statue used as scarecrow Also associated with fertility Statues of Priapus in Roman houses The Fasti Antiates maiores Roman Calendar dating back to the Roman Republic Originally created as a list of religious festivals Attributed to King Numa (but dated by scholars to 6th or 5th century BC or later) The fasti antiates maiores represent the only fragment left of the old Republican Calendar (dating to ca. 84-67 BC) Julius Caesar revised Calendar to the Julian year in 46 BCE Beginning of year changed in 1st century BC from March to January The fasti antiates maiores already reflect the new civic year (more details Wiseman CH. 4) What is the Purpose of Wiseman’s Chapter I ? Rome and Modern Preconceptions To remove 19th and 20th century preconceptions of Rome as an empire representing power Romantic image of ancient Greece – as polar opposite of militaristic and imperialistic Rome Greeks produced democracy, philosophy, tragedy, art etc., Romans built roads, bridges, aequaducts, law and order Was assumed Romans had no ‘real’ mythology of their own unlike the Greeks Perpetuated for long time by Classical Scholars Another assumption - Greek were ‘before’ the Romans Wiseman goal to dispel these preconceptions: City states of Athens and Rome formed about same time Athenians kicked out their last tyrant in 510 BC, Romans kicked out last king Tarquin the proud around 510 BC Romans too have long tradition of stories Latin speaker familiar with Greek language in early Iron Age Wiseman places his examination of Roman myths into this context in roughly chronological order Problems of Reconstructing the Religious Life of Early Italy and Rome: Sources: Romans did not produce literature of their own until 240 BCE (Livius Andronicus) Romans did not start writing history until ca. 200 BCE (Q. Fabius Pictor); 553 years between the traditional foundation date and the recording of history The Gallic Sack – 390 BCE - old records destroyed Hellenization of the Roman Past and Roman myth Most of our extant sources are late (i.e. 1st century BCE or later) Sources for Roman Myth and Religious Life Annalistic Historians Antiquarian Writers Roman Poets Religious Monographs Early Christian Writers Art and Archaeology Annalistic Historians: Their Sources and Methods Historians who wrote year by year accounts of Roman history (i.e. dated according to consulships ) Information derived from: 1. Pontifical Tables, 2. Family Histories, 3. Oral Traditions, 4. Roman Law Reliance on Pontifical Tables ensured recording of events of religious significance – floods, famines, omens (i.e. calf born with two heads, etc); Early annalistic historians not much older than 2nd century BCE – and survived only in fragments Annalistic historians Titus Livius – “Livy” (59 BCE – 17 CE): wrote a history of Rome Ab Urbe Condita in 142 books; Only 35 books survive; Books 1-5 on earliest history of Rome complete; heavily steeped in mythic tradition Note the date of his work! Others: Tacitus (ca. 56 CE – 117 CE); Dio Cassius (ca. 155-229 CE) Focus on political history and more concerned with using the past as a political tool for the present The Antiquarians: Sources and Methods More interested in a much broader range of subjects (i.e. Origins of peoples, customs, practices, beliefs etc.) Use a wider range of source material (i.e. other historians, oral traditions present in Rome and elsewhere, monuments, current religious traditions and practices; etymology) Reliability often questioned by scholars Antiquarians continued Dionysius of Halicarnassus (60 BCE – ca. 7 BCE): wrote Roman Antiquities in 20 books (written in Rome ca. 30 BCE); sources included Greek and Roman historians writing on Italian affairs, local mythic traditions and religious customs Others: M. Tullius Cicero (106-43 BCE), On the Nature of the Gods, On Divination; Aulus Gellius (ca. 125 – 180 CE) Attic Nights; Plutarch (ca. 46 – 120 CE) Moralia Roman Poets & Mythographers Romans developed their own literary traditions ca. 240 BCE Livius Andronicus (ca. 260-200 BCE) a Greek from southern Italy; was brought to Rome as a slave; Translated the Odyssey into Latin Quintus Ennius (239-169 BCE) - born in Oscan town of Rudiae; wrote several works of significance to Roman myth and religion: 1.The Epicharmus (On the gods and their role in the universe), 2. The Euhemerus (work on the origins of gods as famous men), 3. The Annals (Epic poem recounting Roman history from its mythical foundation of the Roman people by Aeneas down to 184 BCE) Poets and mythographers Publius Vergilius Maro – “Virgil” (17 BCE – 19 BCE) – Poet writing bucolic and epic poetry: 1. The Eclogues, 2. The Georgics, 3. The Aeneid (the story of Aeneas’ flight from Troy and arrival in Rome) Publius Ovidius Naso – “Ovid” (43 BCE – 17 CE) – Writer of love and erotic poetry; produced our best source of Roman myth Metamorphoses and the Fasti Early Christian Writers A number of Christian writers produced polemical tracts against pagan myth and religion Many of these men converted later in life to Christianity and were familiar with traditional Roman religion and myths. Tertullian (160-235 CE) – Christian apologist from N. Africa who wrote a number of works against Christian heresies and against pagan critiques of Christianity Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE) – Christian apologist; Confessions and City of God Summarizing the Problems With Sources on Roman Myths and Religion, Annalistic historians were primarily concerned with political history. They are not reliable sources for conditions existing prior to 390 BCE Antiquarians rely heavily on oral traditions and folktale. They are useful but difficult to date and identify origins. Poets record Roman mythic traditions, but the late start to Roman literature means that the tradition is heavily influenced by Greek myth and literary models. Sources and their Problems continued Christian Sources are universally hostile to traditional Roman myth and religion All of our sources are late Art and Archaeology (including epigraphy) is crucial for reconstructing early Roman myth and religious practice