Introduction to Greek and Roman Literature Dates and Terms Flashcards

Before Christ/Anno Domini (in the year of the lord)

Before Common Era/ Common Era

Rome's Monarchy Period

753 BC : founding of Rome according to Romans, with Romulus as the founder/firstmonarch

Aeneas: Rome founded by refugees from the Ancient World (Greeks) lead by Aeneas
⁃ Aeneas didn't found Rome, but the spiritual ancestor
⁃ Aeneas was a survivor of the Trojan war -- escaped west past the Greek lands and eventually came to Italy
⁃ Greeks and these the survivors were obviously hostile to each other
⁃ Aeneas lived about 400 years before Rome was founded

Roman Republic Period
709 -- drove out the last cruel king Tarquin (King = bad word in Rome)
peacefully formed Republic
theoretically, every male adult could vote, but cleverly found ways to diminish voting power of the poor
During Republic phase, Romans slowly conquered Italy
made series of alliances with weaker tribes of Italy; assigned concept of Grades of Citizenship
slowly conquered the "entire world" - all the countries around the Mediterranean

Roman Empire Period
reversion to Monarchy -- but leader of army (most troops) now made Emperor

The days of Livy:
beginning of Roman Republic's unraveling, beginning of Roman Empire
5 books convey what Livy views as good old days of Rome
⁃ sadness about the new, coming days
⁃ Livy aware that he is living in period when civil wars are coming to an end

⁃ Livy starts writing about 5 years after AUGUSTUS Caesar becomes first emperor of Rome (31 BC)

Roman invention that (allows you to bring water to your town from up to 20 miles away using gravity and without a pump)

A Roman invention:
amphitheaters [theater on both sides; an oval arena] - (place of entertainment) for different kinds of shows (beasts, gladiatorial, plays)

Long chariot-racing arena (not like the ones today) - drivers were "rockstars" of Rome

▪ Greeks and Romans had a love-HATE relationship
⁃ obviously Greeks were culturally superior (art, architecture, literature)
and Greeks obviously came before Romans
⁃ but as of 146 BC Greeks became a part of Rome -- politically and militarily, inferior to Rome

NOT LIVY!!
author of the first reliable evidence of Roman literature
was a freed Greek slave
indication that Romans were not interested in literature till much later in their development
⁃ even then, started by a Greek
⁃ Literature considered not really "roman" -- unimportant, Greek thing

first emperor of Rome (starting 30 BC)
basically, the Roman Republic was unraveling and the Roman Empire was imminent
there were civil wars being fought constantly and a big victor of the civil wars was Augustus Caesar

Where do we begin...

Actium is the Grecian Bay chiefly famous as the site of Octavian's decisive victory over Mark Antony The final conflict was provoked by Antony, who is said to have been persuaded by his lover, the queen Cleopatra of Egypt, to retire to her land and give battle to mask his retreat

final battle of the Roman Republic

Something that Livy does in his writing. Tends to first give an account (often mythological) of things that are popularly said/known -- then tries to explain it in a more realistic, probably way. e.g. Remus and Romulus raised by a wolf -- wife of shepherd had a nickname which was Lupa (wolf)