Pietas in Ancient Roman Society and Literature

637 Words2 Pages

Pietas was important in Roman society and most of the Romans lives revolved around it. Pietas means sense of duty, which includes, devotion to gods, ethics, morality, country and family. (Class Notes) Romans must show proper behavior towards gods, country and their families. Virgil shows pietas in the novel, The Aeneid. He expresses pietas through main character, Aeneas’, actions and behaviors. Through examples of pietas, a clear parallel can be drawn comparing the Romans, Augustus and Aeneas.

Pietas is clearly described in the novel, As The Romans Did, by Jo-Ann Shelton. Shelton emphasizes how important pietas was in the Roman society when she writes “It is impossible to understand Roman society without being acquainted with this concept of duty, which the Romans called pietas.” (Shelton 2) Shelton’s point is that pietas plays a significant role in the Romans lives and in order to know how their society works one must know how important duty is to them. “Pietas pervaded every sphere of life, for Romans were expected to be devoted and dutiful to their family, friends, fellow c...

Show More
Related

  • The Passion Of Perpetua And Felicitas Analysis

    1856 Words  | 4 Pages

    “The Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas” is a document written in ancient Roman times that exhibits the role religion plays in the forming of a culture and the lives of individuals in the ancient world. For her belief in Christianity, they throw Perpetua into jail. Her execution is fighting animals in an arena. She does not renounce her faith in the face of persecution and thus becomes a martyr. This text is a unique key into the past in many ways. Part of it is written by a woman, it gives a detailed account of her martyrdom and gives us some insight into the culture of ancient Rome. For these reasons, this document provides us with valuable knowledge, specifically concerning the purpose for the composing and preservation of this document.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Piety In The Aeneid

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    Aeneas’s piety is a common theme throughout the Aeneid. In fact, it is even mentioned among the first few lines of the prologue. In fact, Vergil describes him as “insignem pietate virum” or “a man known for piety” (1.10). This piety is later reinforced that he specifically takes the household gods with him as he

    Read More

  • Important Role of Women in Homer's Odyssey

    1720 Words  | 4 Pages

    For the Greeks, Homer's Odyssey was much more than just an entertaining tale of gods, monsters, and men, it served as cultural paradigm from which every important role and relationship could be defined.  This book, much more so than its counter part The Iliad, gives an eclectic view of the Achean's peacetime civilization.  Through Odyssey, we gain an understanding of what is proper or improper in relationships between father and son, god and mortal, servant and master, guest and host, and--importantly--man and woman.  Women play a vital role in the movement of this narrative.  Unlike in The Iliad, where they are chiefly prizes to be won, bereft of identity, the women of Odyssey are unique in their personality, intentions, and relationship towards men.  Yet, despite the fact that no two women in this epic are alike, each--through her vices or virtues-- helps to delineate the role of the ideal woman.  Below, we will show the importance of Circe, Calypso, Nausicaa, Clytaemestra, and Penelope in terms of the movement of the narrative and in defining social roles for the Ancient Greeks.

    Read More

  • Loyalty as Defined in the Odyssey

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    Of all the heroic traits such as honor and glory, given to the reader through Homer’s epic poems loyalty seems to be the strongest, as with Patroclus in the Iliad, so it is with Penelope, Telemachus, and Eumaeus in the Odyssey. Through the use of these characters loyalty is demonstrated to Odysseus, the hero if the poem. Their undying loyalty and devotion to the warring hero gives perfect examples of how humans should act to those they claim to be faithful too.

    Read More

  • A Women Of Castigliones The Courtier And Machiavellis The Prince

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    Essay on Woman Leader Machiavelli and Castiglione both present the epitome of perfection in their topics of leadership and the way women should be, respectively. In the case of Castiglione's work, it is stated by signor Gaspare that ".in the way people sometimes hanker after things that are impossible and miraculous, rather than explain them you (Magnifico) have wished them into existence." This quote is true of both excerpts. Both have created idealisms that are of perfection; however, both do also allow for imperfection. Again in the excerpt from Castiglione's work where Magnifico states ".because man is more robust, more quickly agile and more able to endure toil." shows the obvious imperfections of the female gender. Machiavelli, on the topic of leadership, also talks of imperfections: "The new prince - above all other princes - cannot escape being called cruel, since new governments are in danger." Leaders therefore are left to the mercy of their own imperfections and the imperfections of the human spirit.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Han Dynasty And The Roman Empire

    1168 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Roman Empire had a social system that was based on autonomy, heredity, citizenship and property as well as distinguishing men and women by their social status. The women had the lowest position in society which were depended on the status of their husbands and fathers. They lacked independence and ...

    Read More

  • The Aeneid: Virgil's Heroic Underworld

    3216 Words  | 7 Pages

    It is clear when reading the Aeneid that Virgil was familiar with the earlier works of Homer, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Virgil, more than just being aware of these earlier works, uses themes and ideas from these poems in his own. Far more than just copying scenes and ideas, Virgil expands and alters these themes to better tell his story, unique from the Greek originals he is drawing from. Virgil reveals what qualities he regards as heroic through the juxtaposition of Aeneas’ character and the negative aspects of the underworld. By looking at which qualities are esteemed and derided respectively, we can identify the qualities that Virgil would like to emphasize positively to his readers. Also, we can argue that Virgil is indeed trying to convey a particular set or morals to those readers. Beyond the underworld, it is possible to clearly identify these traits in the other sections of the poem where Virgil is borrowing and making his own alterations. Using these distinctions we can very clearly derive Virgil's morality from the poem, and see where Virgil's ideal characters veer away from the Greek ideal that came before.

    Read More

  • The Roman Way, by Edith Hamilton

    2468 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Roman Way is essentially a collection of letters, poems and essays from some of the most famous literary minds of the ancient Roman culture. Edith Hamilton is attempting to show us a side of Rome that was previously unseen. She uses these stories to try and explain what the ideas, attitudes and beliefs are that make up the “Roman Way.”

    Read More

  • Ideal Roman Women: Lucretia and Dido

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lucretia and Dido are both viewed as ideal Roman women. The story of Lucretia is found in Livy’s Early History of Rome, while Dido is written about in The Aeneid by Virgil. By looking at Roman values, the story of Lucretia, the story of Dido, their similarities and differences, the background of Livy and Virgil, as well as the similarities and differences of Virgil and Livy’s views toward them, Dido and Lucretia can be seen as exemplary Roman women. Roman society operated under the authority of paterfamilias. Paterfamilias is where the oldest living male of the family was considered to be the father of the household; he had “virtual life and death authority over the entire household” (MPN, 107).

    Read More

  • The Rome Republic: The Success Of The Roman Republic

    1230 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Roman Republic was based off the ideas of virtus; pietas, fides, gravitas, and constantia. Rome’s people based their livelihood around the ideas of its four great virtues. Pietas place an importance on the devotion and loyalty to both family and devotion to the gods and state. Furthermore, this governs those of the Roman Republic to stay

    Read More

  • Greco-Roman Culture Essay

    1736 Words  | 4 Pages

    Judaism and the Greco-Roman world had significant influences in early Christian communities. Each notably impacted the ways these communities defined themselves and related to the greater Greco-Roman culture in the earliest era of Christianity. As many authors and audiences in the New Testament were Jewish and lived in the Greco-Roman world, the connections between these communities and the earliest stages of Christianity are diverse and sometimes conflicting. The earliest Christian communities defined their identities in relation to Judaism and the larger Greco-Roman context in many and conflicting models, some of which include the relationship between Hebrew scriptures and the community, the inclusion of Gentiles based on faith, and accommodation

    Read More

  • Does Aristotle’s Function Argument Offer a Convincing Account of the Human Good?

    1843 Words  | 4 Pages

    The meaning of eudaimonia, etymologically, is ‘good spirit’ and it is generally translated as ‘happiness’; in Aristotelian terms, ‘happiness’ represents the highest human good and it is also the representation of the soul’s virtues. The identification of the soul parts as the contributors and main elements for the function of the most important human activity (reasoning), marks the inevitable psychological asset of Aristotle’s thinking; specifically, the classification of human virtues derives from the analysis of the soul’s types, attributing to human beings the ability of reasoning which distinguishes human beings from the rest of ‘natural bodies.’ Indeed, reason exists in two parts of the soul, namely the rational and the appetitive (desires or passions), and so it expresses within two different virtues, the moral and intellectual ones.

    Read More

  • Julius Caesar Themed Creative Writing

    1996 Words  | 4 Pages

    The river tore through the earth like a hungry worm, ripping its way to the ocean. Along the shore of the river stood an army’s camp, the war tents and gathering tents stood well-kept, but empty. Not a soul could be found in the camp, even the lowly camp followers had left. The men who inhabited the camp stood on a small hill nearby, they encircled the base of the hill as a man on top read a letter. “The Senate and People of Rome address you, Gaius Julius, and the men under your service.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of The Aeneid Vs. The Metamorphoses

    1573 Words  | 4 Pages

    In addition, the overall theme of the poem highlighted morality, which was a definitive tenet of Greco Roman civilization. In many ways, Virgil wrote the poem as a means of lauding the moral virtues of Roman society and as a personal challenge to outdo Homer’s epic compositions, The Illiad and The Odyssey. Virgil was successful because he had incorporated many of the same tales shared in the works of Homer into one epic poem which presented a linear storyline in the books that detailed the life and times of Aeneas and the Trojans. That being said, Virgil did not stray far from the approach that many writers had used before him; his primary focus throughout the Aeneid was placed squarely upon the back of idealized Greek and Roman moral principles, which were the dedication to ones’ honor, family, and country. By no means is there anything wrong with this approach, but in many ways, the entire poem could be viewed as a “propaganda” piece; while it might have served to enlighten, educate, and create a cohesive and uplifting story for the Roman populace, the poem lacked depth and a more profound exploration of human intricacies. While Virgil’s epic poem has stood the test of time and remains one of the greatest pieces

    Read More

  • Roman Culture: The Culture Of Roman And Greek Culture

    1872 Words  | 4 Pages

    The purpose of this essay is to intricately elaborate on the culture of the Romans, along with its similarities and discrepancies, or uniqueness, in relation to Ancient Greek culture. This is achieved by providing background to both Roman and Greek culture, analyzing how Rome technically purloined Greek culture, describing how unique Roman culture is, and explaining its long lasting impact on today's society.

    Read More

More about Pietas in Ancient Roman Society and Literature

Open Document