This single verse provides evidence of how the country villa provides an essential space for the pursuit of his favourite leisure activity – his art. The therapeutic powers of being away from his hurly burly, patron/client lifestyle of the city is also clear. As a working farm the hierarchical structure of the Roman empire allowed Horace to engage staff. Thus, allowing time for writing, inspiration and relaxation. Horace’s joy at his move to his country villa also ties in with the opinion of Lafargue, Aristotle and Epicurus, as to the value of leisure,
‘It enables people to flourish as human beings’ (Pike et al., 2008, p.28).
For the symposium to work performers needed books and for poetry to be published the artist needed a patron. The need
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The half Greek, Neapolitan poet Statius (50–95 CE) was unlike Horace as he was a professional poet. Nevertheless patronage remained essential. A modest man Statius wrote ornate, flattering poetry celebrating the villas of his patrons. However, it was in a celebration of his own villa in Alba, Piedmont where we gather further evidence of Otium, in an extract from his lyric poem ‘Silvae’.
[Silvae, Book 4, poem 5, ‘Ode to Septimius Severus’, lines 1–7]
‘Richly blessed with my little farms rewards
Where Alba tends old Trojan paths
I greet forceful and fluent Serverus
Without my lyre’s usual song
Now savage winter has retreated
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A member of regional aristocracy from Como in Northern Italy, Pliny the Younger inherited property from his wealthy uncle, the author Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE). Pliny the Younger owned villa’s on Lake Como, Tuscany and at Laurentum near Ostia (James, 2008, p.72). Pliny the Younger illuminates the importance of the country retreat to the Roman elite under Domitian. In a reading from Pliny the Younger, Book 1, Letter 6 he delivers an amusing account of ‘taking his legal papers on a boar hunt’ (James, 2008,
Aeschylus. The Oresteia. Trans. Richmond Lattimore. Ed. David Grene and Richmond Lattimore. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1953.
Livy’s The Rise of Rome serves as the ultimate catalogue of Roman history, elaborating on the accomplishments of each king and set of consuls through the ages of its vast empire. In the first five books, Livy lays the groundwork for the history of Rome and sets forth a model for all of Rome to follow. For him, the “special and salutary benefit of the study of history is to behold evidence of every sort of behaviour set forth as on a splendid memorial; from it you may select for yourself and for your country what to emulate, from it what to avoid, whether basely begun or basely concluded.” (Livy 4). Livy, however, denies the general populace the right to make the same sort of conclusions that he made in constructing his histories. His biased representation of Romulus and Tarquin Superbus, two icons of Roman history, give the readers a definite model of what a Roman should be, instead of allowing them to come to their own conclusion.
Platner, Samuel Ball, and Thomas Ashby. A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome. London: Oxford University Press, 1929
The Letters of Pliny entail of letters written back and forth from the governor; Pliny and the Emperor Trajan. The letters portray the responsibilities of a Roman governor of a province in ancient times. Responsibilities of a governor included matters such as; public defense, construction, celebrations, citizenship, and basic law enforcement. Letters 30, 31, 42, and 43 all discuss public safety. Letters 30 and 31 describe how to deal with guarding the prisons of several cities, the question comes up as to whether Pliny should employ a party of soldiers or just to use public slave as sentries. However, Trajan cleared up the issue by stating that public slaves should be used, Trajan goes on further and states; "...And the fidelity with which they shall execute their duty will depend much upon your care and strict discipline" (31). Letters 42 and 43 discuss the matter of extinguishing fires and whether or not to have a brigade of people specifically for that purpose. Letters 34, 35, 46, 47, 75, and 76 all refer to construction, four of which refer solely to one building project. Letters 34, 35, 75, and 76 illustrate the procedures for building a public bath from gaining the emperor's approval to finding a proper building site; all is left up to the governor; "This new erection I purpose dedicating to you...I have sent you a copy of the will...I will, however, make the strictest enquiry after them that I am able" (75). Letters 46 and 47 discuss finishing an aqueduct that was left unfinished and allowed to fall into a state of ruin. The emperor ordered Pliny to discover why such funds had been thrown away and whether or not the money had been taken for private purposes. Letters 44 and 45 describe the citizens of Rome renewing annual vo...
to name a few. Through friendships, that were both personal and strategic, and even disdain, Cicero’s role and his position in Roman society were neither static nor steady. The correspondence Cicero shared with some of Rome’s more prominent figures between 68 and 43 B.C serve as evidence of Rome’s political climate and the key leaders involved. Cicero’s letters are more than simple social interactions among comrades. Rather there is a strategy in whom, how and why these letters are addressed and written the way they are.
Plate 108. N.d. A History Of Lindale. Rome: Art Department of Rome, 1997. XL. Print.
Walter Allen, Jr. Cicero's House and Libertas .Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association.Vol. 75, (1944), pp. 1-9.Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press .Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/283304.
1)De, Selincourt Aubrey. Livy, the Early History of Rome: Book I - V of the History of Rome from Its Foundation. London: Penguin, 1960. Print.
Aristoteles, Samuel Henry Butcher, and Francis Fergusson. Aristotle's Poetics. New York: Hill and Wang, 1994. Print.
During the late Republic the patrician aristocracy was fading as a result of war, civil strife, low procreation and loss of wealth resulting in the virtual disappearance of this old and established aristocracy by first century CE (Tacitus Annales, c. 100 AD). Under the new rule of the emperors it became much harder to become a great man and be seen as Roman aristocrat as the virtues and attainments which defined the aristocracy during the Republic were now altered to fit the new Imperialist setting of Rome. This can be seen throughout The Life of Gnaeus Julius Agricola written by Tacitus c. 98 AD which looks at the lengths that Gnaeus had to go through under Imperialist Rome to be seen as a great man and one who fit the ideal definition of what is meant to be a Roman aristocrat. The Agricola strongly highlights how the ways in which becoming an aristocrat had been altered to fit Imperial Rome of which can be seen changing through Suetonius’ biography on the Life of the Defied Julius Caesar. In the Agricola it shows how at its base the path to being a great man was unchanged through gaining prestige through military conquest, of which he achieved under the command of Suetonius Paullinus, while serving
Machiavelli, Nicolo (1532) The Prince. In Peter Bondanella’s and Mark Musa’s (eds) The Portable Machiavelli. (pp. 77-166) New York, New York: Penguin Books.
Spiegel, Frances. "Trier and the Porta Nigra: Roma Secunda – the Romans’ Second Home | Suite101.com." Frances Spiegel | Suite101.com. 11 May 2011. Web. 05 Feb. 2012.
Tracy, H. L. "'Fata Deum' and the Action of the 'Aeneid'" Greece & Rome 11.2 (1964): 188-95.
Melmoth, William ‘Letters of Pliny: By Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus’, Project Gutenberg [website], (2001) http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2811/2811-h/2811-h.htm, accessed 12 May. 2014
Marcus Aurelius was a famous philosopher in 121 through 180 C.E. He lived a hard life and even though he was surrounded by crowds he was considered a recluse. He was known for his kindness and mercy. The last years of his life were spent on a military campaign. It is said that these years were the hardest and loneliest. However, instead of becoming bitter and angry Aurelius wrote The Meditations. This was a diary or journal of his personal thoughts. He believed that by writing this it was his duty to his soul. The Meditations, is a popular piece of stoic literature. In this paper I will be describing how Aurelius used stoicism in book two of The Meditations and what I liked and did not like about what he said.