Tarquin the Proud
The story of the proud Roman king Tarquin serves as a warning of what dangers and vices are associated with royalty and pride. Even Tarquin's first act after Servius' death is despicable and dishonorable. Tarquin's pride has no bounds and so he is known forever in history as Tarquin the Proud. Livy's stories shape a Roman society that would prefer a republic instead of a regency or dictatorship.
After Tarquin is instated as king he immediately gets a bodyguard and is justified in doing this. Tarquin is neither supported by the people or the Senate. His lack of support among the Romans forces him to make the people fear him and his power. He killed and exiled many of his opponents and took property. He failed to consult the Senate on many different matters and made himself the supreme ruler in Rome.
Tarquin would also marry his daughter into the Latin nobility. This gave him more power and allowed him more room to extend his power influence. After Tarquin failed to show up at a meeting he called among the Latin nobility he was insulted by Turnus. This prompted Tarquin to extend his sphere of fear over the Latins and so he sets up Turnus and accuses him of planning on overthrowing Tarquin. Tarnus is found with weaponry and is executed. Tarquin uses this to bind the Latins tighter to Rome.
Tarquin does also contribute to the Roman identity by being one of the first tyrant war generals who are incredibly cruel in domestic polices yet incredibly excellent at warfare. Tarquin lead the Romans in battle and expands the Roman empire. Tarquin also broke tradition and used treachery and deceit to capture and conquer Gabii. Tarquin's actions revile the Romans and will hardly be used in Roman strategy in the future.
Tarquin's actions and extravagant demeanor are characteristics of insane leaders, many of which would be Roman kings or emperors. The Roman people feared rulers like Tarquin and would later overthrow the kings and never allow a king to exist.
Julius Caesar was very heroic to the Roman people. He did a wonderful job in conquering
He strived to create a military image for himself and this was achieved through his conquest of Britain. He personally led his Roman armies to land in Britain, despite his physical disabilities. This act gained him popularity and support from the military. He reorganised the names of the auxiliary troops, and he also changed their terms of service, and made it so that any auxiliary soldier was entitled to Roman citizenship. Claudius gained support from the military and strived to also gain the support of the Julian’s. He did this by publicly announcing Augustus as his role model and also by executing Caligula’s assassin. This did gain him the support of the Julian’s but it also made the Praetorian Guard angry. The Praetorian Guard were the Roman troops whose job it is to protect the Roman emperors. They were upset that Claudius executed Caligula’s assassin without consulting them first. However, Claudius was able to buy back their loyalty and support by providing the Guard with a generous bonus of 15 000 - 20 000 sesterces. By doing this he established a precedent. However, although Claudius had the support of many, but he struggled to gain the support of the Senate. The Senate were a danger to Claudius and he refused to enter the house of the Senate during the first thirty days of his reign. By removing and abolishing treason trials, and Caligula’s tax reforms, he sought to gain their support.
Julius Caesar was unquestionable a cunning Politian as portrayed within historical documents, even though the events were documented after the accounts of his rule materialized there are still numerous theories about his political ability’s and how he was viewed by the people he governed. This paper is intended to present the reader clear vision on how Julius Caesar was viewed during his dictatorship of Rome. Was Julius Caesar a selfish dictator or model politician? There will be five diverse source accounts of the events which will be examined for similarities and differences based on the historical evidences.
His first contribution to Rome’s downfall came in the form of the formation of the First Triumvirate, which enabled him to illegally take Gaul, and further undermine the senate. Caesar made his way to power by gaining important alliances. Unlike Marius, he was born into a fairly important high class family in Rome. The First Triumvirate, formed in 60BC was composed of himself, Crassus and Pompey. Crassus was the wealthiest man in Rome at the time, and Pompey had just been awarded his third Triumph. The mere existence of such a group undermined the ideals of the senate, as it worked on the basis that no one man could have enough power to do anything without the support of the senators. The Triumvirs worked to achieve their own individual goals, whilst simultaneously supporting one another. Caesar was consul in 59BC, with Marcus Bibulus, and made the sheer influence of the three men public with the introduction of his land redistribution law. Crassus and Pompey supported this proposal, and Pompey filled Rome with his soldiers. Bibulus tried to void the law but Caesar’s armed supporters drove him out of the senate and forced him into house arrest. This meant that Caesar essentially had a sole consulship and gained enough power and support to overturn his proposed governorship and allowed himself
He is shown as a dishonest, hubris, and ignorant leader denying Polynices’ burial and condemning Antigone to death. His tenets in the value of lawfulness and discipline created tragic flaw in his character, similar to Oedipus making them both ineffective leaders spiraling to their eventual downfall. People have to understand when the law isn’t absolute, human error does exist and situations can arise where the result can go against people’s rights and beliefs, but the leader should be able to decide to create the best result for the
...for success, he robs his audience of the right to make certain determinations about characters such as Tarquin Superbus and Romulus because of his bias toward the motivation behind their actions. Livy’s The Rise of Rome was a grand effort and an amazing undertaking. Cataloguing the years of Roman history consolidated rumor and legend into fact, creating a model for Rome to follow. Livy’s only error in this vast undertaking was in imprinting his own conception of morality and justice onto his work, an error that pulls the reader away from active thought and engaging debate. In doing so, Livy may have helped solidify a better Rome, but it would have been a Rome with less of a conception of why certain things are just, and more of a flat, basely concluded concept of justice.
To be noble is to be honorable, not only by birth, but as a person. Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare that summarizes the infamous death of Julius Caesar, a Roman dictator, and the whereabouts of the Romans who were involved with his death. William Shakespeare, in his play Julius Caesar, contrasts honor and tortility using the imperial Marcus Brutus and the barbaric dictator Julius Caesar to reveal the importance of internal values among the Roman people.
On that first fateful day, when Romulus struck down his own brother Remus, the cauldron of Rome was forged in blood and betrayal. The seeds on the Palatine hill cultured one of the most potent and stretching empires of human history. Though this civilization seemingly wielded the bolts of Zeus, they were infested with violence, vanity, and deception. Yet, one man—or seemingly “un”-man—outshone and out-graced his surroundings and everyone within it. He brought Rome several victories and rescued his beloved country from an early exodus, thus providing her a second beginning. This man was Marcus Furius Camillus, and against a logical and emotional mind, he was oft less than loved and celebrated. At times he was disregarded, insulted and even exiled—irrevocably an unwarranted method to reward Rome’s “Second Founder.” This contrast of character between hero and people was perhaps too drastic and too grand. The people were not yet ready to see Marcus Furius Camillus as a model of behavior to be emulated—to be reproduced. Hence, much of Livy’s Book 5 provides a foundation for the Roman people to imitate and assimilate a contrasting, honest, and strong behavior and temperament
It will be discussed whether Coriolanus’ difficult personality is due to his upbringing, and/or due to his own nature, men of his manner are not uncommon in the socio-political landscape, even in today’s day and age, and we may well be moved to wonder what formative childhood experiences shaped the personality of these difficult, although at times necessary leaders. Above all, Shakespeare's words seem to provide us with a simple, direct answer. But I intend to argue that the text also contains some signs that the history she provides is incomplete.
...ader. Putting his intelligence to use lead him to an extremely impressive record in battle where he was never defeated by an opponent until the weather was the only opponent that defeated him. The virtue of his reputation makes him either feared or respected by everyone around him. Deceiving people who he associated with lead him to conquer new lands and overthrow other leaders without them even realizing that they were at stake of a battle with Castracani. Had he not built these virtues he would not have had as much success in battle, not have been able to get people to listen to him and would have never become such an effective and intimidating leader.
Tarquin’s image as a man of dastardly action becomes part of both Shakespeare's Macbeth and Cymbeline. As Iachimo emerges from a box in Imogen's bedchamber he speaks, and his words reflect the feeling not only of himself but all trespassers in Shakespeare's plays. Iachimo likens his actions to that of Tarquin, a Roman Tyrant who rapes the matron Lucrece. His trespassing in Imogen's bed chamber while she is sleeping is to Iachimo like rape. He violates her space and privacy. Similarly in the play Macbeth, Macbeth before killing Duncan invokes the image of Tarquin, "With Tarquin's ravishing strides towards, his design Moves like a ghost. Thou sure and firm set earth hear not my steps" (2.1.55-58). Both plays use of the image of Tarquin reveals fascinating intricacies about the way in which Shakespeare takes traditional; images of rapists and murders and re-uses them to relate to the actions of the characters in the play.
Maximus was a great warrior in the Roman legion under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. His first courageous feat occurs when he defeats the last of the Barbarians of Germaina. Leading his army along a 12 year campaign he brought it to an end. Next he risks his life as he defies the new Emperor Commodus, knowing that this could mean death. Commodus was the only son of Marcus Aurelius. However Commodus killed his father and took the place of Caesar.
Rome has experienced both its good and bad leaders throughout its stint as a monarchy. Cincinnatus and Superbus both emerged as standout examples for both ends of the spectrum. Their actions and decisions exemplified what it takes to be either a good or bad ruler. Their legacies and remembrance have survived the ages for a reason. Both rulers committed acts that affected Rome greatly whether it was in a positive or negative way. Cincinnatus cared for Rome and his actions showed that through his valiance and loyalty. Superbus will forever be deemed as a bad leader because of his greed and disregard for the Roman law. Rome experimented with people and experienced the best and worst of times, icons emerged.
...s to make Rome a democracy and through it he faced his sorrows like a god and held a good reputation in society. He made his own enemies look up to him with respect and never gave up his great moral character. He turns nobler through every act and scene. A noble person is someone with moral character, courage, generosity, honor and bravery to do what is right. They are the people who show respect for what is right and face obstacles, challenges and risks and face the consequences and challenges to prove what is right. They are strong, honorable and face their sorrows in silence. They find the truth and reason in everything that happens. They are great people like Martin Luther King, Jr., honorable soldiers and senators like Brutus. Brutus was a man of courage, generosity, honor, bravery and honor. He was the noblest of them all.
	Shakespeare illustrated Caesar as a tragic hero by showing that he was a noble man of high rank. Every Roman followed his leadership and Caesar also defeated the great Pompey. First of all, At the Feast of Lupercal Caesar manipulated the commoners and made himself look noble to the commoners. Casca said, "Why there was a crown offered to him;...people fell a-shouting" (I,ii,221-223). Next, To show how noble and great Caesar was, the Romans would stand along the street sides to watch him pass by. "Madam not yet, I go to take my stand; /To see him pass on to the Capitol," said the soothsayer (II,iv,25-26). Finally, Caesar had the greatest rank possible as he would have been crowned king if it wasn’t for the conspiracy’s plot. As Casca said, "Indeed they say senators tomorrow; /Mean to establish Caesar as king..." (I,iii,87-88).