CC 302 
Lecture 19 Images
Updated 11/12/2008


Office hr. today 2-2:45 P.M.

Lecture 19: Rome as a multi-cultural world

First: Finish up Lect. 18, plus one more item:

The problem of historical relativism: the Christian ethics of submissiveness

I. Some general considerations on race and culture in Rome

  1. a. Romans always a mixed people

    b. slavery and intermarriage

    c. social vs. cultural prejudice

    d. political vs. cultural imperialism

    e. the initiative for acculturation; municipia

    f. laissez-faire vs. indifference

    g. blacks and others seen as strangers (externi) rather than inferiors

II. The voice of the Roman Bubba: Juvenal, Satire 3 (Course Packet, pp. 179-187)

Intermission: Ancient Rome 3D has landed on Google Earth -
http://www.pcworld.com/article/153730/explore_ancient_rome_with_google_earth.html

III. Mithraism

A. historical development; Zarathustra, Ahura Mazda and Ahriman; dualism

B. the myth of Mithras; December 25; Sol

C. Rome and the soldiers; 7 grades of initiation

D. cult; sacramentum, taurobolium ;"baptism"

E. shrines; symbolism: Cautes, Cautopates

F. the revisionist view; VFW rather than religion

G. strengths and weaknesses

Please bring Course Packet today (we'll go over pp. 179-187) and pick up Test #2.