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Updated 9/3/08

Lecture 3: Early Rome: myth, history and archaeology; the nature of myths

I. Romulus, Remus, and Rome

A. the Romulus story; Amulius, Numitor, Rhea Silvia; Remus; lupa
B. Rome before Romulus: Via Salaria, Tiber Island
C. archetypes and the heroic pattern; Oedipus, Moses, Cain and Abel
D. the "founding" of the "city" of Rome in 753 B.C.; Latins, pomerium, s[a]eptimontium = "seven hills"
E. Romulus as the first stage: Sabines, Vestals, the Senate
F. the second king: Numa

A. personalizing and moralizing (e.g. Tarpeia, p. 25)
B. aetiological (pp. 11, 13, 19, 20 [patron/client], 23 [Talasio], 24 [trophy], 28 [tribes])
C. aggrandizing (comments on pp. 17, 24)

Note: page numbers refer to original text pages, not Course Packet pages

III. The Etruscan kings

c. 575 B.C.; Servius Tullius, Tarquin the Proud and his son Sextus (see Livy in Course Packet, pp. 19-23); Greek presence; Jupiter Temple on Capitoline; various fora; Brutus, Lucretia, and the libera res publica (=republic) in 509 B.C.

IV. Greco-Roman Myths: main characteristics

A. mythos - logos
B. non-canonical; mutable; e.g., two versions of Romulus' death (pp. 32-34)
C. "real"; shared values

7th inning stretch: The Trojan Horse in Australia ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs3SfNANtig)

V. The functions of myth

A. myth as history: Aeneas; Troy; Judgment of Paris (Juno/Hera, Minerva/Athena, Venus/Aphrodite); Hellenocentrism; Theseus and the Minotaur (Pasiphae, Minos, Daedalus and Icarus)

B. 3 main types of myths

1. narrative and entertaining
2. validating; aetiological
3. speculative, explanatory

Application to Romulus

VI. Myths, legends, folktales: any difference?

Example of mobility: Alcestis, Admetus, and Herakles - Heaven can wait

For Tuesday, please read the Selections from Livy and Plutarch's Cato in the Course Packet (pp. 19-29, and 71-87), and BRING THE COURSE PACKETS TO CLASS.

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9/3/MMVIII