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The Belief System Of Romanitas In Ancient Rome

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Within Roman society, the belief system of Romanitas was significant, as it was used to express the unwritten behavioural expectations. To understand Romanitas, however, it is important to understand specific aspects of the system, with some of the most important being the ideas of Pietas and Virtus. These beliefs placed a large importance upon showing manliness and virtue, as well as high levels of devotion to the Gods, the Roman Empire, and to your family.

Within ancient Rome, the ancient belief system of Romanitas strongly influenced the functions of their society, with one of the most significant examples of this being the concept of Pietas. To have Pietas in ancient Rome, it required a devotion to the gods, the state, and to your family. …show more content…

Within Roman society, many took clear actions in an attempt to gain Virtus, with one of the most notable being service in the military. By serving in the military, Romans believed that you could separate yourself from your family, and develop your own reputation. This belief of Virtus, and its role within military action is expanded upon, due to how Virtus was associated with being a good leader. One of the most obvious examples of this is seen within the presentation of Augustus as Emperor. Within Res Gestae Divi Augusti, Augustas elaborates how “I won many victories in war, both at home and abroad, and I expanded the frontiers of the Roman Empire to their furthest limits.” Augustus was the first Roman emperor. However, in order to maintain his potestas (power) in ancient Rome, he elected to describe himself with titles such as Augustus, or princeps. Augustus was eager to avoid the same fate as his father, the late Julius Caesar, who was assassinated on the ides of march, after declaring himself as Dictator perpetuum. By having this strong, militaristic description of himself, Augustas intended for the Roman population to see him as a positive role model for Virtus. While it wasnt common for women to obtain Virtus, Cicero mentions it in his speech Pro Caelio, delivered in 56 BCE. Cicero writes

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The continual decrease in birth rates was an alarming indicator of a decreasing elite class and of the depravity and adultery that plagued the Roman upper classes. Augustus believed that Rome’s long- term survival required adult citizens to produce more children but he did not want to deem this task up to individual conscience (wiki). These new laws which played a central role in the roman family unit for the next three centuries, absorbed and elevated the traditional power of the father figure in a Roman household. Created by Virgil the ancestral Roman hero Aeneas became an icon of Roman pietas or respect. He is often depicted escaping Troy with his father on his back and his son close at hand; The family man who looks back respectfully to the past generation and fights to secure the honor of the next (WoR).

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