ipl-logo

The Story Of Mucius Scaevol Exemplarity In Roman Culture

642 Words3 Pages

Did you know that around 46% of people’s favorite superhero is Spider-Man? That is a lot of people compared to how many comic characters there are, especially in today’s popular culture. Today we constantly hear stories about superheroes all of the time in pop culture, and in ancient Rome they also had stories about incredible people. Mucius Scaevola is one of these incredible people with a heroic story that changed the course of Roman history. Scaevola, a young roman sent on a mission, mistook the Estruscan king’s scribe for the king and killed him. When brought before the king, he intimidated the king which led to peace between the Etruscans and Romans. His story is an example of exemplary discourse as it follows the four criteria as identified by Matthew B. Roller in his essay, “Exemplarity In Roman Culture”. According to Roller, for something to be considered exemplary discourse one must have done an action with an audience that commemorates and later mimics it. The story of Mucius Scaevola was one that inspired many and changed Rome’s history as it led to peace between two major rivals in early history. Mucius Scaevola committed an incredible deed where after being caught …show more content…

An example of this would be gladiators, fighting for glory in the name of their country. According to Carlin Barton in her paper, “Savage Miracles: The Redemption of Lost Honor in Roman Society and the Sacrament of the Gladiator and the Martyr”, the “self-immolation” (Barton, 42) of Scaevola, “reenacted by a condemned criminal in the arena,” (Barton, 42) inspired the poet Martial to write many powerful poems which served to further inspire other gladiators. Martial and other storytellers assisted in essentially turning Scaevola into something of a symbol of hope and what others should aspire to

Show More
Related

How Did Brutus Influence Roman Republic Government

365 Words | 2 Pages

You will read about Lucius Junius Brutus (Tarquin the proud). His culture the Etruscan. Roman Republic Government. Rome’s everyday life and inventions.

Read More

How Does Brutus Use Ethos In Julius Caesar

548 Words | 3 Pages

Not only does Cassius explain that his conflict is not meaningless, but he also holds himself to Brutus’s own judgment. Cassius powerfully has Brutus evaluate whether he is trustworthy instead of feeding Brutus credentials. Once his trust is bought, Cassius began to contrive doubt into Brutus’s mind about Caesar. Furthermore, ethos was used to ignite Brutus’s flame within. Cassius elegantly builds an allusion to a former founder of Rome, Brutus, who “ would have

Read More

Tacitus Impressions Of Sejanus And Tiberius

874 Words | 4 Pages

In an attempt to win over the respect and praise of highly ranked politicians, Sejanus hands valuable items to his ‘clients’. This includes items such as centurions and provinces. Tacitus’ use of litotes relates this behaviour back to Sejanus’ tendencies of being excessive. Tacitus mentions how Sejanus was unable to ‘refrain from courting the popularity of the senate’. The negative conjunction and verb in the phrase ‘neque sanatorio ambitu abstinebat’ suggests that Sejanus would not refrain from any activities, no matter how outlawed they may be, in order to acquire power or anything that may aid him in becoming more powerful.

Read More

Lj-6 Explain The Negative Effects Of The Roman Conquests

523 Words | 3 Pages

Tiberius Gracchus tried to help the common Roman people through his actions as a tribune in 133 B.C. by a familiar method, Agrarian reform. His proposals were met with out right rejections from the senate, but he ended up passing the law anyway. This action along with his announcing his illegal re-election bid for tribune according to Morey caused the senators to call-out “Tiberius as a traitor” ,but “the people extolled him as a patriot”. (1901) When election day came Tiberius Gracchus was murdered in the senate along with three-hundred of his followers by a group of senators led by Scipio Nasica.

Read More

The Sestercius Of Octavian In 40 BCE

579 Words | 3 Pages

To understand in depth the above-mentioned arguments the Sestercius of Octavian issued in 40 BCE will be analyzed. For Augustus, the use of coinage as a means of persuasion and manipulation of the public opinion was not new idea. He was ultimately aware of the means that his father used in his own propaganda and followed his example. The effect of coins was used by Augustus early in his political career and more precisely right after the death of his adoptive father, Julius. Octavian didn’t lose any time and started to promote himself by linking his name with his father’s.

Read More

Julius Caesar Rhetorical Devices

929 Words | 4 Pages

But it is just an act as the sharp reader quickly figures out. He uses a number of rhetorical devices to stir the ire of the crowd, but they are forms of trickery and also meant to appeal to the Romans’ emotions, which at this moment are running high. He relies on pathos, more than logos or ethos to persuade his listeners. He is conniving and manipulative. He reminds me of a real great attorney.

Read More

Exemplarity In Roman Literature

1631 Words | 7 Pages

The concept of exemplarity was used extensively throughout Roman literature as a tool to give guidance and enforce authority. By providing an ethical framework of societal precedents, exempla served to govern all facets of Roman public life. The system of exemplarity had an inherent power in Roman society, allowing it to be exploited for personal gain by rulers such as Augustus. Through his monumental literary biography, Res Gestae Divi Augusti, Augustus manipulated exemplarity in order to translate his coercive power into benevolent authority over the people of Rome.

Read More

The Second Most Responsible For The Decline Of The Roman Republic

1174 Words | 5 Pages

Though the fall of the Roman Republic is largely attributed to Julius Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon, the seeds of destruction have long been sown. 3 men in particular were especially responsible for the decline of the Republic: Sulla, Scipio Aemilianus, and Gracchus. Through their disregard for the Roman Constitution, abuses of power, and disrespect for political customs, they demonstrated and exploited the weakness of the Roman Republic, opening the door for Caesar to reap the fruits of their efforts and replace the Republic with the Roman Empire. For his egregious actions, Sulla was the most responsible of the 3 for the decline of the Republic, Scipio was the 2nd most responsible by being the first to blatantly disrespect the Republic’s

Read More

Brutus And Cassius: A Tragic Hero

305 Words | 2 Pages

He could be manipulative and scheming, allowing his flesh to rule his heart. Cassius hated to be subservient to any man, and especially to Caesar. Upset by the rich and powerful who allowed Caesar to rule, he began to think of a way to remove Caesar from his throne. By using other men's good intentions, Cassius orchestrated and

Read More

What Are The Political Grievances Of The American Revolution

586 Words | 3 Pages

Another example would be King George III, the leader of America before the American Revolution. King George taxed America, which they were strongly against. No taxation without representation. So, they fought for

Read More

The Pursuit Of Happiness In The Iliad

964 Words | 4 Pages

In the Iliad, Hector, similarly acted to please others, none more noticeably than when he valiantly fought Achilles to protect Troy. As Achilles charged toward Hector, his “heart was troubled with brooding thought” as he considered laying “down all [his] weapons”, but he fought after he decided he’d “be much

Read More

Violence In The Aeneid

1343 Words | 6 Pages

Ancient Rome is recognized for strength in war and battles, so the ideal citizen would be strong and willing to fight. Hunt explains that in Rome “one man’s loss was another man’s gain” (177). The culture of Ancient Rome was aggressive, as the men were trained to fight and be devoted to their country. “Male elites had to be on guard to defend against and avenge any slights to their personal, family, and state honor” (Hunt 177). In The Aeneid, Virgil writes “Roman, remember by your strength to rule //

Read More

Fall Of The Roman Republic Essay

1512 Words | 7 Pages

It seems that the fall of the Roman Republic was not a singular event that occurred instantaneously, but rather a long process that saw the increasing use of methods outside of Republican institutions to settle conflicts between members of the aristocracy over political power. Even as the Roman government transitioned form Kingdom to Republic and then to Empire, the competition between aristocratic families remained a relative constant in across the centuries. So too has the desire to mythologize the past. The romans attributed both the fall of the Kingdom of Rome and the fall of the Roman Republic to moral rot, while a more reasonable assessment might place the blame on a dissatisfied and competitive elite class and an inefficient and unresponsive governmental system that was unwilling or unable to address their concerns. In much the same way, modern observers of the Roman Republic have tended to mythologize the fall of the Republic in the service of creating a moral narrative about the unconscionable tyranny of Cesar and the righteousness of the Senate, or whatever alternative narrative is befitting of the historical moment and audience.

Read More

Analysis Of Valerius Maximus 'Facta Memorabilia'

864 Words | 4 Pages

The following report is on an article from American Journal of Philology (ISSN 0002-9475, 2013, Volume 134, Issue 1, pp. 67 – 82) by Tara Welch from University of Kansas: Was Valerius Maximus a Hack? Abstract: Valerius Maximus’ “Facta et dicta memorabilia” blends elements of Roman declamation and historiography. Scrutiny of this text’s intertextual practices sheds light on the relationship it creates between its contents and its readers. Whereas declamation’s textual re

Read More

Myth Of Roman Society Essay

387 Words | 2 Pages

HOW MUCH OF ROMAN SOCIETY AND THOUGHT WERE GREEK IN ORIGIN in conformity with what Morey, William C. (1901) said, the Roman were one of the most influential ancient citizens during the period of 200 - 300 BC. The country was widely known for war, power and strength located at the Italian Peninsula. According to (Carr, 2015), the Romans in 275 BC started to gain mastery over other parts of the Mediterranean and having power over them. The Romance took control over Sicily, a small island close to Italy at a point in the course of their battle with the Carthaginians (Carr, 2015).

Read More

More about The Story Of Mucius Scaevol Exemplarity In Roman Culture

Related Topics

Open Document