Megan Kuhle
7/7/08
HUM 300 Bauer
Rome: Culture and Values
The Roman Empire created and maintained one of the most dynamic and influential civilizations known to man. Many of the political and social elements that brought Rome prolonged power are still present today in various countries around the world. The key to their sustained success and effectiveness lay in their practical lifestyles and ideals. Through countless emperors, philosophers, and poets, a distinct culture and consequent values was instilled among the citizens of Rome. As evident through literary works and leader’s philosophies, above all else, Rome’s culture valued the virtues veritas (truth) and gravitas (solemnity).
Many of Rome’s greatest literary and philosophical works are known for their magnification of candor. Romans were very practical, to the point, and unashamed of the blunt truth. One poet, Catullus, wrote about his once passionate love affair with a woman named Clodia that ended badly, as so many do. In his first couple of poems he writes in detail of his initial love for her, but when their relationship turns sour, he exposes his now spiteful emotions. “She, that I loved, that face, those hands, that hair, dearer than all my race…See her where throngs parade…plying her skill unpaid – Rome’s prostitute.” (Cunningham 156) Through his poems, Catullus accurately depicts this journey in love that so many humans encounter in their lives. Another Roman poet who bared his controversial beliefs was Juvenal. He wrote negative, bitter critiques of the reckless urban lifestyle that Rome revolved around. He is especially concerned with the citizen’s lack of respect and care for one another as they rush through daily life struggling to survive. In his Third Satire, he writes,
You are a thoughtless fool, unmindful of sudden disaster, if you don’t make your will before you go out to have dinner. There are as many deaths in the night as there are open windows where you pass by; if you’re wise, you will pray, in your wretched devotions, people may be content with no more than emptying slop jars. (Cunningham 168)
Juvenal’s opinion of Rome, although malicious, was without a doubt shared by others who longed for a quiet, country lifestyle free from the inescapable rat race of the city. Through these two poets’ works, it is evident that their was an appreciation for veritas that lay in Rome’s mainstream culture.
The next and arguably most important virtue to the Romans was that of gravitas, or taking situations mindfully and critically. This virtue is a reoccurring theme in the major philosophical notion at the time, Stoicism. Those who led a Stoic lifestyle were concerned with differentiating what was and was not under their control, and acting accordingly. Once it was determined that only their own personal deeds and thoughts are ultimately in their hands, the Stoics took their daily actions very seriously. They honored wisdom, courage, and justice, encouraging citizens to put Rome’s needs before their own. One of the most famous Stoics was Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor from 161-180 C.E. His private thoughts about and views on life were collected preserved by some of his students under the name Meditations. In Book II, Meditation 5, Aurelius writes,
Firmly, as a Roman and a man should, think at all times how you can perform the task at hand with precise and genuine dignity, sympathy, and independence, and justice, making yourself free from all other preoccupations. This you will achieve if you perform every action as if it was the last of your life. (Cunningham 168)
Stoicism exalted this idea of solemnity and critically thinking about the weight of different issues. This philosophy was by far the most influential one in Rome, representing the population’s respect for these gravitas principles.
It seems as though Rome’s grandiose success lay in its ability to incorporate practical and relevant ideas into its society at large. Rome’s citizens could best be described as existing solely “for the glory of Rome”, as many of them willingly put their city’s necessities before their own. By indoctrinating its peoples of the virtues of truth and solemnity through literature and philosophy, Rome displayed its regard for a functional and pragmatic society that continues to influence the majority of the world today.