War In Roman Myth And Legend

Description

This book redresses the relative lack of work published on the role of war in classical myth and legend. At the same time it debunks the popular view that the Romans had little mythology of their own and idly borrowed and adapted Greek myth to suit their own ends. While this true to some extent, War in Roman Myth & Legend clearly demonstrates a rich and meaningful independent mythology at work in Roman culture. The book opens by addressing how the Romans did adopt and adapt Greek myths to fashion the beginnings of Roman history; it goes on to discuss the Roman gods of war and the ubiquity of war in Roman society and politics and how this was reflected in the Aeneas Foundation Myth, the Romulus and Remus Foundation Myth and the legends associated with the founding of Rome. Warlike Women in Roman Epic and Trojan heroes are discussed next and the use of mythology by Roman poets other than Virgil. The Theban Legion and the vision of Constantine myths conclude the book. Cover ......Page 1 Book title ......Page 4 Copyright ......Page 5 Table of contents ......Page 6 Maps ......Page 8 About the Author......Page 11 List of Plates......Page 12 Introduction......Page 18 Chapter 1 Interpretatio Romana – ‘Translating’ the Greek and the Beginnings of Roman History......Page 24 Chapter 2 The Gods of War ......Page 34 Chapter 3 Wall-to-Wall War & the Fetiales ......Page 51 Chapter 4 The Aeneas Foundation Myth: From Troy to Italy ......Page 63 Chapter 5 The Aeneas Foundation Myth: The Italian Wars ......Page 88 Chapter 6 The Romulus and Remus Foundation Myth ......Page 100 Chapter 7 Abduction, Rape and Murdering Your Daughter – All in the Name of History......Page 113 Plate section ......Page 141 Chapter 8 Warlike Women in Roman Epic ......Page 157 Chapter 9 Trojan Heroes ......Page 170 Chapter 10 Horace and Propertius ......Page 176 Chapter 11 Ovid ......Page 191 Chapter 12 The Theban Legion Massacre 286 CE: Myth or History? ......Page 213 Chapter 13 The View from the Bridge: The Vision of Constantine ......Page 216 Epilogue ......Page 220 Appendix I: The Seven Kings of Rome ......Page 222 Appendix II: Timeline 1 – The Mythical Age......Page 223 Appendix III: The Alban Kings ......Page 224 Appendix IV: Timeline 2: Octavian (Augustus), 133–27 BCE ......Page 226 Appendix V: The Archaeology of Early Rome......Page 228 Appendix VI: Dating the Foundation......Page 230 Appendix VII: Some Latin Terms......Page 232 Appendix VIII: Typical Cursus Honorum in the First Century BCE......Page 237 Appendix IX: Roman Assemblies......Page 238 Appendix X: The Mos Maiorum......Page 239 Notes......Page 241 Further Reading......Page 249 Index......Page 267