Roman History: Monarchy, Art, and the Aeneid

The Roman Monarchy

Roman kings were advised by patricians. Key figures include:

• Romulus: Creator of the Senate and the first laws.
• Numa Pompilius: Pious and peace-loving, he introduced the lunar calendar and the Vestal Virgins.
• Tullus Hostilius: Led military campaigns to prevail upon their neighbors; he conquered Alba Longa and transferred its population to Rome.
• Ancus Marcius: Extended the limits of the city.
• Tarquinius Priscus: The start of the Etruscan dynasty, he brought changes in social policy and economic activity. Major public works in Rome were initiated, such as the Cloaca Maxima, Circus Maximus, and the Capitoline Temple of Jupiter.
• Servius Tullius: Prepared a census of citizens, assigned civil and military functions to social classes, increased the limits of Rome, and introduced the cult of the goddess Diana.
• Tarquinius Superbus ("The Proud"): With his wife, he assassinated Servius. His expansionary policy involved taking on neighboring territories. His tyrannical tendencies led to the end of the monarchy after his son, Sextus Tarquinius, raped Lucretia, who then committed suicide.

Roman Art and Architecture

Greek influence on the Roman world was twofold:

• Directly: Through Roman expansion to the south and east.
• Indirectly: Through cultural exchange with Etruria in the Italian peninsula.

Architecture

Roman architecture emphasized practicality and civic use. Architects used concrete, brick, and stone to erect buildings with barrel vaults and domes. Notable structures include circuses, amphitheaters, basilicas, baths, aqueducts, roads, and bridges that served the people.

Figurative Art

Roman figurative art was influenced by the Hellenized upper class's taste and status, often employing artists of Greek origin. Description and narrative reliefs were preferred to showcase military actions or Roman history, as seen in the Ara Pacis, Arch of Titus, and Trajan's Column. The portrait bust emerged as a distinct art form, focusing on capturing the strength and psychological depth of the portrayed individual. Painting showed significant Greek influence, with examples from Pompeii and Herculaneum demonstrating the expressive power and thematic richness of the art.

The Story of Aeneas

Aeneas, son of Anchises and Venus, was a Roman national hero known for his integrity, respect for traditional values, and obedience to the gods. He demonstrated his courage by facing Greek heroes like Diomedes. During a battle, his mother Venus came to his rescue, sustaining a wound to her hand. When Troy fell, Aeneas managed to escape the flames, carrying his elderly father and his youngest son. On Mount Ida, he discovered the absence of his wife, Creusa. Upon returning, he encountered her spirit, who revealed his destiny: to travel to a place indicated by the gods and start a new lineage.

The Journey of Aeneas

Accompanied by twenty ships, Aeneas embarked on his own odyssey. He suffered the death of his father in Sicily. A storm sent by his enemy, Juno, brought him to Carthage, where he was welcomed by Queen Dido. They shared a period of love and happiness, but Aeneas's fate lay in Italy, as Jupiter reminded him. Dido took her own life after Aeneas's departure. Obeying Jupiter, Aeneas went to Italy to consult the Sibyl about his destiny. The priestess of Apollo accompanied him to the underworld, where he spoke with his father, who predicted the future kingdom of Rome. Returning to the world of the living, Aeneas traveled to the mouth of the Tiber, where he defeated King Evander and slew Turnus. Soon after, he founded Lavinium. Aeneas later disappeared in a storm.

Virgil and The Aeneid

The poet Virgil, known for his Bucolics and Georgics, earned renown for The Aeneid, which chronicles Aeneas's adventures from his flight from Troy to his arrival and establishment in Italy. Virgil died leaving his work unfinished, instructing his friends Varius and Tucca to destroy it. However, Augustus intervened, and the epic was preserved.