Bravery, strength, and leadership are just a few of the characteristics possessed by Theseus of Greece and Romulus of Rome. Plutarch, a Greek historian, explains lives each of these men. These men were different from any of the other men during Ancient Greece and Rome; according to Plutarch, they were descendants of the divine, which ultimately destined them for greatness. Throughout their lives, they would achieve power through various events and establish the societies and politics of two the greatest cities in history. The paths that each took and the events that occurred in their lives molded them into the heroes while also contributing to the legacy they would leave behind.
Monarchs ruled Athens, before the life of Theseus. To kept the monarchy in control and continue the current rulers authority, an heir had to be born. Conflict between the current ruler and those who wanted to take over his position was always inevitable. In Plutarch writing, Theseus was born to the king of Athens, Aegeus, and Aethra, the daughter of the wise Pittheus. After Aegeus’ encounter with Aethra, he left shoes and a sword under a rock so that if he did produce an heir he would return to Athens to be at his father’s side. Aegeus knew that if he did produce an heir that he had to keep the child a secret so that his enemies, the fifty sons of Palla, would not kill the child. When Aethra’s son was born her, her father claimed that little Theseus’ father was the god of the sea, Poseidon, hiding the secret of the real father. In addition, it is possible that Poseidon was said to be the boy’s father because this could boost the boy’s reputation as he grew.
While Athens prepared for the encounter of a young man that would change their city, Plutarch exp...
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... not care about Theseus death until at the Battle of Marathon, where men claimed to see Theseus charge the army into victory. With orders from the oracle of Delphi, Theseus’ bones were found in Scyros and brought back to be buried in Athens. Theseus’ bones were buried in an area where his memory as a protector of the weak flourished.
Plutarch paired Theseus and Romulus because they were both men of divine ancestry that showed bravery and did whatever it took for their cities to grow. They both had their flaws, like Romulus ruling as king and killing his brother, while Theseus had trouble with kidnapping women that kept him away from governing Athens properly. From the readings, there are no clear passages of favoritism by Plutarch because no man was really better than the other. They were just men who went from being bastard children to legends in ancient history.
Theseus, The Great Athenian hero, was the son of Dianae and King Aegeus. Theseus had something that not many children at his age didn’t have, “he grew up strong far beyond others” (210). When he was young his father, King Aegeus, set a hollow sword and a pair of shoes and placed a great
All throughout Edith Hamilton’s rendition of Theseus’ story she displays example for all three parts of the characteristic from Theseus’ superior strength, the prime example from the story is when Theseus kills the sleeping Minotaur without any weapons and only his bare hands, an example of Theseus’ intelligence comes during his reign as the King of Athens, he’s described as a wise king who chose a more democratic rule to govern his people, and an example for Theseus’ courage lies in his selfless actions to volunteer himself as one of the sacrifices to enter the Labyrinth to face the Minotaur. Although Hamilton’s description of Theseus’ legacy speaks for itself, “Theseus was, of course, bravest of the brave as all heroes are, but unlike other heroes he was as compassionate as he was brave and a man of great intellect as well as bodily strength (Hamilton 166.)” Just in Hamilton’s quick summary of Theseus’ character is a testament that he doesn’t fit the role of an epic hero but he is the literal archetype which epic heroes strive to be. Theseus isn’t just superhumanly strong, like Hercules, or only incredibly courageous to the point it’d be stupid, like Perseus, Theseus is superior in strength, intelligence, and
The two Caesars that caught my attention the most were Augustus and Gaius. These two represent a stark contrast between the rulers f Rome. One was a visionary and a leader, the other was an insane megalomaniac. Suetonius did a good job of describing not only the men and their actions, but how these actions affected the Romans and the world. All of the men were important and influential, but Suetonius' description of these two captured my attention.
...of Greece was changed and even debased through these events. While each city certainly had its own sets of conditions and flow of events, we can surely trace the start of such vainglorious butchery directly to the events at Corcyra.
Bibliography:.. Plutarch, Fall of the Roman Republic: Six lives by Plutarch, Translated by Rex Warner (London: Penguin Books Ltd., 1972).
Themistocles had an insight into the world that was hard to duplicate. He managed to precisely the right thing at precisely the right time, and by doing this, he assured the security of Greece. His cunning and charisma were
Bury, J. B.; Russell Meiggs (2000). A History of Greece to the Death of Alexander the Great
“Good government consists in the ruler being a ruler, the minister being a minister, the father being a father, and the son being a son” (Riegel). Confucius spent his life pushing for equality and a new way of life in ancient China to give the Chinese people something to believe in during difficult times. Modern day China is the hidden engine room of the world. Through the overpowering role of a communist government, it allows them to focus the drive of the industrial workforce into a point in order to take on jobs outsourced by other countries. The official religion of China as of 2002 is Atheism, but the country is still filled with religious diversity including many religions spouting from the efforts of Confucius and his journey to preach a better life (Central). Brutus saw that Rome was in danger of falling into the grip of an all powerful ruler that would crush the rights of his fellow Romans. Brutus dared to step out from the basic crowd mentality that followed like a herd of cattle, and stood against the perceived threat. In Confucius’ path to build a better world through a peaceful bond of a social and political lifestyle, he created a reputation of doggish, yet calculated, perseverance to strive towards peace that matches the unwavering loyalty and unameliorable nobility of Brutus.
In Titus Livius’, The Early History of Rome, Livy takes on the task of documenting Rome’s early history and some of the famous individuals who help contribute to the ‘greatness’ of Rome. Livy dedicates an entire portion of his writing to describe the reigns of the first seven kings of Rome; all who influence the formation and governance of Rome in some way. However, of the seven kings in early Roman history, King Romulus and King Numa Pompilius achieved godlike worship and high esteem from their fellow Romans. While both highly important and respected figures in Rome’s history, the personalities and achievements of King Romulus and King Numa Pompilius are complete opposites of one another. Despite the differences found in each king and of their rule over Rome, both Romulus and Numa Pompilius have a tremendous influence in the prosperity and expansion of Rome in its early days.
Poseidon was similar to his brother Zeus in exerting his power on women and in objectifying masculinity. He had many love affairs and fathered numerous children. Poseidon once married a Nereid, Amphitrite, and produced Triton who was half-human and half-fish. He also impregnated the Gorgon Medusa to conceive Chrysaor and Pegasus, the flying horse. The rape of Aethra by Poseidon resulted in the birth of Theseus; and he turned Caeneus into a man, at her request, after raping her. Another rape involved Amymone when she tried to escape from a satyr and Poseidon saved her. Other offspring of Poseidon include: Eumolpus, the Giant Sinis, Polyphemus, Orion, King Amycus, Proteus, Agenor and Belus from Europa, Pelias, and the King of Egypt, Busiris.
In the years following the Persian Wars in 479 B.C., Athens had come out on top being the most dominantly powerful of any Greek city with a navy that had superior strength that increased day by day. The Athenians “ruled with heavy-handed, even brutal force as well as with reason” (Kagan 2). This was due largely to the fact that Athens had a stable and effective government, which only increased their advantage in proving themselv...
Speaking of the revolution in Corcyra, which occurred after the Athenian decision to spare Mytilene but before its destruction of Melos, Thucydides wrote, “In peace and prosperity states and individuals have better sentiments, because they do not find themselves suddenly confronted with imperious necessities; but war takes away the easy supply of daily wants and so proves a rough master that brings most men’s characters to a level with their fortunes” (III.82.2). This was precisely the change Athens underwent, and the cause of its eventual demise. Works Cited Thucydides. The Landmark of Thucydides.
The Atheans believed that the first king of Athens, Erichthonius, was a descendant of Athena. Even though Poseidon was greedy of earthy kingdoms, he challenged Athena for the city. The both of them appeared before the court of gods and goddess to make a judgment.
Robinson, Charles Alexander. Athens in the age of Pericles. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1959.
"Plutarch, The Spartacus Slave War" In Spartacus And Slave Wars, ed. Brent D. Shaw (Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2001) 131-138