Comparing Theseus And Romulus By Plutarch

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When reading through Plutarch’s comparison of Theseus and Romulus, it is evident he favored one over the other in various ways. For one thing, Plutarch commended Theseus as a true hero for liberating the Greeks from their enemies. A prime example is when Theseus accompanied the young Greeks in their tribute to Crete, risking his life to free them by slaying the Minotaur. On the other hand, Plutarch initially had little praise for Romulus. Whereas Theseus defeated many oppressors, Romulus only overthrew the King of Alba. Plutarch asserted Romulus and Remus allowed tyrants to suppress their subjects so long as the brothers remained unharmed. Aside from this, Plutarch explained how Romulus’ volatile anger led to the death of Romulus, an act he …show more content…

Notably, Romulus came from a small background: An infant left to die at the riverbank alongside his brother until divine intervention saved them both. Through the nurturing of the war god Mars’ creatures - the she-wolf and the woodpecker - the two boys survived until Faustulus found them. Additionally, Romulus was tolerant of others, not seeking to harm anyone but providing citizenship to those wanting to be part of his nation. Equally important, Romulus formed better relations with the Sabine women than Theseus did with his various lovers. While Romulus’ treatment of the women led to the unification of the Romans and Sabines under his reign, Theseus’ capturing of women such as Ariadne, Antiope, and Helen caused the deaths of innocent civilians and the loss of Aphidn. Between both legendary figures, which one do I prefer the most? Like Plutarch, I also recognize that Theseus and Romulus had strengths and weaknesses. However, I find Romulus left behind a more heroic legacy than Theseus. This is mainly due to his creation of Rome, a city that later transformed into the mighty empire of the Mediterranean. As a ruler, Romulus unified diverse inhabitants and protected

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