The Evolution of the Notion of Man from Julius Caesar to the Modern Man

925 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ancient Rome influence on western civilization

What does society think of when they look at “The man” today? Some may say that they are how they have always been and will continue to be “a man;” but, what is a man? Is it just the human male or is it the action he preforms that deems the title “man”? Today people see the male as a sex driven, lazy slob whose only goal in life is to get in with the cool group no matter the cost. Is this the worst, or is the male slowly becoming a wasted frat boy who can’t control himself? If one looks back to the time of Julius Caesar, are the men more noble, responsible and valiant? In todays society, men are selfish, lazy, arrogant, slobs who are no more useful than a one legged man in a butt-kicking contest as opposed to the noble men of ancient Rome.

The word “noble,” in the eyes of society today, is having or showing qualities that people admire such as honesty, integrity, and generosity. This sounds like a person one could respect and is a man that was commonly found on the streets of ancient Rome. If you look at Julius Caesar for example, you see a man that was patriotic and really loved him country. Caesar was a son, nephew, husband and a successful politician and military leader stopping at nothing to defend his country, family and honor.

Today, it is seen that some men still uphold these desirable qualities and that is great; however, the majority of men are lazy. That word has come up multiple times already but what does it mean? Men are lazy in the sense that they do not try. From a young age it seems that academically men just don’t care. It is one thing to be physically unable to read and write but it another thing to not even try learning these valuable abilities. Throughout the rest of ones years of education it is hard to c...

... middle of paper ...

...lity; but, that age is no more. The undependability of the modern man is quite frightening and, quite frankly, embarrassing. Men have always been the macho dudes who would save the day. They were the fabled fairy tale knights that were always willing to stand up for what was right and never want to be caught snoozing. This is what society needs to find and get back. Hopefully the world can one day remember the men of Rome and follow in their footsteps once again.

Works Cited

"Roman Families - Ancient Rome for Kids." Roman Families - Ancient Rome for Kids.

N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

Rosini, Tim. "A Brief History of Divorce: Ancient Rome. Divorce and Family Law

Blog." Divorce and Family Law Blog. N.p., 9 Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

"The 2012 Statistical Abstract." Births, Deaths, Marriages, & Divorces. N.p., n.d.

Web. 11 Nov. 2013.

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Gail Bederman's Manliness And Civilization

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Gail Bederman’s Manliness and Civilization, she aims to describe the concepts of manliness and masculinity at the turn of the century. Bederman explains that the concept of what it means to be a man is ever changing as a result of the ideology of the time as well as the material actions of the men. During the Progressive Era, many forces were at work that put pressure on the supremacy of white, middle class men. Some of these forces included the growing move toward empowered women, the unionization of the working class, and the move from self-employment to big, corporate business. She delves into the way that both racism and sexism were used to build up the concept of masculinity and the turn of the century discourse on civilization.

    Read More

  • Shotgun Lovesongs Analysis

    2003 Words  | 5 Pages

    The concept of masculinity is considered as the qualities and characteristics of a man, typical what is appropriate to a man. In this article, A Community Psychology of Men and Masculinity: Historical and Conceptual Review, The author Eric S. Mankowski and Kenneth I. Maton, analyze four main themes: "Men as gendered beings, the privilege and damage of being a masculine man, men as a privileged group, and men’s power and subjective powerlessness. The second and fourth themes are described as

    Read More

  • The Enlightenment of the Great Julius Caesar

    665 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar could definitely be thought of as a tragic hero. A tragic hero is a character in a story that is high standing in society, but has a flaw that inevitably leads to their downfall. Julius Caesar definitely fits this description. He is a leader in Rome and has everything he could ever want. However, he does have a weakness which will be devastating to his life. There are many people who would like to kill him but Caesar is not worried. Julius Caesar’s flaw is arrogance and believes he is invulnerable. He also, right before his death discovers a discernment more devastating than the knife wounds, and finally he is and unsympathetic character because of many reasons.

    Read More

  • What Are The Stereotypes In The House On Mango Street

    684 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over time, the image of men has changed. This is due mostly to the relaxation of rigid stereotypical roles of the two genders. In different pieces of literature, however, men have been presented as the traditional dominate figure, the provider and rule maker or non-traditional figure that is almost useless and unimportant unless needed for sexual intercourse. This dramatic difference can either perpetuate the already existing stereotype or challenge it. Regardless of the differences, both seem to put men into a negative connotation.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Michael Kimmel's 'Masculinity As Homophobia'

    1705 Words  | 4 Pages

    Manhood had not always existed; it was created through culture. Depending on the era, masculinity claimed a different meaning. But in all of its wandering definitions, it consistently contains opposition to a set of “others,” meaning racial and sexual minorities. (pp.45) One of the first definitions was the Marketplace Man, where capitalism revolved around his success in power, wealth, and status. A man devoted himself to his work and family came second. Although this is one of the first standing definitions, it still finds its spot in today’s definition, where masculinity consists of having a high paying job, an attractive young wife, and

    Read More

  • Brutus and Caesar: Honor and Barbarism

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    To be noble is to be honorable, not only by birth, but as a person. Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare that summarizes the infamous death of Julius Caesar, a Roman dictator, and the whereabouts of the Romans who were involved with his death. William Shakespeare, in his play Julius Caesar, contrasts honor and tortility using the imperial Marcus Brutus and the barbaric dictator Julius Caesar to reveal the importance of internal values among the Roman people.

    Read More

  • epq

    923 Words  | 2 Pages

    What is a Man? Is a man the dominant sex? Or is a man a power hungry bully? The definition of Man in terms of philosophy is human nature, a...

    Read More

  • Crisis of Modern American Masculinity

    1090 Words  | 3 Pages

    The problem, as I see it, is that we have not re-defined masculinity for the modern age. In the old days, masculinity was measured by (1) physical abilities, particularly strength, but also skill, (2) power/success/wealth, and (3) sexual prowess. The first can be developed through education and hard work, the second could be acquired through the application of the first, and the third, well, either you got it or you don't, but locker-room bragging can always make up for any lacks, especially if you got the first two. Boys growing up in such a society work to develop their physical abilities and learn how to apply them most efficaciously, thus becoming a "man". This makes sense when a man might be faced with the challenge of building shelter on the prairie or raising crops, but us modern urban men are unlikely to face such challenges. Of course, we are not unprepared for the challenges of a modern urban lifestyle. Our education generally provides such life-sustaining skills as linear algebra, the performing arts, and information systems management. The educational system is successful enough to allow most of us to get jobs that pay us enough to afford all the requirements of a modern urban lifestyle: housing, food, clothing, entertainment, transportation, etc. The trouble is that while education has more or less kept pace with the advance of civilization, our notions of masculinity have not.

    Read More

  • Michael Kimmel's Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code

    1320 Words  | 3 Pages

    When someone is thinking of a man, what do they think? Strong? Brave? That’s what most people think; in reality that is a very false image. In “Bros Before Hos: The Guy Code,” Michael Kimmel, talks about what it means to be a man and what it takes to be a man in today’s world. Men are pressured into what they “should” be. If they don’t follow certain unwritten rules, which include: not asking for directions, not giving up, not showing fear, or any signs of emotional weakness, such as tears; they are considered less than a man, a wimp. A real man must be aggressive and brave, he must defend his territory: status, family, possessions. Men blindly follow the Guy Code, they believe in order to fit in, they must comply and be part of the pack.

    Read More

  • Brutus, the Noblest Roman of them All

    1845 Words  | 4 Pages

    By definition, noble is having moral character, courage, generosity, honor and bravery to do what is right. It is finding the truth and reason in everything that happens around you. Many of the characters in Julius Caesar have a selfish goal to gain more power and wealth. For instance, Julius Caesar was a great general, but he only cared about ruling Rome. Cassius was a smart and wise man, but he wanted Caesar’s death out of envy and jealousy. Many of the senators, who were involved in Caesar`s assassination, hated watching him take over Rome, and many Romans thought of him as their rival. Except for one noble senator named Brutus, who was different from the other senators and fought only for Rome and not himself. Shakespeare, in his play Julius Caesar, shows readers what it means to be noble using government, politics and Brutus`s experience and constant effort to bring democracy to Rome to reveal what makes Brutus noble from the rest of the Romans and how taking challenges, risks and being strong, honorable, and able to face sorrows is what makes someone noble.

    Read More

  • Gaius Julius Caesar: Time's Evolving Person Of The Year

    265 Words  | 1 Pages

    I believe Gaius Julius Caesar should be Time’s 2018 Person of the Year. Not only was he one of the greatest military generals of all time, but his contributions shaped our world today. Gaius Julius Caesar, or Julius Caesar, was born as a Patrician without the money and power attached. He worked his way all the way up from the bottom without tapping into his family funds. His hard work and clever stargazing lead to him becoming incredibly powerful, and adored by citizens. A second reason that proves that Julius Caesar should be 2018 Person of the Year, is his adroitness. While taking over the Germanian tribes, Ceaser encountered a problem. The Rhein was the only things standing between him, and victory over the Germanian tribes. Caesar then

    Read More

  • Mencius Human Nature Analysis

    682 Words  | 2 Pages

    The fundamental and perfect nature of humans is that of compassion and caring for one another; the human species is one that is social, and therefore humans have an underlying instinct to care for others. Mencius understands this, and attempts to illustrate this point in several different arguments to different people throughout his series of books on the subject of the human nature. However, if human nature is compassionate, and therefore, yang, then the corruption of human nature brings forth yin, and seeing both are at constant odds with each other, the corruption of human nature brings forth the conflict in the Dao.

    Read More

  • The Common Man And Alexander Pope And Pope's Essay On Man

    1296 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pope, in his Essay on Man, takes the religious approach when thinking about the common man. In the epistles, Pope suggests that the common man is ungrateful of God. He claims that man only blames God for their hardships, but does not thank him for their bounty. Pope brings to light a theological theory that man attempts to claim that they are better than God, to which he responds with scathing regard. Pope regards the common man as disrespecting because of their blasphemous lack of appreciation of their lord. In this philosophical poem, it could be seen that his distaste for the common man’s disregard of God is relates to Pope’s presentation of his view on the Universe; that no matter how imperfect, complex, inscrutable and disturbing the Universe

    Read More

  • Nobility: A Roman Model

    1479 Words  | 3 Pages

    When understanding the concept of nobility, a clear distinction must be made. That is, the distinction between being noble and belonging to the nobility (of Roman society). Before acknowledging this discrepancy one must also keep in mind that neither definition is exclusive, that is to say that a person can be of noble character while also belonging to the nobility and vice versa. As well, a person can belong to the nobility and not be of noble character and a person of noble character might not belong to the nobility. Aristotle, in relation to nobleness, once said that:

    Read More

  • Gender and Society

    2171 Words  | 5 Pages

    The differences between women and men are not solely biological. Our society’s culture has established a set of unwritten cultural laws of how each gender should act, or in other words society has ascribed a stereotype. Men’s gender identity has been one of masculinity, and masculinity is defined as referring to a man or things described as manly. What does manly mean though? Is a male manly if he is “Mr. Fix-it”, or the jock, or if he sits on the couch on Sunday watching football? This latter statement is a stereotype of men, that has been around for decades, and is current as well, but starting with the 1960’s a man’s role started to change, despite the stereotype not changing to accommodate it. For the past 40 years one can see how men have taken on roles stereotypically ascribed to women, such roles including being the “stay-at-home mom”, which we can find an excellent example of in the 1980’s film “Mr.

    Read More

More about The Evolution of the Notion of Man from Julius Caesar to the Modern Man

Open Document