CLASSICS 2D03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 31: Numitor, Rhea Silvia, Pomerium
17 Sep 2016
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Greek heroes always seek glory and fame (kudos and kleos), always perform glorious acts. Roman heroes sacrifice themselves for others city, companions, family. Practices/actions relating to human relationship with divine powers o prayer, sacrifice, curses, anything mortals do in relationship divine. Traditional roman gods not anthropomorphic more distant, abstract entities o o. Characters are less human/diverse unlike greek gods personifications of places, objects, practices places/things made into gods/goddesses. E. g. , janus (beginnings), robigo (god of rust and mold, important for farmers to keep away), flora (flowers), disciplina (discipline: no hierarchy of gods or separation; all roman gods/spirits are all called numina o. Some more important but all come from the same place personifications. Genius: divine spark/spirit of male side of the family o spirit of (male) family, protects the family only males; patriarchal. Cupboard gods stay in your home/kitchen, look after family depicted through statuettes.
