CLST 105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Livy, Apotheosis, Vestal Virgin
23 Nov 2017
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Livy"s preface: ancient history as escape from present, distinction between poetry and history, moralizing. Lupercalia: fertility festival associated with lupercus (god of shepherds, young noblemen ran around in goatskins whipping people with thongs to make them pregnant. Romulus kills him: other ways of divination, observing birds/sacred chickens, exispicium: examining entrails of sacrificial victims, horoscopes, private divination. Hercules and foreign gods: foreign gods flocked to latium: saturn, heracles, etc, evander (obscure arcadian hero) introduced in 3/5th cent bce, etymologically related to strength. City of outlaws: romulus" asylum, outlaws can all come, not united based on culture/languge, united by laws, lictors. Rape of sabine women: no women in rome, nobodies allies with romulus, romulus invites sabines to games for equestrian neptune, all unmarried women stolen, sabines and romans fight, solved by women making peace. Romulus" apotheosis: carried into heaven by thunderstorm, or alternatively, senators dismembered him, worshipped as quirinus.
