Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Defining difference between socialism and capitalism
Socialism concentrates on the group, in effort create solid economy entity and capitalist concentrates on the individual and creating opportunity for him.
The Values and Goals of the Roman Nobility.
The Values and Goals of the Roman Nobility.
By Feodor (Naor) Weissmann.
Purpose of this essay is to provide us with a view of characteristic spirit of a culture shared by Roman aristocracy in the second century B.C.E. Values, goals, path to achieving them were all part of an ethos that was built upon City's cultural foundations. It might looks like the goal of Noble man's life was a proper funeral but that would not be completely true. Roman society revolved around The City, Gens, Religion, Politics and Militarism with all of the above twisting into goals for City's Nobility. It was Quintus Metellus who in my view best described the goals of most Roman Nobility in the eulogy to his father: " his father had achieved the ten greatest and highest objects in the pursuit of which wise men pass their lives: for he had made it his aim to be a first-class warrior, a supreme orator and a very brave commander, to have the direction of operations of the highest importance, to enjoy the greatest honor, to be supremely wise, to be deemed the most eminent member of the senate, to obtain great wealth in an honorable way, to leave many children, and to achieve supreme distinction in the state; " ( Pliny, Natural History 7.13). Funerals presented an opportunity to summarize each man's doings and eternally link them to the achievements of his Gens.
Any Noble was expected to continue the heritage of his ancestors and hoped to rise above the level set by them by such action to became worthy of his family tree. In order to understand better what such achievement meant we have to clear the word "Noble". It comes from the Latin word "nobilis", meaning "someone well-known to the community" and in Rome to be well known to community one had to be known in the area of art of delivering a speech ( Ars Oratoria), wealth and of course the most important is to be associated with military achievements. (We can also review the making of the thumbs showing us the most important things to remember the passed by, most of the things are military, with primary evidence for that engravings on a thumbs of Scipio family in Rome.)
There is no argument about Rome military expansionist nature; we have testimonies from various prime sources of that era and also city's conquests maps provide an evidence to support that assumption. From the city establishment Rome has revolved around it's expansion and at that time expansion explicitly meant conquests. Such militancy was deep imprinted in the city's backbone with almost everything, even the Roman calendar revolving around it, effectively starting the year at the most convenient period to start a military campaign - spring. Typically beginning of a year was used for army mobilization and a war with one of their neighbors with almost a biological necessity for such a campaign (C. Nicolet, problemes de la guerre a Rome, 117).
Military service was mandatory for every citizen and was required for any advance in Roman society. Achievements during the service were crucial for public opinion of an individual. Noble man viewed himself and was seen by others in light of his ancestry military history. Historic events, he knew of being conducted in his family provided him with a target driving him to volunteer to dangerous missions and perform bravely in battles (Polybius 6.54). Military carrier was also a source getting wealth in form of trophies and spoil that soldier gained upon successful campaign. It was a common practice at that time that upon a burial, trophies collected by an individual were displayed and worshiped providing additional prove to his achievement and in the eyes of Romans supporting a memory of triumphs and such memory will live forever.( Pliny, Natural History 35.6)
Theme of Gens achievements is so important to the Noble that on social events it was not uncommon to declare of ancestral bravery in form of an ode or a song (Cicero, Tusculan Disputations 4.2.3). Such declarations as well as burial panegyrics influenced the listeners and created by their own words linkage with an event (Sallust The Jugurthine War 4.5 (Loeb trans., modified)).
After successful term as a military tribune, one could continue and be voted to different civil duties according to "cursus honorum", a path that every man in Rome would must undertake in order to reach elite executive or legislative posts. Achievement of a posts above military tribune introduces additional parameter on which Nobles were measured upon; it's being the "age of entrance to the post" with younger of course considered more desirable. Public knowledge, a Nobility of a person was created at this stage not only by acts of bravery or war time success but also by the art of delivering a speech ( Ars Oratoria), court presentations and of course deeds for the City wellbeing (Achievement mentioned on the thumb of Lucius Cornelius Scipio).
As an example on Nobility creation we can look on a life of Scipio Aemilianus himself becoming known valor in battle when being considered dead returned victorious covered in blood of his enemies. (Plutarch, Life of Aemilius Paullus 22.2-4) Scipio being biological son of Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus and from his last name we can lean the he was the conquerer of Macedonia and an adopted grandson of Scipio Africanus (Elder) the defeater of “Hannibal of Carthage” later on combined his popularity and his ancestry tree in order to be elected consul prior to allowed age. (Livy, Periochae 49 and 50, Velleius Paterculus 1.12.2-3.) The good thing about Scipio is that him living at 185 - 129 BC and having Polybius as a close friend we have him quite well documented with both primary and secondary evidences.( Polybius xxxv. 4, xxxix.; Veilerius Pat. i. 12; Florus ii. 15, 17, 18; Appian, Punica, 72, 98, 113-131, IIisp. 48-95, Bell. Civ. i. 19; Plutarch, Aemilius Paullus, 22, Tiberius Gracchus, 21, C. Gracchus, 10; Gellius iv. 20, v. 19; Cicero, De oral. ii. 40.)
To summarize it is safe to say that goals of Roman nobility forged with strong sense of accessory to familial esse and connection to ancestry deeds and legacy. (Cicero On Duties (addressed to his son) 2.44 (Loeb trans.)) It was however expected from Roman nobleman to prefer interests of the state to agenda of his family and when doing so he received extraordinary honors among this countryman. (Polybius 6.54)
By Feodor (Naor) Weissmann.
Purpose of this essay is to provide us with a view of characteristic spirit of a culture shared by Roman aristocracy in the second century B.C.E. Values, goals, path to achieving them were all part of an ethos that was built upon City's cultural foundations. It might looks like the goal of Noble man's life was a proper funeral but that would not be completely true. Roman society revolved around The City, Gens, Religion, Politics and Militarism with all of the above twisting into goals for City's Nobility. It was Quintus Metellus who in my view best described the goals of most Roman Nobility in the eulogy to his father: " his father had achieved the ten greatest and highest objects in the pursuit of which wise men pass their lives: for he had made it his aim to be a first-class warrior, a supreme orator and a very brave commander, to have the direction of operations of the highest importance, to enjoy the greatest honor, to be supremely wise, to be deemed the most eminent member of the senate, to obtain great wealth in an honorable way, to leave many children, and to achieve supreme distinction in the state; " ( Pliny, Natural History 7.13). Funerals presented an opportunity to summarize each man's doings and eternally link them to the achievements of his Gens.
Any Noble was expected to continue the heritage of his ancestors and hoped to rise above the level set by them by such action to became worthy of his family tree. In order to understand better what such achievement meant we have to clear the word "Noble". It comes from the Latin word "nobilis", meaning "someone well-known to the community" and in Rome to be well known to community one had to be known in the area of art of delivering a speech ( Ars Oratoria), wealth and of course the most important is to be associated with military achievements. (We can also review the making of the thumbs showing us the most important things to remember the passed by, most of the things are military, with primary evidence for that engravings on a thumbs of Scipio family in Rome.)
There is no argument about Rome military expansionist nature; we have testimonies from various prime sources of that era and also city's conquests maps provide an evidence to support that assumption. From the city establishment Rome has revolved around it's expansion and at that time expansion explicitly meant conquests. Such militancy was deep imprinted in the city's backbone with almost everything, even the Roman calendar revolving around it, effectively starting the year at the most convenient period to start a military campaign - spring. Typically beginning of a year was used for army mobilization and a war with one of their neighbors with almost a biological necessity for such a campaign (C. Nicolet, problemes de la guerre a Rome, 117).
Military service was mandatory for every citizen and was required for any advance in Roman society. Achievements during the service were crucial for public opinion of an individual. Noble man viewed himself and was seen by others in light of his ancestry military history. Historic events, he knew of being conducted in his family provided him with a target driving him to volunteer to dangerous missions and perform bravely in battles (Polybius 6.54). Military carrier was also a source getting wealth in form of trophies and spoil that soldier gained upon successful campaign. It was a common practice at that time that upon a burial, trophies collected by an individual were displayed and worshiped providing additional prove to his achievement and in the eyes of Romans supporting a memory of triumphs and such memory will live forever.( Pliny, Natural History 35.6)
Theme of Gens achievements is so important to the Noble that on social events it was not uncommon to declare of ancestral bravery in form of an ode or a song (Cicero, Tusculan Disputations 4.2.3). Such declarations as well as burial panegyrics influenced the listeners and created by their own words linkage with an event (Sallust The Jugurthine War 4.5 (Loeb trans., modified)).
After successful term as a military tribune, one could continue and be voted to different civil duties according to "cursus honorum", a path that every man in Rome would must undertake in order to reach elite executive or legislative posts. Achievement of a posts above military tribune introduces additional parameter on which Nobles were measured upon; it's being the "age of entrance to the post" with younger of course considered more desirable. Public knowledge, a Nobility of a person was created at this stage not only by acts of bravery or war time success but also by the art of delivering a speech ( Ars Oratoria), court presentations and of course deeds for the City wellbeing (Achievement mentioned on the thumb of Lucius Cornelius Scipio).
As an example on Nobility creation we can look on a life of Scipio Aemilianus himself becoming known valor in battle when being considered dead returned victorious covered in blood of his enemies. (Plutarch, Life of Aemilius Paullus 22.2-4) Scipio being biological son of Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus and from his last name we can lean the he was the conquerer of Macedonia and an adopted grandson of Scipio Africanus (Elder) the defeater of “Hannibal of Carthage” later on combined his popularity and his ancestry tree in order to be elected consul prior to allowed age. (Livy, Periochae 49 and 50, Velleius Paterculus 1.12.2-3.) The good thing about Scipio is that him living at 185 - 129 BC and having Polybius as a close friend we have him quite well documented with both primary and secondary evidences.( Polybius xxxv. 4, xxxix.; Veilerius Pat. i. 12; Florus ii. 15, 17, 18; Appian, Punica, 72, 98, 113-131, IIisp. 48-95, Bell. Civ. i. 19; Plutarch, Aemilius Paullus, 22, Tiberius Gracchus, 21, C. Gracchus, 10; Gellius iv. 20, v. 19; Cicero, De oral. ii. 40.)
To summarize it is safe to say that goals of Roman nobility forged with strong sense of accessory to familial esse and connection to ancestry deeds and legacy. (Cicero On Duties (addressed to his son) 2.44 (Loeb trans.)) It was however expected from Roman nobleman to prefer interests of the state to agenda of his family and when doing so he received extraordinary honors among this countryman. (Polybius 6.54)
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