Page 149 - Western Civilization A Brief History, Volume I To 1715 9th - Jackson J. Spielvogel

Catullus’s ability to express in simple fashion his intense feelings and curiosity about himself and his world had a noticeable impact on later Latin poets.
The development of Roman prose was greatly aided by the practice of oratory. Romans had great respect for oratory because the ability to persuade people in public debate meant success in politics. Oratory was brought to perfection in a literary fashion by Cicero (SIS-uh-roh) (106–43 B.C.E.), the best exemplar of the literary and intellectual interests of the senatorial elite of the late republic and, indeed, the greatest prose writer of that period. For Cicero, oratory was not simply skillful speaking. An orator was a states- man, a man who achieved his highest goal by pursuing an active life in public affairs.
Later, when the turmoil of the late republic forced him into semiretirement from politics, Cicero became more interested in writing philosophical treatises. He performed a valuable service for Roman society by pop- ularizing and making understandable the works of Greek philosophers. In his philosophical works, Cicero, more than anyone else, transmitted the classical intel- lectual heritage to the Western world, but his original contributions came in the field of politics. His works On the Laws and On the Republic provided fresh insights into political thought, including the need for a mixed constitution: “a moderate and well-balanced form of government which is a combination of the three simple good forms (monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy) is preferable even to monarchy.”3
Roman Art
The Romans were also dependent on the Greeks for artistic inspiration. During the third and second centu- ries B.C.E., they adopted many features of the Hellenistic style of art. The Romans developed a taste for Greek statues, which they placed in their homes as well as in public buildings. Once demand outstripped the supply of original works, reproductions of Greek statues became fashionable. The Romans’ own portrait sculpture was characterized by an intense realism that included even unpleasant physical details. Wall paintings and frescoes in the houses of the rich realistically depicted landscapes, portraits, and scenes from mythological stories.
The Romans excelled in architecture, a highly practi- cal art. Although they continued to employ Greek styles and made use of colonnades, rectangular structures, and post-and-lintel construction, the Romans were also innovative. They made considerable use of curvilinear forms—the arch, vault, and dome—and were also the
first people in antiquity to use concrete on an enormous scale. By combining concrete and curvilinear forms, they were able to construct massive buildings—public baths and amphitheaters, the most famous of which was the Coliseum in Rome, which could seat 50,000 spectators. Roman engineering skills were also put to use in con- structing roads (the Romans built a network of 50,000 miles of roads throughout their empire), aqueducts (in Rome, almost a dozen aqueducts kept a population of 1 million supplied with water), and bridges.
Values and Attitudes
By nature a conservative people, the Romans were very concerned about maintaining the mos maiorum (MOHSS my-YOR-um), the customs or traditions of their ances- tors. They emphasized parental authority and, above all, their obligations to the state. The highest virtue was pietas (PY-i-tas)—the dutiful execution of one’s obligations to one’s fellow citizens, to the gods, and to the state.
By the second century B.C.E., however, the creation of an empire had begun to weaken the old values. The Romans began to focus more on affluence, status, and material possessions. Emphasis shifted toward indi- vidualism and away from collective well-being, the old public spirit that had served Rome so well. Romans who worried about the decline of the old values blamed it on different causes. Some felt that after the destruc- tion of Carthage, the Romans no longer had any strong enemies to challenge them. Others believed that the Romans had simply been overwhelmed by the affluence afforded by the new empire. And some blamed every- thing on the Greeks for importing ideas and practices baneful to the Romans. Of course, many Romans, though desirous of maintaining traditional values, were also well aware that the acquisition of an empire had created a new world with new demands and values.
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Republic (133–31 B.C.E.)
Q FOCUS QUESTION: What were the main problems Rome faced during the last century of the republic, and how were they ultimately resolved?
By the mid-second century B.C.E., Roman domination of the Mediterranean Sea was well established. Yet the process of building an empire had weakened and threatened the internal stability of Rome. This internal
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Republic (133–31 B.C.E.) 111
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