Nobility A Roman Model Essay - 1476 Words

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: The truly magnanimous man must therefore be a good man; and it seems, that whatever is great in any virtue belongs to the magnanimous character; for it never could be†¦show more content†¦Having made this distinction, it is now possible to say that the nobility of the Roman Republic were not entirely noble and that sometimes members of this class were in fact the opposite of noble. The exclusivity of the political world coupled with the power held by the nobility allowed this class to rule the Roman Republic. To understand the extent of the nobility’s influence on Romans it must be further examined who the nobility in Rome were, how they kept their power, as well as the selfish nature of the nobility. Nobility, as previously mentioned, was a very exclusive and nearly impenetrable social and political circle. However, the â€Å"political self-made man, could ascribe his success to his own energy and merits† (Gelzer 1969, 28). Gaius Marius was a fantastic example of the self-made man and he was able to be elected to consul an astounding seven times. Marius even referred to himself, in relation to his political stature and ancestry, as a ‘new man’ and contrasted his difficult ascent to this status with other nobles who’s ‘laziness’ was worse than his ‘low birth’. Marius points out the hypocrisy of the nobility when he says, â€Å"But if they are right to look down on me, they are doing the same to their own ancestors, whose nobility, like mine, began in honorable action† (Marius n.d., 89). Marius is essentially expressing his frustration with theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Corpse Of Brutus Essay1535 Words   |  7 PagesStanding over the corpse of Brutus, Antony begins his terse and final speech with the words â€Å"This was the noblest Roman of them all.† In order to discover the meaning of this claim, we must look to the next few lines in which Antony provides support for i t. He notes that â€Å"all the conspirators save only he / did that they did in envy of great Caesar.† This seems, at least regarding Brutus, to be accurate. We find evidence for this in the beginning of the scene set in Brutus’s orchard. Brutus saysRead MoreThe Myth Of Romulus And Remus Essay1515 Words   |  7 Pageswriters such as Livy and Ovid, provided a rough model of Roman leadership for future Roman generations, with Romulus in particular embodying Roman values and exclusively portrayed as a good king. Much of their mythic narrative reflects the political realities of the Res Publica and the empire; these realities shaped the way that their story was told by different generations, the past often being used to justify the present. The qualities of the model Roman leader have been laid out multiple times. NathanRead MoreThe Roman And Roman History1542 Words   |  7 Pagesperiod that is known as the Roman Peace (Pax Romana), from his reign in 27 B.C to his death in 14 A.D. In Virgil’s character Anchises (As seen above), Augustus is portrayed to have brought to fruition a golden age in Roman history. 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Rome was in a state of turmoil and Cincinnatus, asRead MorePolitical Ideas of Niccolo Machiavelli, Francesco Guicciardini, and Thomas Hobbes692 Words   |  3 PagesFlorence, and an absolute honorable sense of service to those ruling it. He hoped to make it great, powerful, and lasting like that of the Roman Empire. In Kelley, Machiavelli briefly mentions the books of Titus Livius, which gives him the opportunity to express his own views on the government of the state. Machiavellis model republic was that of the Roman commonwealth, the most successful and enduring example of popular government. He acknowledges three kinds of government, the monarchial, theRead MoreEssay about ITW1 Task 1 1121304 Words   |  6 Pageshuman form realistically, paying close attention to the model to capture the movements and emotions of the face and body. Women were commonly in reclining positions and draped. Men were typically nude to mirror godlike physiques. 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