Nobilitas Values: Cornelii Scipiones and Cato the Edler
The Cornelii Scipiones family was a longstanding, exemplary “old money” Roman noble family. We luckily have epitaphs from their sepulcre along the Via Appia which offer primary source material for Roman noble values. The epitaphs of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, Publius Cornelius Scipio, and Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Hispanus each communicate core values of the noblitias.…
Livy’s Digression on Alexander
In his digression on Alexander, Livy unsurprisingly thinks that Rome would defeat Alexander in a hypothetical war. In his introduction, he offers three metrics to use in judging war: “the numbers and courage of the troops, the ability of the commanders, and Fortune” (9.16). In the digression itself, Livy historicizes both Alexander and notable Roman…
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