Fantini – Roman Revolutions

Roman Slavery in Film

By Fantini | May 12, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

For this actum, I watched the 1966 film A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. The movie is set in Rome during the time of Emperor Nero. One of the main characters, Hero, falls in love with a girl (Philia) that lives in a house of prostitutes run by Marcus Lycus. At the same time, a slave named Pseuolus wants to buy his freedom from his owners, Senex and his wife Domina (Hero’s parents). Hero and Pseudolus reach an agreement: If Pseudolus can help Hero get Philia, then Hero will give Pseudolus his freedom.

They find out that Philia has been sold to a powerful Roman soldier named Miles Gloriosus, who is about to arrive. After much shenanigans, Miles arrives and asks for his bride, threatening to burn the city and kill the main characters if he cannot have her. Pseudolus, wanting to preserve his ticket to freedom, dresses Senex’s male servant Hysterium as Philia and pronounces her dead. Miles is fooled initially, but eventually discovers the trick and captures all of the conspirators.

It eventually comes out that the real Philia and Miles are siblings, meaning they cannot marry. Hero and Philia are then allowed to be together. Miles instead takes a pair of Lycus’ other prostitutes, Pseudolus gets his freedom, and the movie ends happily ever after.

I thought this movie was a good reminder of the sophistication of Roman slaves, relative to slaves from other areas of humanity. As we learned in class, there existed a wide variety of slave/master relationships, including those in which the slave could be treated like family. Pseudolus, despite his status as a slave, is socially competent and has normal interactions with free citizens. He also had great rhetorical and persuasive skills, which a commonly defined slave wouldn’t have.

The Roman concept of friendship also appears in this film. Pseudolus and Marcus Lycus agree to impersonate each other, a plan that benefits both parties. Lycus then remarks that he and Pseudolus are “true friends.” In this context, friendship refers to the relationship between patron and client as opposed to the modern definition.

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Classics Colloquium 4/22: Friendship, Wisdom, and Virtue in Ancient Rome

By Fantini | April 22, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

Today I attended a classics colloquium at Bryn Mawr entitled “Wisdom and Friendship in Cicero’s De amicitia.” The speaker, Katharina Volk, spoke about how the ideas of wisdom, friendship, and virtue connected to one another and how they were interpreted by different ancient peoples.

Volk stated that erudite pursuits were part of life for most Roman senators. However, as much as they engaged in philosophy, they would not call themselves “philosophers,” for this title was typically applied to Greeks. As we have learned about in class this year, Romans cared deeply about appearing unique from the rest of the Mediterranean and differentiating themselves from the Greeks.

De amicitia, the focus of the talk, was a dialogue written by Cicero that included participation mainly from Gaius Laelius, as well as Gaius Fannius and Quintus Mucius Scaevola. Cicero chose Laelius to speak because of his wisdom. Laelius was even given the cognomen “sapiens,” which denoted general political wisdom.

However wise he appeared, Laelius wished to be remembered for friendship with the late Scipio Africanus instead. Volk labels this behavior as “urbane modesty” that was consistent with his character, or persona.

Cicero desired to create a uniquely Roman sphere of production, and his selection of Laelius made this possible. Laelius openly resented Greek schools of thought, despite not naming any individuals or schools in particular. In De amicitia, Laelius challenges Stoic conceptions of friendship by stating that only good people can be friends. In this way, he argues that friendship and virtue are intrinsically connected. Moreover, he asserts that the Stoic definition of virtue is too strict and virtually impossible to achieve.

Laelius also argues against the Stoic rejection of emotion. Volk spoke about how the Stoics traditionally warned against friendship due to how it can cause mental anxiety. Laelius responded to this by admitting that he had been mourning the death of Scipio (which had recently occurred). In Laelius’ view, the wise person and the virtuous person were one in the same.

I found it surprising that Laelius was the center of the colloquium. I expected that it would pertain more to Cicero than anyone else, considering that he authored De amicitia. The talk was really interesting, and there were lots of takeaways to be had about friendship, wisdom, and virtue in ancient Rome and Greece.

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The Fall of Rome (1963)

By Fantini | March 17, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

“The Fall of Rome” is a 1963 Italian film that pertains to the treatment of Christianity in Rome. It features Christian tribune Marcus, who is captured after Roman soldiers begin to kill Christians. One Christian boy, Julius, sees Roman soldiers stab his father right in front of him. The Romans force Marcus to fight as a gladiator, but before the fighting starts, he escapes into the forest with some of his men. There, he fends off Roman soldiers and forms an alliance with the Barbarians that live in the mountains. After some time, the Romans convince him to return to Rome, promising that if he wins a fight as a gladiator, imprisoned Christians will be freed. He returns and wins, freeing his Christian brothers. Marcus then agrees to fight against the Barbarians alongside Roman senator Gaius. The Romans lose to the Barbarians in a hard-fought battle, and consul Junius blames the defeat on Marcus and the Christians that assisted Rome. Upon returning to Rome, Romans seize Marcus and the other Christian soldiers, imprisoning them and sentencing them to death. Suddenly, an earthquake occurs, freeing the Christians and killing many others. Julius’ mother dies in the earthquake, and Marcus and his significant other Svetla agree to parent him.

The Roman treatment of Christians in this movie resembles the Passion of Perpetua. When the Romans captured the Christians in the movie, the Christians willingly sacrificed themselves in the name of God. Similarly, Perpetua chooses to engage in gladitorial fighting and give up her life rather than to renounce her Christian faith.

The idea of being a “latro” also presents itself in this film. In the forest, when the Christians meet the barbarians, Marcus introduces his people, saying that “we are not a band of brigands.” As we have learned, “brigand” is one of the many related translations of “latro.” Marcus delivers this message to say that his people are not outsiders, but a people that are willing to coexist with the barbarians.

The film portrays the Roman perception of Christians as naive and ignorant. At various points, other characters argue to Marcus that there is no afterlife, no God, and no reason to sacrifice oneself, and no reason to forgo violence. However, Marcus holds tightly onto his faith, and he manages to make it out alive in a happier-ever-after ending for the Christians.