Lecture 12 Rise and Fall of Roman Republic

8/3/2019 Lecture 12 Rise and Fall of Roman Republic

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Rise and Fall of the Roman

Republic


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Outline Platos philosophy (Conclusion)

Darwin and Plato Crito The Near Death Experience of the

Soldier Er and the Purpose of Life(teleology!)

Rome Cosmopolitan versus Greek Polis law Similarities and Differences between

Greek and Roman origins


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Return to Darwin The sight of a feather in a peacocks

tail, whenever I gaze at it, makes mesick. Charles Darwin

New York Times, Feb. 10, 2009 D4


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The problem Recall Darwins main theory:

Chance variation Natural selection: the external

environment, not the purposeful actionof individuals, selects those individualsthat are fit to survive

The peacocks tail seems to be anobstacle to survival

Thinking about this made Darwinsick, because it seems to contradict

his theory.


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Darwins solution "We may conclude thatthose males

which are best able by their variouscharms to please or excite thefemale, are under ordinarycircumstances accepted. If this beadmitted, there is not much difficultyin understanding how male birdshave gradually acquired theirornamental characters," Darwin

wrote.


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The answer is love of beauty

At the time, Darwin's theory onfemale choice in animals, and birdsin particular, was revolutionary, andhe spent pages justifying a bird'sappreciation of beauty and thequality of "love" that must be feltbetween a pair bonding for life.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/09/0909_peacock.html


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Teleology in evolution? Why does the peahen choose her

mate? Because of its beautiful tail feathers > Its not the external, unconscious

environment that selects, but thefemale peahen: Teleology, purposeful choice, inevolution

Why does the peahen have a love of the beautiful? Why is nature sobeautiful?


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Argument of the Crito 1) Critos appeal to Socrates: save

yourself (family, friends, etc.) 2) S: We must not do anything

wrong. Right? 3) C: What could be wrong with

fleeing an unjust sentence? 4) S: Imagine putting this question to

the Laws, and having them reply.


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The Laws are your trueparents

Are we not, first, your parents? Throughus your father took your mother and bagatyou. Tell us, have you any fault with those

of us that are the laws of marriage? Ihave none, I should reply. Or have youany fault to find with those of us thatregulate the nurture and education of thechild, which you, like others, received? Didwe not do well in bidding your fathereducate you in music and gymnastics?(Platos Crito )


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Nature of Law The laws give us birth, education. We can change states, choose other

laws. We actively participate in law-

making.

=> Voluntary agreement with theLaws (like a contract in trade,business)


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Was Socrates UnjustlyCondemned?

The procedure of the law has notbeen violated.

Even if the court makes a mistake in judgment, it does so according to theLaws and so must be obeyed.

What if everyone could escape acourt decision?

-> The laws would be destroyed.


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Platos argument for theimmortality of the soul

1) Eternity of Beauty, of certaintruths of geometry

2) We can recognize (recollect,remember) these truths

3) So we have in us somethingimmortal which enables us to knowimmortal Reality

4) I.e, the God-like element is withinus, the soul.


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Real nature of knowledge 5) To know something is to commune

with that thing to identify with it, beone with it. I.e., real knowledge is more like love: a

transcendence of separate ego identity E.g., experience of transcendence

(losing yourself) in creative knowledgeor love.


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NDE of the Soldier Er Ers voyage to the Elysian Fields Next life lottery

Odysseus choice Recall teleology: what is the purposeof my existence? Why was I born to

my parents?


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Rise and Fall of the Roman

Republic Charles Gibbon: History of The

Decline and Fall of the RomanEmpire Spodek lists Gibbons reasons for fall of

the Empire (197-8) Empire presupposes the fall of the

Roman Republic Why did the Republic fall? How did it

arise?


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Roman Timeline 1) 494-440: struggle of the orders >

republic: Twelve Tablets of the Law, 451 2) 405-264 Internal, Italian wars 3) 264-146 Struggle with dominant

external power of Carthage (3 Punic Wars) 4) 134 -71 BCE --Renewed class warfare: 3

Slave wars: 5) Fall of Republic (Emperor Augustus

Caesar, 27 BCE - 14 CE) 6) Fall of Empire 476 CE


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New order of events Greece:

1 st defend itself against aggressive land-power of Persia

Then fight among themselves for power Rome:

1 st fights with Italian neighbors forpower

Then takes on the dominant sea-powerof Carthage


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Greek and Roman Empires Greek empire under Alexander

Short duration of unity: 331 323 (BCE) Division soon after death of Alexander

Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt to 31 BCE:Octavian, who becomes Augustus Caesar,defeats Anthony and Cleopatra at Battle of Actium

Seleucid empire (Persia) lasts to 200 BCE

Greeks returned to internal warfare betweencity-states Roman empire: long duration

Empire from 27 BCE to 476 CE

Why this striking difference?


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Similarities of origin Iron-age agriculture on rain-watered

lands Freedom of independent peasants Internal inequalities > debt

enslavement

Early struggle of the orders Roman phalanx Plebeians refuse to fight for patricians >

veto > Re ublican institutions


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Reason for success of Plebs Military power based on iron Power of the phalanx

Dependence of Roman aristocracy onfree, prosperous peasant army No already existing state

= Similar to Greece


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Role of Commerce Most peasants elsewhere: subsistence

producers Greece and Rome: produce for

international market Dry summer climate of Mediterranean

good for Olives, Winter

=Wealth from peasants elsewhere > Greater freedom possible for local peasants


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Difference: Geographic Challengefor Romans

Athens, Sparta: divided by mountains > Greek: narrow polis law for locals only Rome is open to Italian territories > Rome: law for others too Roman stick and carrot creates all Italian

army Stick: war Carrot: Roman citizenship


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Reason for differences Romans must deal with neighbors

from the start Rape of the Sabine Women

Hence Roman law is cosmopolitan Hence: Rome first unites with others

in Italy creating a powerful army of

many nationalities Hence: Rome builds a long-lastingempire

The lasting influence of Greece iscultural not olitical: the Hellenistic


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Polis law and CosmopolitanLaw

Alexander: Pharaoh in Egypt, King inPersia

No Greek system of law: = Polis law only Athenian, Corinthian, etc. Legacy of Greek empire: cultural

(philosophy, art ) Roman empire is based on

Cosmopolitan law


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Republican Institutions > Plebian Assembly, Tribune with

Veto power Aristocracy: Senate Two consuls (Presidents) elected

annually

Other assemblies Military: Centuriate Assembly Assembly of the People: moderates

conflict


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Limitation of Romanfreedom

Law forbids enslavement of Romans Patricians continue to expand wealth

using foreign slaves conquered inRoman wars

> Pressure to expand, conquer

Roman peasant dies in battle Lands of poor bought up by wealthy > Impoverishment > urban

proletariat


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Irony of History Only some are free (Hegel) Greece:

Accept principle of enslaving others Romans enslave them

Rome Cheap slave-produced grain ruins small

farmer = Destruction of free Roman army,

eventual fall of Roman empire

Lecture 12 Rise and Fall of Roman Republic

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