Early Rome

Two approaches to early Rome

1) Archaeological

Inscriptions

Pottery/material culture of early Italy

Excavations in Rome
2) Literary/narrative

First history of Rome written around 215 BCE by
Fabius Pictor (in Greek)

Sources?
 Archaeological timeline
4000 BCE: People arrive in Italy (agriculture)
1800 - 1200 BCE: Bronze Age
1200 - 900 BCE: Late Bronze Age
900 - 700 BCE: Iron Age
725 - 580 BCE: Orientalizing Period
580 - 480 BCE: Archaic Period
Villanovan Culture

‘Culture’ – a set of types of artifacts
that indicate a particular society

900 BCE – early 500s BCE

Bigger settlements (1000+ people)

Possibly several villages into one

‘Proto-urban’

Distinctive burials
Villanovan Culture
Latial Culture

Variant of Villanovan

Hut-urns
Topography of Rome
 Archaeology of Rome

~1000 BCE:
 First evidence of
human habitation on
Capitoline Hill
 burials in Forum
Writing
I am the drinking cup of
Nestor, good to drink from.
Whoever drinks this cup,
immediately the desire will
seize him of beautiful-
crowned Aphrodite.
8th century Rome

Huts on the Palatine
 8th-6th century Rome

Forum Boarium

Greek pottery

Trade
 Mid 7th century Rome

Forum (Romanum)
cleared

Around 625 BCE: paved

Houses built in stone
 Early buildings

Regia, Curia Hostilia:
about 600 BCE
 The Lapis Niger (Black Stone)

Inscription on column underneath:
570-550 BCE

Mentions king
The Lapis Niger (Black Stone)
 Capitoline Temple

Early 500s BCE

Jupiter Optimus Maximus

Jupiter, Juno and Minerva
The Rest of Italy

Greeks

Etruscans

Samnites (Osco-
Umbrian language)
Greeks
Greeks
Etruscans

Cities on Villanovan
sites (Villanovan
culture = Etruscan
people)

Prominent in
Orientalizing and
Archaic periods
 Etruscans: origins?

Option 1: Eastern origin
 Herodotus (5th century BCE):
migration from Lydia (Asia
Minor)
 Language is non-Indo-European,
unrelated to any other known
language
 One exception: Lemnos stele
(6th century BCE)
 Etruscans: origins?

Other eastern
influences?
Divination, art
 Etruscans: origins?

Option 2:
Indigenous to Italy
 Dionysius of
Halicarnassus
(writing 1st
century BCE/CE)
 Continuity with
Villanovan culture
 Importation of
Greek pottery –
eastern influence
 Etruscans

Language and
culture in
common, not
unified politically

Etruscans and
Rome: influence
or control?
Osco-Umbrian speakers

Language related to
Latin

Most important
people: Samnites

Hill people

Probably relied on
pastoralism

Transhumance
 Samnites

Made up of four tribal groups,
each administered by a meddix

Banded together in the face of
a threat
 Key points: archaeology

State developing in the context of
multiple cultures present in Italy –
mutual influences

Connections demonstrated by
material culture, trade, etc.

Rome in an Italian and Mediterranean
context

Development of writing and
urbanization

Evidence of phase of construction and
organization approx 650-550 BCE
 Latin names

Praenomen, nomen, cognomen

Gaius Julius Caesar

Abbreviations for praenomina:

In general:
 Prose: Author Title of work Book#.Paragraph#

Livy Ab Urbe Condita 1.48

Cicero Pro Caelio 30

Cato On Agriculture 1.2.1
 Poetry: Author Title of work Book#.Line#

Vergil Aeneid 1.200

Ovid Metamorphoses 3.89

Title of the work can be omitted if it’s the author’s only work

No page numbers!

Standard abbreviations for authors and texts
Discussion questions: Cato On Agriculture
1) What can we learn about what Romans thought was important from this text?
2) What can we learn about daily life and how Romans lived?
3) What can we learn about the society and culture in which Cato lived?
4) Do you have questions about the text? Comments?
5) Poll question: Would you follow his advice? (You can include discussion but
please vote yes or no!)

To note:
 Please use correct citation style
 Only one submission per group
 Include names of all temporary group members
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