Archaic Rome in Soldier

Andrew Bollen · 16 Jun 2003, 01:30 · from urth-v0306.mbox · original

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From: "Andrew Bollen" <abollen at internode.on.net>
Subject: (urth) Archaic Rome in Soldier
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 11:30:58 +1000
Message-ID: <urth-v0306-3467 at digest.urth.net>
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How anachronistic are the glimpses we get? Eg: at the very start of =
Mist, Latro says that he would have though the commander of a warship =
would be a "horseman". Presumably by this he means somebody of =
equestrian rank, rather than a low-status money-grubbing merchant. This =
seems like an accurate portrayal of Roman attitudes during later times, =
but what do we know of such distinctions from the archaic period? I =
guess I need to go back to Livy or something.

Also, I have doubts about the picture of Athens presented in the same =
little passage. Did merchants really have high status in classical =
Athens? I have a mental picture of a society where the honorable path to =
wealth was through land, and booty taken in wars, and where on the =
nitty-gritty side of things the silver mines were a far more important =
part of the "GDP" and the war economy, than anything to do with trade & =
merchandise. Maybe I'm wrong, but the Hypereides character doesn't feel =
right.

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How anachronistic are the glimpses we =
get? Eg: at=20
the very start of Mist, Latro says that he would have though the =
commander of a=20
warship would be a "horseman". Presumably by this he means somebody of=20
equestrian rank, rather than a low-status money-grubbing merchant. This =
seems=20
like an accurate portrayal of Roman attitudes during later times, but =
what do we=20
know of such distinctions from the archaic period? I guess I need =
to go=20
back to Livy or something.

Also, I have doubts about the picture =
of Athens=20
presented in the same little passage. Did merchants really have high =
status in=20
classical Athens? I have a mental picture of a society where the =
honorable path=20
to wealth was through land, and booty taken in wars, and where on the=20
nitty-gritty side of things the silver mines were a far more important =
part of=20
the "GDP" and the war economy, than anything to do with trade =
&=20
merchandise. Maybe I'm wrong, but the Hypereides character doesn't feel=20
right.</BODY></HTML>

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