Реферат: Interaction Between Political And Social Life In

Continuing on through the generations of Ancient Rome, the book climaxes at the point where Nero poisons Brittanicus’ wine to secure his own right to the throne, taking on his mother Agrippina’s murderous tactics. The fact that Lindsey Davis has concentrated more on the murderous and underhand tactics that both Agrippina and her son Nero have used to get their own way, rather than concentrate on the good they contributed to Rome is another indication of bias. Rather than being a directly written bias, she has used this bias more deceptively as a fictional writer, choosing to leave in all of these scandalous moments in Roman history to make “The Course of Honour” a dynamic book full of treachery and deceit, displayed in the following quote:

“(Brittanicus) stopped breathing. He fell…. Nero said- and announced it perfectly coolly- made the claim without a stammer- uttered it without a blush- that Brittanicus was epileptic, he had been epileptic all his life, and he would soon recover his senses and his sight.” (Davis, p.217)

This has been backed up by the following primary source:

“Nero still lay back unconcerned, and remarked that this often happened to epileptics, that Brittanicus had been one since infancy and soon his sight and consciousness would return” (Tacitus p.291)

However, a good side to Nero which has definitely not been showcased in “The Course of Honour” is the following quote from Nero himself:

“I bring with me no feud, no resentment or vindictiveness. From my house, bribery and favouritism will be excluded. I will keep personal and state affairs separate” (Tacitus p.286)

By the time Vespasian comes to be emperor in “The Course of Honour”, Rome seems to have gone through terrible strife, and as we near the end of the book Vespasian comes to the throne and all of Rome’s problems seem to be over. Meanwhile, Caenis is having a hard time living by herself and is somewhat sympathised by Davis, which is another form of bias. After Vespasians wife dies, he returns back to Caenis, as is detailed in the following account by Davis:

“Sometimes the most major events take place so quietly. Caenis was to live with Vespasian: it was as simple as that.” (Davis p.263)

The following primary source backs this up:

“(Vespasian) took up again with Caenis, his former mistress and one of Antonia’s freedwomen and secretaries, who remained his wife in all but name even when he became Emperor”.

The question which needs to be asked is whether Davis has felt sympathetic towards Caenis as a woman who waited around for a man her whole life and simply created the story around her. She is glorified into someone who was “the woman who exerted the greatest influence on the future Emperor.” (www.photo.stockton.edu/roman/all-records.cfm) when she is not present in most primary sources, and only given a brief notice in a secondary source, as follows:

“Caenis, who had been a freedwoman of Antonia, she too died before Vespasian did.” (www.britannica.com)

“The Course of Honour” finishes with a happy ending, where Caenis’ own slave proclaims Vespasian as:

“Titus Flavius Vespasianus, Conqueror of Britan and Hero of Judaea; Vespasianus Caesar Augustus – Consul, Chief Priest, father of his country and Emperor of Rome!” (Davis p.331)

Vespasian was a much-loved leader during his reign, although this isn’t too obvious in the book because the goings-on of Rome are seen through Caenis’ own eyes which are more focused on Vespasians personal characteristics rather than what he had achieved politically. However, a satisfying quote by Josephus which sums up the Romans adoration of Vespasian follows:

“Neither Senate nor people will put up with a filthy lout like Vitellius instead of a clean-living man like Vespasian, or turn down a kindly leader in favour of a despotic brute, or choose a childless man as their chief rather than a father, for the best guarantee of peace is the outstanding excellence of princes.” (Josephus, p.281)

Throughout her book “The Course of Honour”, Lindsey Davies has provided a very accurate account of Ancient Rome through the eye of a freedwoman, which details life as it was for the people of lower classes. At the same time her book provides an unsurpassed and easy-to-read account of the political life of the many emperors that were to reign up to Vespasians imperial court.

“The Course of Honour” contains only a small amount of bias. Mainly this is information left out of the book to make it either more interesting, exciting, or to make a particular character seem really vicious or god like – for example, Nero. Caenis is portrayed as an essential part to Vespasians life, when it is said nowhere through the book that Vespasian appreciated, understood or really even returned her undying love. However, it is only foreseeable that Davis, as a woman herself, could feel sympathetic to this kind of pathetic life lived by a woman back in the Ancient Roman age.

Seen through the eyes of a freedwoman, “The Course of Honour” is not just a story set in the time of Imperial Rome- it is a story based on fact. While there are limitations on primary sources to evaluate and fully cross-reference this material, it is obvious that Davis has researched her material well. “The Course of Honour” achieves its aim of being a reliable, valid and accurate representation of both social and political life in Ancient Rome, as well as being worthwhile reading material.

Bibliography

Referencing

1. The Course of Honour

Lindsey Davis. Arrow Publications 1998

2. The Jewish War

Josepus. Translated by G.A. Williamson. Penguin Books 1959

3. The Agricola and The Germania

Tacitus. Translated by H. Mattingly & S.A Handford. Penguin Books 1948

4. The Annals of Imperial Rome

Tacitus. Translated by Michael Grant. Penguin Books 1956