“En Romanos, rerum dominos, gentemque togatum!” – Whoa, the Romans, masters of the world, the toga-wearing people!
[Quote taken from one of her presentation slides]
Last week I attended Dr. Emma Dench’s Athenaeum talk on “What Can The Romans Do For Us?” Dr. Dench used chronologically-organized anecdotes, myths, and artifacts from her studies of ancient Rome to reflect on modern conceptualizations and applications of Roman ideals and practices. She argued for a deeper appreciation for the dynamic and complex model of Rome that would go on to inspire many of our own modern institutions and concepts including empire, migration, human differences, art, and civilization as a whole. Even on the most basic level of our perceptions of Rome, she revealed the paradox of an empire glorified in violence and injustice that clashes terribly with the high esteem we hold for this ancient society and scholarship’s historical lamentation for the fall of the empire. She described this paradox more personally, when she characterized the violent, sexist, racist aspects of Roman culture that she has passionately studied and dedicated her life’s work to. She laughed at this and quipped, “But I love to hate the Romans!”
She began by delving into the foundational myths of Rome, which are dominated by the narratives of Aeneas and the legendary brothers and founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. She highlighted Roman origins as primarily representations of refugees; from the twins being abandoned, washed ashore and cared for by a wolf, to the infamous rape of the neighboring Sabines, to the later political practice of extending Roman citizenship to all conquered peoples and even freed slaves. This hybrid history shows up on monuments like the column of Trajan that depicts a unit of dreadlocked soldiers from North Africa, and even on rogue imperial coins modeled after those of Marcus Aurelius yet with the face of a rebellious Syrian emperor of Palmyra named Vaballathus.
Interestingly enough, she pointed out that the Romans were interested in conquering (generally through violence), and not the exportation of their culture, as modern mindsets tend to assume. Yet the resulting “glue of the Empire,” constitutes a common humanity we share with the Romans. I really enjoyed how she explored Roman legacy as a means of understanding and aspiring to our own personal legacies and that of our greater collective society’s legacy. By recognizing compatibilities, parallels, and differences between societies like Rome and our own, we gain a greater awareness of ourselves.
Emma Dench is author of From Barbarians to New Men: Greek, Roman, and Modern Perceptions of Peoples from the Central Apennines (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1995) and Romulus’ Asylum: Roman Identities from the Age of Alexander to the Age of Hadrian (Oxford University Press, 2005). Currently, she is working on a study of the retrospective writing of the Roman Republican past in classical antiquity, as well as finishing Imperialism and Culture in the Roman World for the Cambridge University Press series Key Themes in Ancient History.
Ancient Greek Art and Archaeology 
Dear Bryn,
I really wanted to attend this talk myself because I’m fascinated by Roman Art and their history, especially after the roman art course I took a year ago. I agree with Dr. Emma Dench’s point on how there’s a paradox between their glory history and their violent past. I think especially, with a lot of the artifacts erected in Rome, it’s easy to gloss over the negative and violent aspects and focus on admiring the beautiful sculptures presented. However, upon closer look, like you mentioned, the Trajan Column has “a unit of dreadlocked soldiers from North Africa” sheds light on the problematic nature of the Roman Empire. I remember visiting Rome and walking around the Trajan’s column. I hate to admit it but the ‘wow’ factor that the column has, definitely overpowers some of the finer details. Thus, I think it is important to recognize some of these details prior to visiting these artifacts in person in order to get the full picture. Thanks for sharing some of your insight for the talk, really enjoyed and appreciate your reflections!
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Bryn,
Your critique of Rome’s egalitarian reputation is spot on. Rome is viewed as a shinning example of democracy, development and enlightenment but the reality of Rome is quite different. It is completely obvious that the Romans glorify violence. Even their staple sport is a blood bath, Roman gladiators would hack each other to bits in front of cheering audiences. Their thirst for conquest was insatiable, hence their legacy and influence. I see many parallels with the Rome and the U.S. Both gained prominence through conquest and slave labor and both glorify battle and violence to an extent. The U.S and Rome are also both considered by many to be pinnacles of democracy and civilization. I supposed the victors in history are truly the one’s who get to write it, hence the conflict between their reputations and realities.
-Pat
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