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The History of Rome in the Regal Period

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2012

Plinio Fraccaro
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Extract

When we consider the information concerning the history of the earliest days of Rome which ancient authors have handed down to us, we have to ask ourselves : which parts of it are acceptable and which are not ? What, after all, do we really know about early Roman history ?

Modern scholars view these problems from very different psychological standpoints. Some of them ask why we should refuse credence to a venerable tradition which has been given an artistic form of great beauty by writers of genius, and which is full of lessons of political and moral importance. Others, however, seized with the full frenzy of the critic, and with uncompromising devotion to logic, discard all, or practically all, the tradition. Whatever the cost, they intend to reach the truth. These two conflicting tendencies prevail turn and turn about in accordance with the views dominating in different periods or with the different temperaments or ages of individual scholars.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Roman Studies , Volume 47 , Issue 1-2 , November 1957 , pp. 59 - 65
Copyright
Copyright ©Plinio Fraccaro 1957. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

1 The Origo twice quotes ‘annales pontificum libro IV’ (17, 3; 5), and once ‘annales libro IV’ (18, 4), where it is obvious that ‘pontificum’ has been left out.

2 The essential point had already been made by Beloch, , Gr. Gesch. I, 2, 5Google Scholar: ‘Es mag ja sein, dass es hier und da, namentlich in Ionien, Stadtchroniken schon seit der zweiten Hälfte des VI. Jahrhunderts gegeben hat; aber überliefert ist davon nichts, und von Athen wissen wir, dass es noch im V. Jahrhundert nicht der Fall gewesen ist (Thuk. 1, 97, 2); was neuere von dem “Exegeten” zu erzählen wissen, der eine solche Chronik seit anno Tobak geführt habe, sind Phantasien, die ein Blick auf die Beschaffenheit unserer Uberlieferung wiederlegt.’

3 See Beloch, Röm. Gesch. 40; although he does not suppose that the name of Horatius was on the pediment of the temple.