Using the Past in the Present: Trojan Rome and Ilium

Christopher Bravo (University of Arizona)

The Roman myth of the city’s Trojan ancestry, which has been glorified most famously in Vergil’s Aeneid, and the consequent effects of this myth are the subjects of this project. Specifically, during the late Republican and early Imperial periods, the question of whether Rome favored the Hellenistic settlement of Ilium, due to its connection to Rome’s ancestral city, Troy, or instead treated the city no differently from any other Mediterranean settlement will be explored. Was Ilium indeed treated benevolently, or did Roman officials separate their myths from their politics? As I will show, Rome, with a few exceptions, did favor Ilium; however, this conclusion is not as simple as it may first seem. One must also ask if Rome favored Ilium due to its Trojan past, or did Roman officials exploit the mythical past for diplomatic gain. Albeit with a tempered hesitance, I will provide evidence for the latter—perhaps Troy has been duped again.

The majority of the primary evidence for this study lies in the extant histories from the period. Selections from books 33 through 38 of Livy’s history and books 18 through 22 of Polybius’ work are consulted primarily, as significant portions of these books recount Rome’s diplomatic, economic, and military activities in Asia Minor. Additionally, passages from the works of Suetonius, Plutarch, Strabo, and Appian will also be discussed, since important sections of their works focus on the Roman expansion into and administration of the region. Relevant material finds from the site, especially epigraphic material, will also be considered, though the primary focus of this project will be in the literary sources. The goal of this study is to determine the effects and influence of Rome’s mythical Trojan beginnings, which may perhaps explain the constant reference to this foundation myth in this period.

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