Religion was so important to the Romans that it "helped in the control of armies, in encouraging plebs, in producing good men, and in shaming the bad" (Machiavelli, 140). ... "Religion can be used, that is, to inspire- and if necessary to terrorize- the ordinary populace in such a way as to induce them to prefer the good of their community to all other goods" (Skinner, 62). ... However, with time the kings of Rome became corrupt since other forms of government were not incorporated into it. ... Therefore, the masses overthrew the kings and incorporated a new system of government where ru...

• Word Count: 1335
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Livy says that he wishes his readers to note how men lived, and how eventually the state was ruined when discipline broke down bit by bit (Preface), and this is a great example of that. Livy is stating that once men acted with justice and gave respect to their political opponents. After all, they were still Roman citizens. ... Just as Augustus is re-establishing the Republic as a guise for his control and restoring Rome to the political freedom it had once known, Livy is relating to the population that such men existed who fought by means of the law, rather than with clubs and knives. ... To d...

• Word Count: 2928
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate