The Romans

            The Roman people were a overly proud and highly .
             religious people, whose sense of identity as .
             romans came primarily from their accomplishments .
             in war and their respect of their ancestors. By .
             examining Livy's The Early History of Rome, we can .
             identify these traits through roman patterns of .
             behavior and the foundation myths that their .
             nation is built upon. .
             The romans repeatedly display not only an .
             overdeveloped personal sense of pride, but an .
             exceptional pride in their nation - taking .
             precedence over even family loyalty. The first .
             example of this Roman pride is seen in the very .
             first foundation myth of Rome, the tale of Romulus .
             and Remus. The second of the two versions of this .
             story tells how after the auspices have indicated .
             Romulus as the rightful leader of this new nation, .
             "Remus, by way of jeering at his brother, jumped .
             over the half-built walls of the new settlement, .
             whereupon Romulus killed him in a fit of rage, .
             adding the threat, "So perish whoever else shall .
             overleap my battlements( P.40 Livy) ."" Not only .
             do we see a foreshadowing of Rome's violent nature .
             in this tale, but it seems to indicate a strong .
             belief in the superiority of this ( barely .
             existant ) nation, one that necessitates a .
             national pride of greater magnitude than the even .
             the strength of the loyalty between brothers. .
             This kind of loyalty to country, as displayed by .
             the Rome's founder, certainly sets a precendent .
             for later roman citizens. Not surprisingly then, .
             we see this same kind of pride with similar .
             consequences later on following a battle between .
             Rome and the Albans. The victory had been .
             decided, not by a full scale war, but by a contest .
             between three men from each country ( two sets of .
             three brothers ). This contest left Rome .
             victorious and five people dead - only one roman .
             brother stood living. The victor returned to rome .
             carrying the "triple spoils" and,"slung across [ .
             his ] shoulders was a cloak, and [ his sister ] .