大学英语文化与影视课程之古罗马文化分析解析

RomanCulture2.1RomansandGreeks★TheburningofCorinthin146B.C.markedRomanconquestofGreece,whichthenwasreducedtoaprovinceoftheRomanEmpire.★LatinwasthelanguageofthewesternhalfoftheRomanEmpire,Greekthatoftheeasternhalf.★ThingssharedbytheRomansandtheGreeks◆Bothpeopleshadtraditionsrootedintheideaofthecitizen-assembly,hostiletomonarchyandtoservility(奴颜媚骨).Question:Whatkindofidealdidbothpeoplespursueintheirpoliticallife?◆Theirreligionswerealikeenoughformostoftheirdeitiestobereadilyidentified.•雅努斯Janus门神，具有前后两个面孔或四方四个面孔，象征开始。朱庇特Jupiter神王。相对应于希腊神话的宙斯Zeus.朱诺Juno神后，相对应于希腊神话的赫拉Hera.墨邱利Mercury神的使者，相对应于希腊神话的赫耳墨斯Hermes.维纳斯Venus美神、爱神，相对应于希腊神话的阿佛洛狄德Aphrodite。•玛尔斯Mars战神，相对应于希腊神话的阿瑞斯Ares。但形象较阿瑞斯正面许多。•萨敦Saturn朱庇特的父亲，相对应于希腊神话的科罗努斯Kronus。•玛亚Maia墨邱利的母亲，花神。狄安娜Diana月亮女神，相对应于希腊神话的阿尔忒弥斯Artemis。阿波罗Apollo太阳神，希腊和罗马名字相同。米诺娃Minerva智慧女神，相对应于希腊神话的雅典娜Athena。赛尔斯Ceres谷物和丰收女神，相对应于希腊神话的狄蜜特Demeter。伏尔肯Vulcan火神，维纳斯的丈夫，相对应于希腊神话的赫斐斯托斯Hephaestus。尼普敦Neptune海王神，相对应于希腊神话的波赛东Posidon，朱庇特的弟弟。普鲁托Pluto冥神，相对应于希腊神话的哈底斯Hades，朱庇特的弟弟。丘比特Cupid小爱神，维纳斯的儿子，相对应于希腊神话的爱罗斯Eros。欧若拉Aurora黎明女神，相对应于希腊神话的厄俄斯Eos。◆Theirlanguageworkedinsimilarways,andwereultimatelyrelated,bothbeingmembersoftheIndo-EuropeanlanguagefamilywhichstretchesfromBangladeshtoIceland.★Differences◆Therewasonebigdifference.TheRomansbuiltupavastempirewhiletheGreeksdidn’texceptforthebriefmomentofAlexander’sconquest,whichsoondisintegrated.◆TheRomanswereconfidentintheirownorganizationalpower,theirmilitaryandadministrativecapabilities,shownbytheuniformitywithwhichtheyputtheirsystemsmoothlyandquicklyintoeffect,whereverintheworldthewent.◆TheRomansknewthattheGreeksenjoyedanartisticandintellectualinheritancemucholderandimmeasurablyricherthantheirown.Theyrespectedthisinheritanceandassimilateditfortheartisticenrichmentoftheirownculture.Question:TheRomanwriterHoracesaid,“CaptiveGreecetookherrudeconquerorcaptive.”(被征服的希腊征服了它野蛮的征服者)Whatdoesitmean?2.2RomanHistory★Theyear27B.C.dividedthehistoryofRomeintotwoperiods:beforethenRomehadbeenarepublic;inthatyear,OctaviustooksupremepowerasemperorwiththetitleofAugustus.★Twocenturieslater,theRomanEmpirereacheditsgreatestextreme,encirclingtheMediterranean,reachingScotlandinthenorthandspreadingintoAmericaandMesopotamiaintheeast.Theemperorsreliedonastrongarmy—thefamousRomanlegions(军团)—andanefficientbureaucracytoexerttheirrule,whichwasfacilitatedbyawell-developedsystemofroads.ThustheRomansenjoyedalongperiodofpeacelasting200years,aremarkablephenomenoninhistoryknownasthePaxRomana(罗马治下的和平).Questions(1)WhatdoesPaxRomanamean?PaxRomana〔罗马治下的和平〕成为字典的一个短语，指一个强权通过它的开明政治和法律给整个世界带来了和平昌盛。被征服的民族可能会心怀不满，但是只要愿意接受罗马的统治，生活也是很安定的。公元前的几个世纪，亚平宁半岛上的一个小部族，罗马，逐步地、稳定地、不可阻挡地扩张着，公元前两个世纪，罗马逐一击败它的对手，占据了迦太基、马其顿、希腊、小亚细亚、埃及，凯撒征服了不列颠。公元后的二个世纪，到所谓“五贤帝”治下，差不多整个西方世界都包罗进了罗马的版图。地中海世界第一次实现了真正的统一。•地中海是战乱不断的地方，直到今天仍然是各种文化冲突的大舞台，巴勒斯坦和以色列就在地中海边上。但在罗马帝国的统治下，整个地中海成为一个统一国家的内海，不再有敌国之间的征战，不再有海盗船出没。罗马帝国的强大、繁荣、和平，不但在古代的西方世界绝无仅有，就是今天回顾，仍让人叹为观止。且不说罗马的道路，罗马的公共体育场，单说用水一项。历史学家告诉我们，罗马城里的人均用水量比最能浪费水资源的美国人还多。罗马的各个城市里，到处建有公共浴室，供市民享受，其规模之大，有的能同时容纳三千人。为了保证清洁的水质，很多城市的用水是通过水道从远处的山泉引入的，水道穿过山野，凿隧道，架桥梁，长达数十公里。其建筑十分精准坚固，两千年后的今天，仍有很多留存在那里。在罗马城以及其他很多城市，地下水道纵横交织。(2)WhatproverbscanyouthinkofinrelationwiththeRomanEmpire?AllroadsleadtoRome.WheninRome,doastheRomansdo.★Theempirebegantodeclineinthe3rdcentury,increasinglytroubledbytheinroadsofnortherntribessuchastheGoths.★Inthe4thcenturytheemperorConstantinemovedthecapitalfromRometoByzantium,renameditConstantinople(君士坦丁堡,modernIstanbul).After395,theempirewaspermanentlydividedintoEastandWest.In476thelastemperoroftheWestwasdeposedbytheGothsandthismarkedtheendofthewestRomanEmpire.★TheEastRomanEmpirecollapsedwhenConstantinoplefelltotheTurksin1453.★ThegreatcontributionbytheRomansThegreatcontributionbytheRomanstoEuropeanculturewasRomanlaw.Initsearlieststage,onlyanumberofpatricians(贵族)knewthecustomarylegalprocedure.WhentheruleswereputintowritinginthemiddleofthethirdcenturyB.C.,itmarkedavictoryoftheplebeians(平民).Therewasfurtherdevelopmentoflawundertheemperorsuntilitwascodified(完整编撰),eventuallytobecomethecoreofmoderncivilandcommerciallawinmanywesterncountries.2.3LatinLiterature★ProseMarcusTulliusCicero(106-43B.C)HeplayedanimportantroleintheRomansenate,wasnotedforhisoratoryandfinewritingstyle.HislegalandpoliticalspeechesaremodelsofLatindiction.Hiseloquent,oratoricalmannerofwriting,describedasCiceronian,hashadanenormousinfluenceonthedevelopmentofEuropeanprose.◆Cicero’sfamoussayingsThegoodofthepeopleisthechieflaw.(宪法应该体现人民的利益)Towhoseprofit?(代表谁的利益?)JuliusCaesar(102/100?-44B.C.)HewasanotherandmoresuccessfulgeneralwhobecamedictatorinRomeforafewyearsuntilhewasassassinated.Herecordedwhathedidandsawinthevariousmilitarycampaignshetookpartinandthesewritings,collectedinhisCommentaries(《恺撒战记》),aremodelsforsuccinctLatin.Likethegreatcommanderhewas,heusedlanguagewitheconomyandferocity,sothatwordsfellalmostwiththestrokeofanironchisel(凿子)onstone.Someofhissayingarestillrememberedtoday.●Icame,Isaw,Iconquered.●Thedieiscast.(孤注一掷)●Menwillinglybelievewhattheywish.★Poetry◆Lucretius(about93-50B.C.)卢克莱修HewrotethephilosophicalpoemOntheNatureofThings(