roman legends - mith or historical ?

[caesar44]

aeneas , nomitor , romulus and remus , numa , tullus , ancus , the traquinians , brutus , publicula , cincinatus , porsona and on and on - what do think really happened in early rome ? did the legends are basically true or just fictions ?

[PyrrhusofEpirus]

I know few about roman legend, but speaking in general, I think most of the legends have a historical basis. eg the Trojan myth and the discover of the ancient ruins in north-west Minor Asia (modern Turkey) across Gallipoli.

Another possible origin of legends is the personification of natural phenomena or historical procedures, like the transition of hunting and primitive societies to a more urbanized societies(think about the legend of Romulus and Remus and their "savage" growing up)

Thanks

[xemitg]

Well like most myths, they evolve over time until they were finally recorded and found their way to us. A simple truth or a man going out for lunch could be the basis for many an epic tale as PyrrhusofEpirus suggests.

[Franconicus]

I think these legend were made to give the Romans more glory and set them to one level with Greece.
It also worked for families. The Julii claimed to come from Venus.

[Dutch_guy]

I love the myths, don't think they really happened but as Pyrrus. said they must have some sort of historical base, how would they come up with those myths if not ?
there probably was some sort of man called Romulus and maybe he was very important, but it probably didn't go as the story's describes them

[Byzantine Prince]

I know few about roman legend, but speaking in general, I think most of the legends have a historical basis. eg the Trojan myth and the discover of the ancient ruins in north-west Minor Asia (modern Turkey) across Gallipoli.

Another possible origin of legends is the personification of natural phenomena or historical procedures, like the transition of hunting and primitive societies to a more urbanized societies(think about the legend of Romulus and Remus and their "savage" growing up)

Thanks

WOW, another Epirote.

I'm pretty suer people with those names existed, but I doubt they were as important as the meblished myths make them apear.

[caesar44]

There is a motion in the academy that considers all the roman chronology before 300 bce as a fiction - i think not

[The Wizard]

Aeneas, reality? The story it was based on maybe (the Iliad and the Odyssey), but not what Vergilius wrote.

You see, just look at the story. The entire structure of it is a simple reverse of Homer's tales, in the sense that Aeneas is lost at sea first (as opposed to Odysseus after the fall of Troy) and then has to make war in Italy to establish Latium for his Trojans.

Then there's the countless subtle references to Augustus and his family, the completely wacked out way Trojans are supposed to have come along and sailed to Italy straight through Greek seas, and I think you can safely say that the Aeneis is the world's first example of fiction.



~Wiz

[caesar44]

Aeneas is a mare fiction
but as i said , not all the legends are fictions and i belive that most of them based on truth
if we don't have livy's reports on the aequians and the volscians so how can we ever know about them ?