Overview
The Roman Way by Edith Hamilton is an easily readable, informative account of the mindset of the Romans as illustrated in the lives & exploits of the great military & political leaders; the oeuvre of poets, playwrights & historians; & the insights of philosophers. The Roman Way spans a period of about 600 years, from 200 BC to 400 AD, high water marks of both republic & empire. The work's breadth is incredible. In treating such a wide range of subjects, she offers a richly dynamic story. She introduces the major figures in enough depth to make their voices come alive, in their own complexity as well as in the context of what was taking place in society. As a result, The Roman Way is very useful either as an introduction for a general reader or a synthesis of knowledge for those who have already studied these authors & history. Within the history are woven two ideas. 1st, while demonstrating Rome's debt to Greece, she contrasts Rome's pragmatism in the arts & sciences with Greek interests in philosophy & metaphysics. 2nd, she traces rudimentary similarities between the Roman & the 30's US worldview, particularly with respect to the arts. She points out that American pragmatism & culture often draw more from Roman values & virtues, as opposed to the Greek penchant for philosophical speculation. This latter point is suggestive but isn't a major focus. She's skilled at quoting from writings & accounts of historical figures, then explaining the context for these words. In her chapters on comedy she summarizes plays by Plautus & Terrence while translating key passages. The reader's exposed to a range of plays, experiences the language of specific scenes, then has a chance to consider her broader insights about the playwrights. A few short chapters cover the nature of Roman comedy, the role of women, how comedy competed with other spectacles & the influence of Greek drama on Plautus & Terrence. She covers considerable ground while offering a direct feeling of the content of the plays & their humor. For example, she notes that Roman comedies are often situational studies of the ordinary rather than philosophical or poetic, which is more typical of Greek comedy. To show exceptions to this generalization she excerpts two of the more far-reaching statements from Terrence & Plautus. Terrence remarks, "I am a man & nothing in mankind do I hold alien to me." Plautus expresses about the poet: "The poet seeks what is nowhere in all of the world,/And yet somewhere he finds it." Acknowledging these exceptions, she strengthens her point, showing the difference between the everyday & the philosophical. Both epigrams meanwhile satisfy a reader on their own terms: they're worth contemplation. Her chapters on Cicero, Julius Caesar, Catullus, Horace, Augustus, Virgil & Juvenal are similarly structured with engaging quotations & close analyses explained in their larger context. Her chapters offer snapshots of Rome at specific historical moments thru memorable anecdotes & quotations that give a sense of each figure's character. As an historian, she's exceptionally clear. Her erudition's deep yet her prose is direct.