Hero of Rome (extra credit)

"Sword and Sandal" movies (also called peplum movies) were really popular when I was growing up. They range very greatly in quality, but some of them show really well the lasting influence of the stories of Roman history. One of my favorites is Hero of Rome.

The film is set just after the expulsion of the Tarquins.  The Etruscan leader Lars Porsenna has launched an effort to restore Tarquin the Proud to the throne.  The "Mucius" you see at the beginning of the film earns the nick-name  Scaevola (the left-handed) for reasons that will become apparent in the first 15 minutes of the film. 

For extra credit, watch the first 15 minutes of the film--or the whole movie if you like.  What do you see here that shows the importance of the stories of early Roman in turns of their influence on subsequent history? 

Livy--Stories from Early Rome

Please read the Preface and Book I of Livy's History of Rome). Read the preface carefully. Skim through Book I, concentrating on stories you find particularly interesting.

Unfortunately, the formatting and arrangement of the online Livy history makes for tough reading.  You might find it easier to look at the Baldwin project version of Livy.  This are "retellings" of the stories, but close enough for our purposes.  Just click on any of the first six links in the left hand column, and you'll get to a story you can easily read and comment on.

After you've done the reading, choose one (1) character from one of the Livy stories that you think particularly interesting. What parts of the story do you think really happened, and what parts do you disbelieve? Why? How is the story of this character important for understanding Roman history/subsequent history?