Earlier this year we had the great privilege to be interviewed by Mark, host of the Casting Through Ancient Greece podcast. There are many points of worthy comparison between the ideas that permeate the worlds of early Greece and early Rome, so there was nothing for it but to sit down and compare narratives! You can find our interview Rome’s Early History with the Partial Historians here.
The foundation of Rome is top of mind for both of us as we’re deep in the middle of writing of book on this very topic. So any chance to explore early Rome in more detail is a real pleasure.
Foundation stories often reveal the values and qualities that the people understood to be significant. Rome certainly leans into the ability of the founders to read the patterns of nature, for instance, which not only emphasises an important skillset, but may also help us understand the connections between the Romans and their neighbours, the Etruscans. Foundation stories are also instrumental for considering oral storytelling and particularly how that transitions into the later written texts that survive. It’s fair to say that the early stories that the ancient Greeks and Romans told about their origins draws attention to the strong archetypes and themes that emerge through storytelling as it passed down the generations.
There’s exciting topics to explore when it comes to thinking about foundations and we were honoured to be a guest on Casting Through Ancient Greece – and what are the chances of there being three Aussies all talking ancient history!
If you’re interested in coming to grips with ancient Greece and all the potential it has to offer you might also enjoy Casting Through Ancient Greece.
Four caryatids at the Erechtheum, Acropolis, Athens, Greece. Photographer: Jebulon; Wikimedia Commons.
We hardly ever get the chance to post photos from ancient Greece so we’re taking this opportunity in both hands!
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