ABSTRACT
A man’s life is generally influenced or even determined, at least to some degree, by the lives led by his ancestors. This was even more characteristic of Republican Rome than of most societies. A Roman noble grew up very much in the shadow of his paternal ancestors. A family’s future was closely tied with its past and the young noble was constantly reminded of his heritage through seeing his ancestors’ portrait busts on display around the atrium or in procession at a funeral, reading inscriptions that recorded the public offices they had held, or hearing stories told about their lives, often repeated from detailed family histories. It was natural for Roman nobles to cultivate in their sons a driving ambition to imitate or even surpass the political and military achievements of their forefathers. Romans elected to the position of moneyer (triumvir monetalis) frequently chose coin-types that commemorated ancestors’ accomplishments. They were certainly aware that this kind of ‘public filial piety’ would reflect glory on their own names and help them gain public recognition and political success. In many ways then, the past continued to live and affect developments and lives in the present.
