Plutarch, Life of Romulus 1
Study Guide Question for Pg. 1-5
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Virtues/Vices/Great Ideas: (Find them in the Text)
Myth, Justice, Fate vs. Fortune
Grammar Questions: (The Information of the Text)
According to one story, how did the Roman women win back the favor of their husbands after having burned their ships?
According to the “most authentic tradition”, after whom is Rome named?
According to the “altogether fabulous” story of Romulus’ origin, who intervened and saved the maidens from being put to death by Tarchetius?
Where did Amulius send his niece after he took possession of the kingdom?
Plutarch tells us that the name Faustulus is sometimes applied to two different men. Which two men are variously called by that name?
How were Romulus and Remus spared from death?
What was the “chief reason” why many people believed Mars was the father of Romulus and Remus?
What made the second Larentia famous in Rome?
For what purpose were the twin boys taken to Gabii?
What was the attitude and behavior of Romulus and Remus like as they grew older?
How did Remus come to be held captive by Amulius and then Numitor?
How was Amulius overthrown as king?
Logic Questions: (Interpreting, Comparing/Contrasting, Reasoning)
Why might it be that there are so many different stories about how Rome got its name?
Why didn’t Amulius want his niece (the daughter of Numitor) to have any children?
Why is it ironic that a wolf and some birds cared for and fed the exposed infants?
Mars is the Roman God of War. What implication might that have for Romulus and Remus and the city they founded?
Why did Plutarch say it was of a higher “probability” that Numitor knew that Faustulus had the children?
Why are the “pursuits” which Romulus and Remus “applied themselves to” significant?
Why did Faustulus attempt to take the trough the twins were found in to Numitor?
Why did the leader of each company of men carry a pole which had “a handful of hay and shrubs tied” to it?
Rhetoric Questions: (The Analysis of Ideas in the Text)
Is it possible to discern which story among numerous versions of a myth is more likely to be true? If so, how? If not, why not? Justify your answers with good reasoning.
Should Romulus and Remus be seen as men fighting for justice for oppressed people or is something else going on here? Explain your answer based upon what you’ve read so far.
Do you think Faustulus was simply being compassionate upon two children who were left to die or was there some other motivation in raising the twin boys? Explain your answer.
Theological Analysis: (Sola Scriptura)
Read (or skim and review) Exodus 1-4. How is Moses' story in some ways similar to this one?
How is Moses’ story significantly different from Romulus and Remus’ story?
In light of the similarities and differences, how do the virtues of Yahweh and his chosen leader, Moses, compare to the virtues of Mars and Romulus?