The Roman Clan: The Gens from Ancient Ideology to Modern Anthropology (W.B. Stanford Memorial Lectures)

409 Pages·2006·3.75 MB·English

by  C. J. Smith

This page intentionally left blank
THE ROMAN CLAN
The gens, a key social formation in archaic Rome, has given rise
to much controversy in modern scholarship. In this comprehensive
exploration of the subject, Professor Smith examines the mismatch
betweentheancientevidenceandmoderninterpretativemodelsinflu-
encedbysocialanthropologyandpoliticaltheory.Heoffersadetailed
comparison of the gens with the Attic genos and illustrates, for the
first time, how recent changes in the way we understand the genos
mayimpactuponourunderstandingofRomanhistory.Hedevelops
aconceptofthegenswithintheinterlockingcommunalinstitutions
ofearlyRomewhichtouchesonquestionsofland-ownership,warfare
and the patriciate, before offering an explanation of the role of the
gensandthepartitmightplayinmodernpoliticaltheory.Thissig-
nificantworkmakesanimportantcontributionnotonlytothestudy
ofarchaicRome,butalsotothehistoryofideas.
c. j. smith is Professor of Ancient History at the University of
StAndrews.HispreviouspublicationsincludeEarlyRomeandLatium:
Economy and Society c. 1000 to 500bc(1996), Trade, Traders and the
AncientCity(1998),ReligioninArchaicandRepublicanRome(2000)
andSicilyfromAeneastoAugustus(2000).Heistheco-editorofFrag-
mentaryRomanHistorians(forthcoming).
THE W. B. STANFORD MEMORIAL LECTURES
Thislectureserieswasestablishedbypublicsubscription,
tohonourthememoryofWilliamBedellStanford,
RegiusProfessorofGreekinTrinityCollege,Dublin,
from1940to1980,andChancelloroftheUniversityof
Dublinfrom1982to1984.
THE ROMAN CLAN
The gens from ancient ideology to modern anthropology
C. J. SMITH
cambridge university press
Cambridge,NewYork,Melbourne,Madrid,CapeTown,Singapore,SãoPaulo
Cambridge University Press
TheEdinburghBuilding,Cambridgecb22ru,UK
PublishedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabyCambridgeUniversityPress,NewYork
www.cambridge.org
Informationo nthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9780521856928
©C.J.Smith2006
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexceptionandtotheprovisionof
relevantcollectivelicensingagreements,noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplace
withoutthewrittenpermissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublishedinprintformat 2006
isbn-13 978-0-511-16109-4 eBook(EBL)
isbn-10 0-511-16109-3
eBook(EBL)
isbn-13 978-0-521-85692-8 hardback
isbn-10 0-521-85692-2 hardback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyofurls
forexternalorthird-partyinternetwebsitesreferredtointhispublication,anddoesnot
guaranteethatanycontentonsuchwebsitesis,orwillremain,accurateorappropriate.
ForSusan
Contents
Listofillustrations pageix
Preface xi
Listofabbreviations xiii
Generalintroduction 1
part i the evidence for the gens
1 Theancientevidence 12
1. Introduction 12
2. Etymology,meaninganddefinition 13
3. Thegens:Adefinition 15
4. Thenomen 17
5. Thetwelvetables 21
6. Gentilicialexogamyandthenatureofthegens 30
7. Legendaryandhistoricalgenealogies 32
8. Gentes,cultsandmores 44
9. Thegensatlaw 51
10. ThegensinCiceroandLivy 55
11. Conclusion 63
2 Moderninterpretations 65
1. Introduction 65
2. CarloSigonio 66
3. GiambattistaVicoandhisinfluence 71
4. Niebuhrandthebeginningsofmodernancienthistory 81
5. TheodorMommsen 85
6. LewisHenryMorgan 88
7. Morgan’sMarxistlegacy 99
8. FusteldeCoulanges 101
9. HenrySumnerMaine 104
10. Thegensintheearlytwentiethcentury 108
11. Conclusion 112
vi
Contents vii
3 Thegensinthemirror:RomangensandAtticgenos 114
1. Introduction 114
2. Earlyviewsofthegenos 115
3. BourriotandRoussel:AFrenchcritique 117
4. Theevidence:PhilochorosandtheAthenaionPoliteia 121
5. Theevidence:DemotionidaiandDekeleieis 126
6. Theevidence:Gene¯andCults 130
7. Thegene¯andtheEupatridai 133
8. Reconstructingthegenos 134
9. Thegenosandthegens 140
4 Archaeologyandthegens 144
1. Introduction 144
2. FromBronzeAgetoIronAge 144
3. ThegensatOsteriadell’Osa 147
4. ThegensatSatricum 150
5. TheAuditoriosite 153
6. Summary 155
7. TheEtruscans 156
8. Onomasticstructures 158
9. Theevidenceofchambertombs 160
10. Crisis 160
PartI:Conclusion 164
part ii towards an interpretation of the gens
5 TheRomancommunity 168
1. Introduction 168
2. Clientesandplebeians 168
3. Historicaloutline 176
6 TheRomancuriae 184
1. Introduction 184
2. Theoriginsofthecuriae 186
3. DionysiusofHalicarnassusandtheRomancuriae 192
4. CuriaeandQuirites 198
5. Thenamesandlocationsofthecuriae 202
6. Thereligiousaspectsofthecuriae 205
7. Themilitaryfunctionsofthecuriae 208
8. Thepoliticalfunctionsofthecuriae 210
9. Thelexcuriata 217
10. Thepoliticalassembliesofthecuriae 223
11. Curiaeandtribus 225
12. Thearchaiccuriae 230
viii Contents
7 Thepatriciansandtheland 235
1. Introduction 235
2. Gentesandtribus 236
8 Thepatriciate 251
1. Introduction 251
2. Patres,patricii,andthesenate 252
3. Patricianprivileges 258
4. Priestlyoffice 260
5. Auspicia 263
6. Politicaloffice 268
7. Patrumauctoritas 273
8. Patriciansandplebeians 275
9. Theproblemofthepatriciate 278
9 WarfareintheregalandearlyRepublicanperiods 281
1. TheearlyRomanarmy 281
2. ThegensFabiaatVeii 290
3. Conclusion 295
10 Explainingthegens 299
1. Introduction 299
2. Patriciansandgentesintheregalperiod 302
3. PatriciansandgentesintheearlyRepublic 306
4. Patricians,gentesandthecommunity 315
5. ThegensintheRomanhistoricaltradition 324
11 Romanhistoryandthemodernworld 336
Appendix1:DionysiusofHalicarnassusontheRomancuriae
andreligion 347
Appendix2:Themissingcuriae 356
Selectbibliography 363
Generalindex 384
Indexofancientpersons 388
Indexofpassagesdiscussed 390