- Oct 2024
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sourcebooks.fordham.edu sourcebooks.fordham.edu
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A poor man he was, and on a lean farm, yet he was not content to send me to a local school [at Venusia, his home town] under the pedant Flavius, though boys of pretensions, sons of prominent centurions, went there with their school bags and writing tablets slung over their left arms, and carrying their teacher the fee in their hands on the Ides of eight months in the year. On the contrary, he had the spirit to bring me even as a child to Rome, to be taught those liberal arts which a senator or eques requires for his children.
While it is stated that the father was a poor man, to own land in Venusia was a sign of wealth. It is possible that the term "poor" is used in comparison to his peers from his hometown.
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Sir Schoolmaster---show pity upon your simple scholars, at least if you wish to have many a long-haired boy attendant upon your lectures, and the class seated around your critical table love you. Then would no teacher of arithmetic or swift writing have a greater ring of pupils around him. Hot and bright are the days now under the flaming constellation of the lion; and fervid July is ripening the bursting harvest. So let your Scythian scourge with its dreadful thongs, such as flogged Marsyas of Celaenae, and your formidable cane---the schoolmaster's scepter---be laid aside, and sleep until the Ides of October. Surely in summer time, if the boys keep their health, they do enough.
This entire passage can be shortened to this: " Sir schoolmaster- leave the students be during the summer, they need a break from being hit with a ruler for mistakes."
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I would even promise the whole sum if I did not fear that if I did so, my generosity might be corrupted to serve private interests, as I see is the case in many places where teachers are employed at the public charge. There is only one way of preventing the evil, and that is by leaving the right of employing the teachers to the parents alone, who will be careful to make a right choice if they are obliged to find part of the money. You cannot make your children a better present than this, nor can you do your place a better turn."
What Pliny is suggesting, as a generalization, is similar to the modern day concept of a public school board.
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" "How is that?" I asked. "It is a matter of urgent importance to you who are fathers," and it so chanced that luckily quite a number of fathers were listening to me, "that your children should get their education here at home."
Pliny the Younger had such a following due to his being an elected official in ancient Rome. Not to be confused his his uncle Pliny the Elder.
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The following letter by Pliny to the famous historian Tacitus is witness to the interest taken in education under the Empire.
This passage would make far more sense to those not well versed in Roman history if it included the information that Pliny the Younger was a notable scholar of his day.
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Even the lower classes were not usually illiterate (witness the numerous wall scribblings at Pompeii), although there was no system of free public schools.
This is quite an interesting point. The Roman Republic was one of the few places in the world(outside of the modern era) that had writing literacy as a common skill.
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sourcebooks.fordham.edu sourcebooks.fordham.edu
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The walk and the running grounds must not exceed in length the space covered by a morai, so that one may not find himself far from his own stand of arms. After the gymnastic exercises, the senior polemarchos gives the order by herald to be seated. This serves all the purposes of inspection. After this the order is given "To get breakfast," and for "The outpost to be relieved." After this, again, come pastimes and relaxations before the evening exercises, after which the herald=s cry is heard "To take the evening meal." When they have sung a hymn to the gods to whom the offerings of happy omen have been performed, the final order "Retire to rest at the place of arms," is given.
This entire concept of general freedom outside of actual combat seems foreign and unusual to many, however it is the norm for modern day militaries. When not in direct combat, soldiers are allowed to pretty much do what they like with the similar stipulation of not straying too far from "their stand of arms".
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For in the Spartan order the front-rank-men are all leaders, so that each file has everything necessary to play its part efficiently. In fact, this disposition is so easy to understand that no one who can distinguish one human being from another can fail to follow it. One set have the privilege of leaders, the other the duty of followers. T
This is another aspect of the spartan infantry that made them so intimidating. Each group had their own commander who was directly in combat alongside his men. At the time, such a concept would have been blasphemy to any other military, as common practice was for a commander to lead 100+ men directly from atop a horse or the rear of the battle line.
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He further permitted those who were about the age of early manhood to wear their hair long. For so, he conceived, they would appear of larger stature, more free and indomitable, and of a more terrible aspect.
This was, and still would be today, considered taboo. Throughout most of western history, disheveled long hair was a sign of bandits and thieves, not of members of a regimented military.
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The frequency with which they change their encampment is another point. It is done quite as much for the sake of benefitting their friends as annoying their enemies.
A common practice through all of civilized history is to stick with what works, especially when it comes to the military. Making constant changes to the layout of Spartan camps would make even experienced attackers lose their way, as each raid would mean attacking in a completely foreign terrain.
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In this way anything omitted can hardly escape detection.
This is a very longwinded way to say they have a system to keep from forgetting things.
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