Talisker Tutorial's Great Books II Assignment 5 Study Questions

Great Books II Study Questions for Assignment 5

Page numbers below are for the old Penguin Classics edition (coin on cover), page numbers for the new edition (battle scene on cover) are in parentheses.

Book 2

1. Pg. 105 (107): In the first paragraph, what is the contrast Livy paints between the government of Rome before and after the fall of the Tarquin kings?

2. Pg. 107: Why does Livy believe that premature liberty would have been a disaster? Upon what does he believe true patriotism is based?

3. Pg. 106 (108) and throughout the book: Describe the position of consul: what is it's length of office, what duties, what authority?

4. Pg. 106-107 (108-110): Why was Collatinus driven from Rome? Do you think this was reasonable and prudent? Was it just?

5. Recount the heroic tales of Horatius, Mucius, and Cloelia.

6. Pg. 128 (132): Why was the death of Tarquin a mixed blessing to the Roman people?

7. What were the two great problems besetting Rome throughout book 2? How are these problems related?

8. How did the senate tend to respond to the commons' demands? How did the commons tend to respond to the senate?

9. What was the position of tribune? Pgs. 171-173 (178-181): why was Volero's bill providing that tribunes be elected at the Tribal Assembly so significant?

Reread Aeneid, book 8, lines 848-883.

Book 3

10. Pg. 183 (193): What does the story on this first page of book 3 tell us about human nature? (note Livy's comment--"human nature does not change")

11. Why did Cincinnatus refuse a second term as consul? What did he say would happen to his reputation by so refusing? Was he right?

12. Why did Cincinnatus become poor? What did he do after going into poverty? (That is, what was he doing then the Romans came to find him to make him Dictator?) Why do you think the Romans wanted Cincinnatus to be their Dictator in the emergency?

13. How would you describe Cincinnatus's character?

Washington Monument, Baltimore
Statue of Washington atop monument
Society of the Cincinnati

14. What was the purpose of the Board of Ten (the Decemvirs)?

15. What were the good and bad results of the power given to them?

The Laws of the Twelve Tables

16. What parallels are there between the stories of Verginia and Lucretia in their results to the women and to the country's politics?

17. Is their any legitimate defense for Verginia's father's actions? How did the army respond when he returned to it?

18. Why is this book called "The Patricians at Bay"? (not Livy's title, by the way)