Dio Cassius: History of Rome Imagery

Dio Cassius: History of Rome Imagery

Turnus

When Aeneas reaches the land today known as Italy, he encountered there a vicious king named Turnus, a man against whom he fought against. The way in which Turnus is presented is an important one because this image is then compared with that of Aeneas. As such, Turnus is described here as a vicious ruler, who enjoyed violence and who didn’t care about anything but himself. As such, this image transmits the idea that conquering the land, Aeneas helped the people and liberated them.

The soldiers returning back from war

In the 9th part of the book, the narrator describes a large group of soldiers coming back from war. These soldiers are described at length by the narrator and they are presented as being in a deplorable state, bloodied and thin from lack of proper nutrition. This image is an extremely important one because it presents the realities of war and just how much those who go to war end up suffering tremendously.

Africa

In the 17th part of the book, the narrator describes the roman conquest of various African countries and territories. The narrator describes the people who lived in those countries and the way in which they are described is both interesting and disturbing. The African people are described as being savages, incapable of understanding the modern world and modern ideas such as democracy. This description is then used as an argument by the leaders to go and conquer those territories, claiming that it was for the better good of the people living there.

The temple

In the everyday life of the Roman citizen, religion played an important part. The Romans had multiple Gods and goddesses, some particular to only one household or family. To praise these forces, the people built massive temples where altars resided. These temples are often described in the book and the mystical nature surrounding them highlights just how important religion was for the Roman citizen.

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