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Jiang argues that Augustus needs a Roman epic to replace Homer in schools and thereby transform Roman cultural identity.
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The Aeneid is used as a comparative example: it legitimates Augustus through descent from Aeneas, makes Augustus the endpoint of Roman history, replaces liberty with piety and loyalty, and warns against Greek cultural corruption.
He defines the old Roman cultural system around piety, obedience and loyalty to gods/Rome/fathers, liberty as opposition to kings and tyrants, and the republic as sacrifice for Roman honor and public good.
The old Roman identity of liberty and republic becomes dangerous for an emperor because Brutus' legacy can be read as a duty to kill kings and tyrants; Augustus therefore needs a new identity centered on piety and obedience.
Jiang argues that Augustus needs a Roman epic to replace Homer in schools and thereby transform Roman cultural identity.
In answer to how Caesar challenged Roman identity, Jiang says Caesar changed time through the Julian calendar, acted alone as a great man, and violated the republican lesson that no one is above Rome.
Jiang concedes there is evidence Caesar wanted to become king, but argues the real issue is cognitive dissonance: Caesar's existence challenged Roman perception and meaning.
Jiang argues that Roman history can be taught to anyone who becomes a citizen; belief in that history is what makes someone Roman.
For Jiang, what matters in these legends is not what really happened but what Romans believed, because belief created Roman identity.
"...Okay? Second thing about the Inead is it creates a new Roman identity that focuses on piety loyalty over liberty. Remember the problem for..."
"The third idea is the Inead remember it's anti -Greek. The problem for Rome at that time was Greek culture was vastly superior to..."
"Primarily Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Persia, okay? The three great civilizations that we will discuss starting next week. And so the Greeks have colonies all..."
"right piety obedience and loyalty to the gods to Rome and to your fathers second principle is the idea of liberty which puts the..."
"So, in other words, Romulus is descended from Aeneas, but Julius Caesar is also descended from Aeneas. Okay? So, that is how Augustus Caesar..."
"...of liberty and repulchre, okay? You have to promote a new Roman identity focused on obedience, piety and obedience. And then there's a third..."
"Mark Anthony became more Greek now that's why he betrayed Rome. Augustus Caesar also believe that's why Rome began descending into civil wars because..."
"So he invited a man named Virgil, who at this time is considered the greatest man in the world. He invited this living Roman..."
"Okay. That's a great question. All right. So let's look at his reforms. First of all, he had a Julian calendar, right? The Julian..."
"Okay? Does that make sense? Okay? So there's a lot of evidence to suggest that Caesar wanted to become king. And that's what made..."
"You kill me there'll be 99 more. Okay? We are not afraid of you. You say you will burn me if I do not..."
"If you are a Roman you it's because you believe in this history. Believing in this history knowing this history is what makes you..."
The Bible begins, in this lecture's argument, as political spin for David: a library of collective imagination that turns usurpation, murder, and fear of rivals into legitimacy, identity, and eventually literature.
Julius Caesar was not only a general or politician.
Hannibal can destroy an army, but he cannot make Rome accept defeat.
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