Nigeria and the Classics: Ibadan Journal of the Classics and Multidisciplinary Studies

Avaritas et gloria: a re-examination of the conflict between Pompey and Caesar from a moral perspective

Goke A. Akinboye — 2024-11-18

Several writers on the history of the Roman Republic have argued that the causes of the conflict between Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Gaius Julius Caesar, Rome‟s renowned military commanders and politicians, are traceable to the deaths of Crassus and Julia, wife of Pompey. Crassus was the third in the 60 B.C. tripod alliance of Crassus-Pompey-Caesar otherwise called „First Triumvirate‟ while Julia was the daughter of Julius Caesar, given in marriage to Pompey to strengthen the alliance. The writers, reasonably, conclude that the deaths of these unifying personages soured the relationship between the last two politicians, resulting ultimately in an open conflict in 49 B.C. These submissions and others, however, have not grounded the roots of the conflict in the moral problems of greed for wealth and power (avaritas) and desire for fame, public honour and military triumph (gloria). Therefore, this paper concentrates on both Pompey and Caesar and those latent amoral actions that induced the spread of their political and military influence and accumulation of wealth and positions in the dying days of the Roman Republic. The paper explained avaritas as an intense and selfish desire for wealth and power beyond what is necessary. By the same token, gloria is expressed as intense and selfish desire for fame or public honour, attained through military conquests and political achievements. Using the historical method in interpreting both primary and secondary sources, the paper notes that in the late Roman Republic, men were inspired by straightforward greed for political power and winning military glory; the greatest glory was a triumph, which was a military display of spoils of war to attract the praise of the people. To realize their individualistic objectives, they, in the guise of overcoming oppositions in the senate, formed an informal political alliance with Crassus, the richest Roman in history, who died at the Battle of Carrhae while seeking military glory. By teasing out certain actions and inactions of the last two men before and during the dying days of their alliance, this work concludes that the underlying basis for the breakdown in the relationship between Pompey and Caesar should be seen in their twin moral vices: avaritas for economic gain and acquisition of resources as well as competition for gloria, through ambition to outshine each other over control of the Roman Republic.

The reception of Peisistratus’ horizontal egalitarianism in sixth century Attica: implications for scholarship

Peter Kwame Womber — 2024-11-18

Egalitarianism is an inclination of thought within political philosophy that discusses the practice of social equality for all people. In public administration, egalitarianism is a practice where leaders create conditions for equality of all. Scholars such as John Locke and John Rawls have immensely contributed to the nuances of egalitarianism from a universalist perspective, as examined in the introduction of the paper. However, the universalist view of equalitarianism does not help the comprehensive understanding of the practice of egalitarian systems across past and contemporary societies. Before Locke and Rawls‟ egalitarianism, in Attica‟s 8th-6th century politico-economic history, there was already the practice of two different egalitarian systems shaped by power relations. By examining the practice of egalitarianism in this period in Attica through historical methods, conceptual analysis, and Marcella Frangipane‟s egalitarianism, one can appreciate how the formation of state and power structures influenced the practice of egalitarian systems and normatively suggest which kind of equality resonates with ours or needs to be adopted. The 8th and 6th century B.C. Attica‟s power dynamics led to the practice of (1) a vertical egalitarian system during the aristocratic rule and (2) a horizontal egalitarian system, which emerged during Peisistratus‟ leadership. Unlike the aristocratic governance, Peisistratus‟ leadership enabled the practice of economic equality. We deduce that the mode of leadership determines the kind of equality and inequality to be identified in any political community. Hence, we conclude that equality is power-based and evolving in practice, although it may have universal normative dispositions.

Navigating the tension: Marius and the delicate balance of state and self

Gill Adekannbi — 2024-11-18

Competing socio-political and economic needs of the last century of the Roman Republic make the interplay between Gaius Marius' political ambition and state interest an intriguing subject. With the understanding of 'state interest' as the consensus between the upper classes and the lower classes on what was the public good, this paper examines the extent to which Marius reconciled state interest with personal ambition that was driven by strong desire for power, influence and recognition. The rational theory, which posits that individuals premise their decisions and actions on a rational evaluation of costs and benefits of each option, and the political culture theory that focuses on societal deep-seated patterns of beliefs, values and attitudes in relation to their influence on political behaviour, provide the perspective to the work.Through interpretive use of Plutarch's "Life of Marius" as major ancient source, the process of Marius' unprecedented political achievements between 134 BCE and 100 BCE is considered vis-à-vis his contributions to the state order. The paper revisits how Marius acted astutely within the framework of the Roman socio-political structures to fulfill his ambition while handling emerging security issues expediently. Notably, the statesman brought about desirable political outcomes, albeit severally deviating from the norms and acting in controversial settings to become a model of effective leadership in a crisis situation. Notwithstanding moral concerns that may arise, the paper points to situational premise for the link between state interest and politician's ambition.

Images of nature and environment in Latin poetry

Folorunso Taiwo — 2024-11-18

“The land was to the Romans the chief field of their industry and the original source of their wealth‟, so that in every of their endeavour, they strove to preserve, protect and stay close to Nature as much as possible. Evidence of this is most conspicuous in the works of poets such as Virgil, Ovid, Horace etc. And Virgil more than any other poet, presents that aspect of nature in the proper perception of the Romans.This paper seeks to highlight the aesthetics of nature and the environment as appreciated by both Roman poets and citizenry. This would show that even in antiquity there was awareness and concern for the environment, eventhough there were exceptions, as is the case today.

…the farmers of old, a sturdy folk. With simple wealth; when after harvesting the grain ;they sought relief at holiday time for the body as well as for the soul ;which bore its tails in hope of the end together with slaves and faithful wife ;partners of their labors ;used to propitiate. Earth with swine Silvanus with milk and ;with flowers and wine (Hor. Epist II 1 139-155)

The poet and satirist; Horatius Flaccus; here paints an image of the Roman ideal life style, that of the rustic country side, close to nature herself. Nature, and indeed the rustica, with its concomitant effect on man occupy a sizeable chunk of the subject matter or theme of Latin poetry/poets and other writers alike. This intense passion for nature, traverse the different literary genres.

As far back as history goes, we know that the ancients were always fascinated by nature. This fascination was what moulded the primitive fancies of Greek mythology into legend; poetry and art. Down the ages the satisfaction of this impulse has stimulated curiosity and the imaginative emotion which accompany it, giving birth to literature that expounded the phenomenon of nature, especially in the Homeric epic, Aratus, Callimachus. which eventually provided material for Roman writers such as Virgil in the Georgics; Ovid in the Metamorphosis among others.

Social media exposure and perception of drug use risks among undergraduates of University of Abuja

Ngozi Joy Onyechi — 2024-11-18

Several studies have established the role of social media in shaping young people's perception of issues such as self esteem and body image. However, scant scholarly attention has been paid to social media exposure and perception of drug use risks among this cohort. Using the social cognitive theory, this study investigated the influence of social media exposure on perception of drug use risks among undergraduates of the University of Abuja. Survey and focus group discussion (FGD) were employed as research designs, while multi stage sampling procedure was used to select the samples for the study. A total of 340 respondents filled the questionnaire, while 7 discussants took part in each of the 8 sessions of the FGD. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were thematically analysed. Findings showed a correlation between social media usage and perception of drug use risks, as increased social media exposure led to perception of higher drug use risks and vice versa. Although majority of the respondents perceived drug use risks to be high, however they were undecided on the specific health consequences for users, especially youths. The study, therefore, recommends that relevant stakeholders, both governmental and non governmental agencies should carry out aggressive advocacy and sensitization campaigns that would aim to educate the youths on the health consequences of drug use and the need to live drug free lives.

The portrayal of traditional gender roles and stereotypes in Al-Fayturi's poetry

Akewula Adams Olufemi — 2024-11-18

Gender, a category of sexually reproducing organisms, is categorised into males denoting colonial masters or females denoting colonial subjects, as represented in Al-Faytûri's poetry. Extant studies of Al-Fayturi‟s poetry focused largely on political, cultural, social, and religious feelings and experiences from colonial perspectives, with scant attention paid to the representation of gender issues in selected Al-Fayturi's poetry. This study adopted the qualitative method of analysis; black feminist theory collaborated with Zayati‟s theory, while textual analysis was employed. A poem was purposefully selected based on its thematic relevance: Ila Wajhin Abyad and its data were subjected to literary analysis. Gender concerns the sufferings and abuse of dark-skinned men, aiming to rise with dignity against white tyranny (IWA). Violence involves how African people are humiliated by colonizers and how they live as foreigners in their homeland. Sexuality is depicted as challenging feminist criticism, racial discrimination, slavery, and gender inequality. Social conflict is portrayed in Africa's struggle for existence and survival in the face of hardships, torments, and ill-treatments meted out to them by their colonial masters. The research work was given a solid theoretical foundation with a review of relevant theory, such as black feminism, liberal feminism, social and Marxist feminist and radical feminist theory, and crucial concepts such as the concept of gender, sex and gender, gender roles, gender division of labour, gender inequality and stratification, gender-based violence, gender parity index, and gender blindness and sensitivity. The selected poem by Al-Fayturi depicts gender themes that encapsulate black and liberal feminism, including social and Marxist feminists.

Unravelling the myths: analysing some misconceptions about public speaking

Ebenezer Adebisi Olawuyi — 2024-11-18

The acquisition of public speaking skills can be hampered by belief in certain misconception, which have the propensity to intimidate and discourage even the most capable individuals. Some of the myths, commonly associated with public speaking include speakers are born; not made, speaking requires special ability and vocabulary, speaking is more about eloquence than, material substance, public speaking addresses personal frailties, public speaking is required by select professions, and public speakers do not experience nervousness. Belief in any of these myths, can potentially lead to heightened emotional instability, anxiety, avoidance and self-doubt. However, unravelling these myths is crucial in unlocking the immense potentials within each individual. Therefore, the primary objective of this paper is to provide compelling, convincing and counter-intuitive evidence to debunk these myths as lacking in any scientific or logical basis. Thus, with the right preparation, positive mind set, and proper preparation, anyone can develop the public speaking skills needed to engage confidently and persuasively any audience. A deconstruction of these unfounded narratives can help more people embrace public speaking as a powerful tool for personal and professional growth.

Activities of religious actors as a factor in national security discourse

Olusegun Oke — 2024-11-18

Insecurity has become a hydra headed monster which security agents in Nigeria and other nations in Africa appear incapable of handling. Insecurity is a state of being subject to danger or threat. It has also been defined as a threat to the state which often accounted for the race for arms and nuclear weapons to defend the state. Insecurity has taken a centre stage in Nigeria and many other countries in Africa in the recent time. No day passes, without the news of one form of violence or the other, and this has turned the countries in Africa to almost a pariah state. After the country gained its independence from the colonial masters’ overs six decades ago, many Nigerians believed that the country would be ushered into the promised land. Rather, the country has been experiencing a plethora of conflicts ranging from the threat of secession, civil wars, regional conflicts, and internal crises (ethnic, religious etc.) which continue to affect the country's nascent democratic structure and development. The various conflicts have destabilized the country and their costs in terms of loss of human life and property are so enormous. Religion is being used by religious actors as tool to fan the embers of insecurity in Nigeria. The spate of insecurity that has engulfed Nigeria has forced many to flee their homes to more peaceful neighbouring countries. Existing scholarly studies on insecurity in Nigeria and other African countries like Achumba, 2013, Ede, 2014 and Awoniyi, 2019 have focused mainly on the traditional approach to security which is state-centric with little attention paid to how religious fundamentalism, fanaticism, blasphemy, extremism and hate speech have over the years been deployed by religious actors to grease the wheel of insecurity in Nigeria and Africa in general. The aim of this paper therefore, is to examine the activities of religious actors in relation to insecurity in Nigeria. This is the gap in study the researcher intends to fill.

Ovid’s Pontic Epistles to his wife

Idowu Mojeed Alade — 2024-11-18

Focusing on Ovid‘s two letters to his wife in the Epistulae ex Ponto, this investigation examines the personal narrative of exile as expressed through Publius Ovidius Naso. Adopting a diachronic approach, the study aims to foster a understanding of Ovid's letters not merely as literary artifacts but as windows to the socio-emotional landscape of Augustan Rome. Standard Ovidian research predominantly centres on his poetry's literary merits, often neglecting the rich historical context these letters provide. Therefore, this paper contributes to scholarship by foregrounding the historical and emotional realities of Ovid's domestic life, political turmoil and the institution of marriage in ancient Rome. This work employs a multi-disciplinary methodology. It integrates a philological examination of the texts with historical analysis, anchored by a theoretical framework based on Roman social history and epistolary theory. Ovid's discourse provides not only testimony to his own psychological condition and personal circumstances but also implies broader implications for understanding gender roles, familial expectations, and the impact of political exile on family dynamics. This study underscores the resilience of personal relationships under the strain of political upheavals. It also indicates the need for a reassessment of the value of literary sources in historical reconstructions, advocating for their recognition as more than metaphorical or poetic devices.