Sown Men and Rome’s Civil Wars

Abstract Melinno’s so-called Hymn to Rome was composed sometime between the third century BCE and CE . Nearly all scholars judge poem be a relatively straightforward panegyric of Rome’s power. The final stanza compares Romans Sown Men. This article argues that appearance Theban or Colchian Spartoi could have evoked more complex response from many probable readers in antiquity, especially those who were well versed Latin literature harrowing histories civil war. It proposes closing comparison underscores Romans’ fatal flaw: their inborn compulsion engage internecine strife. By concluding hymn with destabilizing reference, linking Thebes points nuanced evaluation Roman power than yet recognize.