Roman Duty

Horatius, there is something I would like to discuss with you and it is ones sense of duty. This is something that I think many Romans struggle with because at times the feel a tension between the duties they have to Rome and the duties they have to their family. They do not know what they should focus on in their lives because they are trying to do the right thing because they want to help both their family and Rome in any way they can and they are not able to do both. Which set of duties do you find to be more important to you, your duty to your country or your duty to your family? You may disagree with me, but I believe that the duties that you have to your family are more important than the duties that you have to your country. Not long …show more content…
The difference between us is that you cared more about your duty to Rome than your duty to your family and in your anger you chose Rome of family. This goes back to the question I was concerned about earlier how can someone determine which is more important a person’s duty to his or her family or to their duty to their country. I can tell from your actions against your sister that you put your duties to Rome above everything. Some of this I can understand because that is how you are taught, to do everything and anything you can for Rome. This goes all the way back to the founding or Rome when Romulus killed Remus because he challenged him as he said, “So perish whoever else shall overlap my battlements.” (Livy, 37). Romulus killed is own brother so Rome could succeed and it is that lesson, to do what ever is necessary for Rome is passed down and followed. I understand that you are willing to do what ever is necessary to defend Rome but that does not justify your actions of killing your sister. She was not an immediate threat to Rome just because she had mourned for an enemy of Rome. If this was considered a crime she could have been tried for treason against Rome but you denied her this opportunity and then the law could have decided her