Humanus: Terence and universalism
We conclude this chapter with a pendant to the Panaetius- Aemilianus synthesis of humanitas Romana. What light is shed on the formation of that concept by Terence’s Homo sum: humani nihil a me alienum puto (Heaut.
77)? The phrase occurs in Terence’s Heauton Timorumenos, �The Self-Torturer’. Chremes having given Menedemus some gratuitous advice on how to get the best out of his land, Menedemus asks what business it is of his. Chremes replies that �I am a man, I count nothing pertaining to man foreign to me.’ Chremes is showing human concern for his neighbour’s problems; he is aware of common humanity, of universalism. It has however been suggested that the line was taken from Menander,26 thus proving nothing special about Aemilianus’ circle; or that it is simply a piece of comic repartee, or an excuse for meddling.27 To this one can reply, first, that if Greek origins disproved Roman adaptations there would be much less to say about Ancient Rome. Second, even if there is anything funny about Chremes’ retort, it has that quality because it strikes a responsive chord in the audience—the busybody using current intellectualism for a humdrum purpose.Terence made extensive use of moralising precepts that reflected educated public opinion.28 Whether or not he was a member of the Scipionic Circle,29 he was well known to Aemilianus. When the latter’s natural father, Aemilius Paullus, died in 160 Terence’s Hecyra and Adelphi were produced at the funeral games.
Other uses of humanus, both in Terence and in other second-century works, are more pedestrian.30 It seems, then, that Terence’s maxim is unique, it is the only second-century example of humanus expressing a basic principle of human rights. This has an unexpected impact on the Panaetius—Aemilianus synthesis. It means that the need for guidelines on Rome’s imperial role was felt something like a decade before Carneades’ lectures and Panaetius’ response.31 The Scipionic Circle may thus have begun working towards humanitas Romana before Panaetius appeared on the scene. This was long before Aemilianus sacked any cities; perhaps he already had the synthetic amalgam in mind when he destroyed Carthage in 146. Be that as it may, the 160s model of humanitas Romana will only have been a preliminary sketch. It would still be for Panaetius to supply the working drawings.
More on the topic Humanus: Terence and universalism:
- Universalism: the merits
- Cicero and universalism
- Universalism: the demerits
- NOTES
- CONTENTS
- �Homo sum: humani nihil a me alienum puto’
- Preamble
- The concept of humanitas Romana
- Preamble
- Humanitas and clementia: Augustus and Tiberius
- Evaluation
- The meaning of �human rights’
- Racial prejudice
- The enforcement of human rights
- From the perspective of political theory, the history of international law may be seen as a significant and underexplored aspect of a broader phenomenon:
- Evaluation
- Coordination asa Rationalised Myth
- ArthurBenz
- Reasoning by analogy
- In building my case for moral scepticism I begin with reason, by deciding what can be considered its ambit and abilities.