Cincinnatus and George Washington
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was a Roman farmer in the 5th century B.C. Because Rome was in dire need of a leader to fight off invaders, the Roman Senate asked Cincinnatus to be “Dictator” for a term of six months. The Roman Senate was worried that the person they chose as dictator might not return the power to the Senate when the time was up. But the reason they chose Cincinnatus was that he was known to be a man of virtue, who had proven himself as a consul. After two weeks, he had taken care of the situation with their … Continue Reading “Cincinnatus and George Washington”
The Cincinnatus of the West!
Yesterday I posted a “flash quiz” on Facebook: What US city is named after a Roman citizen from the 5th century BC?) The answer is: Cincinnati! Name after Cincinnatus, the Roman farmer who became dictator of Rome for a 6 month term by request of the senate in order to fight off invading forces. Cincinnatus defeated the enemy, leading the charge himself, and famously resigned from office a mere 15 days after being put into power, and returned to his farm. George Washington was compared to Cincinnatus on many occasions. The comparison is almost painfully obvious in works of art like … Continue Reading “The Cincinnatus of the West!”