Cincinnatus and Washington

Topic

Cincinnatus and Washington

Instructions

Read the story of Cincinnatus (Livy) and the article “George Washington-The American Cincinnatus” to answer the following questions.

1. What was Cincinnatus doing when the emissaries from Rome came to him? What did they ask of him?
2. What did Cincinnatus do after he defeated Rome’s enemies? What does this say about Cincinnatus and his character?
3. What did the American colonies ask of George Washington during the American Revolution?
4. What did George Washington do after the war was won? What does this say about Washington’s character?
5. What virtues do Cincinnatus and George Washington have in common?

Answer preview

Cincinnatus was carrying out his duties in the fields when Rome came for him asking for his leadership in the battle against the Aequi.  Cincinnatus embodied virtues of patriotism and selfless public service. He downed his farm tools and set out to assists his countrymen from the traps set by the Aqua (Cornell, 2).  In one day, the Aequi were defeated; on his return to Rome, Cincinnatus maintained his role as dictator specifically on emergencies of a military nature.

Word count: 517