There were certain virtues that the Ancient Romans cherished and encouraged among male citizens. One of these virtues was severitas or sternness. Respectable Ancient Roman citizens were expected to display a sense of temperantia or self control. A famous Ancient Roman man known to exhibit this certain quality was Cato the Elder. Cato the Elder was an austere and strict man who believed that Roman citizens had a duty to live a simple and frugal life. He idealized the rustic and agricultural life of his ancestors and disliked any pomp or splendor. Cato believed that living a sober and ascetic life was a positive indication of one’s degree of self control.

Another virtue was virtus or manliness. All young Roman boys were taught to be courageous, especially on the battlefield. The man most identified as being manly by the people of Rome, was Pompey the Great. Pompey the Great had built a shrine in honor of the god Virtus. Soon after, he was linked to the quality of virtus. For the most part, Pompey was a good example of virtus. He led many successful military campaigns (except for the one against Julius Caesar) and was nicknamed Magnus (the Great) because of this.

Surprisingly, clementia or mercy was another virtue the Ancient Romans admired. The person most associated with this virtue was Julius Caesar. After several nobles followed Pompey against Caesar, he built a temple in honor of the goddess Clementia to show he was willing to forgive the nobles’ treason. Showing generosity to one’s enemies was considered a good trait in a leader. By showing clemency, Caesar was trying to win over former enemies to his side. There was another example where the poet Catallus wrote about how Caesar and another man were lovers. The Ancient Romans were not so open- minded about homosexual relationships, especially in comparison to the Ancient Greeks, and this rumor by Catallus really tarnished Caesar’s reputation. However, Catallus apologized and Caesar forgave him.