'This Barbarous Habit': Nineteenth Century Reactions to Classical Placenames in Central N. Y.

Abstract

Numerous studies have demonstrated that a widespread predilection for ancient Greek and Roman culture in 18th and 19th century America resulted in a “culture of classicism” (Winterer 2002; Reinhold 1984, Richard 1994 & 2009, Shalev 2009, and Winterer 2007). In the words of Caroline Winterer, “from the time of the first European settlements in Virginia and Massachusetts to the era of the Civil War, reverence for ancient models helped to structure ethical, political, oratorical, artistic, and educational ideals, sometimes overtly, sometimes subtly” (Winterer 2002:1).On occasion, however, enthusiasts of classical culture could push ancient models too far - to the point of obfuscating the purpose of their analogy or even eliciting a wave of criticism in certain instances. For example, given the overall tone and purpose of Parson Weems’ biographies of George Washington (1800 & 1806), the following analogies may seem humorous, but hardly out of place: “Washington was as pious as Numa, just as Aristides, temperate as Epictetus, and patriotic as Regulus. In giving public trusts, impartial as Severus; in victory, modest as Scipio - prudent as Fabius, rapid as Marcellus, undaunted as Hannibal, as Cincinnatus disinterested, to liberty firm as Cato, and respectful of the laws as Socrates” (cited by Richard 1994:70). Perceived abuses of classical models could meet with severe criticism and ridicule, such as Horatio Greenough’s colossal sculpture of a scantily-clad George Washington, erected in the Capitol’s Rotunda in 1841 (and relocated outside shortly thereafter). Another perceived abuse - termed “this barbarous habit” by one 19th century traveler - is the (over)use of classically-inspired placenames. In this presentation, I will consider one such example: the origins of and 19th century reactions to the classical placenames of central NY, in general, and the Military Tract of Central New York (established in 1782 for Revolutionary War veterans), in particular. The Tract was surveyed in 1789 and the towns were named in 1790. Credit for the primarily classical names, which included Virgil, Ovid, Homer, Cicero, Pompey, Scipio, and Brutus, was (incorrectly) given to Surveyor General Simeon DeWitt (Farrell 2002), who - along with the placenames - became the object of scathing criticism in poetry and prose. Works Cited:Farrell, W. R. 2002. Classical Place Names in New York State: Origins, Histories and Meanings. Pine Grove Press.Reinhold, M. 1984. Classica Americana: The Greek and Roman Heritage in the United States. Detroit.Richard, C. J. 2009. The Golden Age of the Classics in America: Greece, Rome, and the Antebellum United States. Cambridge (MA).Richard, C. J. 1994. The Founders and the Classics: Greece, Rome, and the American Enlightenment. Cambridge (MA).Shalev, E. 2009. Rome Reborn on Western Shores: Historical Imagination and the Creation of the American Republic. Charlottesville.Winterer, C. 2007. The Mirror of Antiquity: American Women and the Classical Tradition, 1750-1900.Winterer, C. 2002. The Culture of Classicism: Ancient Greece and Rome in American Intellectual Life 1780-1910. Baltimore.