Country Patriots: How George Washington Compares to Legendary Roman Republic Hero, Cincinnatus

Country Patriots: How George Washington Compares to Legendary Roman Republic Hero, Cincinnatus
"Cincinnatus abandons the plow to dictate laws to Rome," circa 1806, by Juan Antonio de Ribera. Oil on canvas. The Prado Museum, Madrid. Public Domain
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Perhaps you’ve had Cincinnati chili. Delicious! No other chili comes close, at least to my mom’s version. Or you’re a Cincinnati Reds fan (horrible thought—this is a bitter Pirates’ fan writing).  Or you’ve been to Cincinnati, a most beautiful city located at the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers. OK, most people know about Cincinnati. But do you know where the city’s name comes from? George Washington.

No, this is not a slip of the fingers typing, an odd pronunciation, or a just plain wrong statement. Cincinnati was founded just after the end of the American Revolution, in honor of the Society of Cincinnati, which was a league of Continental Army officers. This society was named for Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, a legendary hero of Rome when it was a republic and not yet an empire. And who did every American who knew about Cincinnatus think of when they thought about Cincinnatus? George Washington.

Paul J. Prezzia
Paul J. Prezzia
Author
Paul Joseph Prezzia received his M.A. in history from the University of Notre Dame in 2012. He now teaches at Gregory the Great Academy and lives in Elmhurst Township, Pa. with his wife and children.
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