What do a two-time Roman dictator, a big pile of chili atop a mound of spaghetti, and Proctor & Gamble have in common? The answer may surprise you.
First in 458 B.C.E. and then again in 439 B.C.E., Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was appointed dictator of the Roman Empire in order to save it from invading enemies. This meant that, during his time in power, and in a political system comprised of ostensible equals, he alone stood above the masses.
He was appointed to this most powerful position in all the land because of his innate qualities of simplicity and virtue, both of which were highly prized among the Romans. Also, he was a military fanny-kicker the likes of which those famous inhabitants of the boot had not seen in multos annos (as they would have said), and because a kicker of fannies was just what they needed while being invaded (res ipsa loquitor!).*
And though his title was "dictator," the role Cincinnatus played was quite different from what we 21st century-ites think of when we hear that word. His was a benevolent rule, and his primary responsibility, aside from the previously-mentioned fanny kicking, was to dictate the law by which his society was governed during the time he was law-dictating and populi-protecting.
Ipso facto, dictator.
But what does this have to do with the Queen City of the West?
Fast-forward a few thousand years. Open up your wallet and take out a single. See that guy with the powdered wig and the ruffle at his collar? According to some rather influential revolutionary-war-type people, George Washington was, once upon a time, America's version of Cincinnatus. The similarity between the two is surprisingly clear: Like Cincinnatus, Washington helped to win the war (in his case, the one against the British over that whole taxation without representation thing) and then wanted nothing more than to return home and live out the rest of his life as a private citizen. But the republic needed him, so he acquiesced and held the office of the president for two terms, after which he retired permanently.
In his honor, then, and in the honor of all who served so bravely in the Continental Army, the Society of the Cincinnati was founded. (Today, its members are both American and French. Remember, the French were exceptionally helpful in aiding the American war effort against the British.) The society's motto, "He gave up everything to serve the republic," is an homage to the ethic of both its Roman namesake and to its American inspiration.
Even today, Cincinnati is home to a significant number of descendants of revolutionary war soldiers. In fact, the name of the city was changed from Losantiville (long story, and not necessarily worth the telling here, but interesting nonetheless) to Cincinnati in 1790 by the governor of the Northwest Territory, who was, in fact, the president of the Society of the Cincinnati. (www.en.wikipedia.org)
And all that was just the beginning. Cincinnati has played a major role in the development of America's industrial and cultural life, and even today it is home to some of America's most important and powerful companies. Forthwith, then, a list of Cincinnati firsts.
-"1835 First bag of airmail lifted by a hot air balloon.
-1849 First city in the U.S. to hold a municipal song festival--Saengerfest.
-1850 First city in the U.S. to establish a Jewish hospital.
-1850 First city in the U.S. to publish greeting cards--Gibson Greeting Card Company.
-1853 First practical steam fire engine. First city to establish a municipal fire department and first firemen's pole.
-1869 First city to establish a weather bureau.
-1869 First professional baseball team--the Cincinnati Red Stockings, now known as the Cincinnati Reds.
-1870 First city in the U.S. to establish a municipal university--University of Cincinnati. (Go Bearcats!)
-1870 First city to hold annual industrial expositions.
-1875 First city to establish a Jewish theological college--Hebrew Union College.
-1880 First city in which a woman, Maria Longworth Nichols Storer, began and operated a large manufacturing operation--Rookwood Pottery.
-1880 First and only city to build and own a major railroad.
-1902 First concrete skyscraper built in the U.S.--the Ingalls Building.
-1905 Daniel Carter Beard founded the Sons of Daniel Boone, later known as the Boy Scouts of America.
-1906 First university to offer cooperative education--University of Cincinnati.
-1935 First night baseball game played under lights.
-1952 First heart-lung machine makes open heart surgery possible. Developed at Children's Hospital Medical Center.
-1954 First city to have a licensed Public television station--WCET TV."
(www.cincyusa.com