Fronto: Selected Letters

Fronto: Selected Letters
Author: Marcus Cornelius Fronto
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2014-01-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 1780934424

Selected letters written by the Roman senator and orator M. Cornelius Fronto in translation and accompanied by in-depth commentary notes, offering a unique insight into the late second century A.D Roman world.

Marcus Aurelius in Love

Marcus Aurelius in Love
Author: Marcus Aurelius
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 181
Release: 2016-02-19
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 022637811X

In 1815 a manuscript containing one of the long-lost treasures of antiquity was discovered—the letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto, reputed to have been one of the greatest Roman orators. But this find disappointed many nineteenth-century readers, who had hoped for the letters to convey all of the political drama of Cicero’s. That the collection included passionate love letters between Fronto and the future emperor Marcus Aurelius was politely ignored—or concealed. And for almost two hundred years these letters have lain hidden in plain sight. Marcus Aurelius in Love rescues these letters from obscurity and returns them to the public eye. The story of Marcus and Fronto began in 139 CE, when Fronto was selected to instruct Marcus in rhetoric. Marcus was eighteen then and by all appearances the pupil and teacher fell in love. Spanning the years in which the relationship flowered and died, these are the only love letters to survive from antiquity—homoerotic or otherwise. With a translation that reproduces the effusive, slangy style of the young prince and the rhetorical flourishes of his master, the letters between Marcus and Fronto will rightfully be reconsidered as key documents in the study of the history of sexuality and classics.

A Commentary on the Letters of M. Cornelius Fronto

A Commentary on the Letters of M. Cornelius Fronto
Author: Michael Petrus Josephus Van Den Hout
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 752
Release: 1999
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9789004109575

This is the first commentary on the letters of Marcus Cornelius Fronto (c. 90-95 - c. 167). It aims at an extensive grammatical, stylistic and historical interpretation of the letters and the ancient testimonies on Fronto. The author demonstrates where he stands in Latin literature; hence the numerous quotations of parallel, similar and dissentient passages from Fronto and other writers. This commentary, based on the Teubner-edition by the author (Leipzig 1988), offers a thorough explanation of the letters, a close examination of Fronto's style and language, e.g., of his archaisms and colloquialisms, identification of the persons mentioned, and the chronology of the letters. Seven elaborate indices complete this book.

The Language of Roman Letters

The Language of Roman Letters
Author: Olivia Elder
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 349
Release: 2019-10-03
Genre: Foreign Language Study
ISBN: 1108480160

Explores in depth how bilingualism in the correspondence of elite Romans illuminates their lives, relationships and identities.

Classics in Progress

Classics in Progress
Author: T. P. Wiseman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 476
Release: 2006-01-26
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780197263235

The study of Greco-Roman civilisation is as exciting and innovative today as it has ever been. This intriguing collection of essays by contemporary classicists reveals new discoveries, new interpretations and new ways of exploring the experiences of the ancient world. Through one and a half millennia of literature, politics, philosophy, law, religion and art, the classical world formed the origin of western culture and thought. This book emphasises the many ways in which it continues to engage with contemporary life. Offering a wide variety of authorial style, the chapters range in subject matter from contemporary poets' exploitation of Greek and Latin authors, via newly discovered literary texts and art works, to modern arguments about ancient democracy and slavery, and close readings of the great poets and philosophers of antiquity. This engaging book reflects the current rejuvenation of classical studies and will fascinate anyone with an interest in western history.

The Reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius, AD 138–161

The Reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius, AD 138–161
Author: John S. McHugh
Publisher: Pen and Sword History
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2022-10-07
Genre: History
ISBN: 1526774011

The reign of Antoninus Pius is widely seen as the apogee of the Roman Empire yet, due to gaps in the historical sources, his reign has been overlooked by modern historians. He is considered one of the five good emperors of the Antonine dynasty under whom the pax Romana enabled the empire to prosper, trade to flourish and culture to thrive. His reign is considered a Golden Age but this was partly an image created by imperial propaganda. There were serious conflicts in North Africa and Dacia, as well as a major revolt in Britain. On his death the empire stood on the cusp of the catastrophic invasions and rebellions that marked the reign of his successor Marcus Aurelius. Antoninus Pius became emperor through the hand of fate, being adopted by Hadrian only after the death of his intended heir, Lucius Aelius Caesar. His rule was a balancing act between securing his own safety, securing the succession of his adopted heir and denying opportunities for conspiracy and rebellion. ‘Equanimity’ was the last password he issued to his guards as he lay on his death bed. In the face of the threats and challenges he remained calm and composed, providing twenty-three years of stability; a calm before the storms that gathered both within and beyond Rome’s borders.

Late Antique Letter Collections

Late Antique Letter Collections
Author: Cristiana Sogno
Publisher: University of California Press
Total Pages: 486
Release: 2019-11-19
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 0520308417

Bringing together an international team of historians, classicists, and scholars of religion, this volume provides the first comprehensive overview of the extant Greek and Latin letter collections of late antiquity (ca. 300–600 c.e.). Each chapter addresses a major collection of Greek or Latin literary letters, introducing the social and textual histories of each collection and examining its assembly, publication, and transmission. Contributions also reveal how collections operated as discrete literary genres, with their own conventions and self-presentational agendas. This book will fundamentally change how people both read these texts and use letters to reconstruct the social history of the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries.

Meditations

Meditations
Author: Marcus Aurelius
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2011-09-15
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 019162019X

'Do not act as if you had ten thousand years to live ... while you have life in you, while you still can, make yourself good.' The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) is a private notebook of philosophical reflections, written by a Roman emperor probably on military campaign in Germany. In short, highly charged comments, Marcus draws on Stoic philosophy to confront challenges that he felt acutely, but which are also shared by all human beings - the looming presence of death, making sense of one's social role and projects, the moral significance of the universe. They bring us closer to the personality of the emperor, who is often disillusioned with his own status and with human activities in general; they are both an historical document and a remarkable spiritual diary. This translation by Robin Hard brings out the eloquence and universality of Marcus' thoughts. The introduction and notes by Christopher Gill place the Meditations firmly in the ancient philosophical context. A selection of Marcus' correspondence with his tutor Fronto broadens the picture of the emperor as a person and thinker. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.