Reconfiguring the Imperial Past: Narrative Patterns and Historical Interpretation in Herodian’s History of the Empire

Reconfiguring the Imperial Past: Narrative Patterns and Historical Interpretation in Herodian’s History of the Empire
Author: Chrysanthos S. Chrysanthou
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 405
Release: 2022-05-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 9004516921

This book argues that Herodian uses an orderly and coherent historiographical form to reconfigure and explicate a most chaotic period of Roman history. Through patterning he offers a distinctive interpretative framework in which successive reigns and individual emperors need to be read in a dovetailed way.

Digressions in Classical Historiography

Digressions in Classical Historiography
Author: Mario Baumann
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 364
Release: 2024-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 3111320901

Although digressive discourse constitutes a key feature of Greco-Roman historiography, we possess no collective volume on the matter. The chapters of this book fill this gap by offering an overall view of the use of digressions in Greco-Roman historical prose from its beginning in the 5th century BCE up to the Imperial Era. Ancient historiographers traditionally took as digressions the cases in which they interrupted their focused chronological narration. Such cases include lengthy geographical descriptions, prolepses or analepses, and authorial comments. Ancient historiographers rarely deign to interrupt their narration's main storyline with excursuses which are flagrantly disconnected from it. Instead, they often "coat" their digressions with distinctive patterns of their own thinking, thus rendering them ideological and thematic milestones within an entire work. Furthermore, digressions may constitute pivotal points in the very structure of ancient historical narratives, while ancient historians also use excursuses to establish a dialogue with their readers and to activate them in various ways. All these aspects of digressions in Greco-Roman historiography are studied in detail in the chapters of this volume.

Greek Narratives of the Roman Empire under the Severans

Greek Narratives of the Roman Empire under the Severans
Author: Adam M. Kemezis
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2014-10-23
Genre: History
ISBN: 1107062721

This book explores how Greek authors who witnessed sudden political change reacted by re-imagining the larger narrative of the Roman past.

Rome and Its Empire, AD 193-284

Rome and Its Empire, AD 193-284
Author: Olivier Hekster
Publisher:
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2008
Genre: History
ISBN:

A discursive look at the key debates that evolved from this period of the Roman Empire.

Commodus

Commodus
Author: O. Hekster
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 280
Release: 2021-11-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 9004502327

The emperor Commodus (AD 180-192) has commonly been portrayed as an insane madman, whose reign marked the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire. Indeed, the main point of criticism on his father, Marcus Aurelius, is that he appointed his son as his successor. Especially Commodus’ behaviour as a gladiator, and the way he represented himself with divine attributes (especially those of Hercules), are often used as evidence for the emperor’s presumed madness. However, this ‘political biography’ will apply modern interpretations of the spectacles in the arena, and of the imperial cult, to Commodus' reign. It will focus on the dissemination and reception of imperial images, and suggest that there was a method in Commodus’ madness.

Severan Culture

Severan Culture
Author: Simon Swain
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2007-10-04
Genre: History
ISBN: 0521859824

This book surveys the Severan period's many developments in literature, philosophy, religion, art, archaeology and culture.

A History of the Church in Latin America

A History of the Church in Latin America
Author: Enrique Dussel
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 396
Release: 1981
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780802821317

This comprehensive history of the church in Latin America, with its emphasis on theology, will help historians and theologians to better understand the formation and continuity of the Latin American tradition.

Fictionality

Fictionality
Author: Zoltán Kanyó
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 1984
Genre: Discourse analysis, Narrative
ISBN:

Josephus, the Emperors, and the City of Rome

Josephus, the Emperors, and the City of Rome
Author: William den Hollander
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 422
Release: 2014-01-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9004266836

In Josephus, the Emperors, and the City of Rome William den Hollander places under the microscope the Judaean historian's own account of the latter part of his life, following his first encounters with the Romans. Episodes of Josephus' life, such as his embassy to Rome prior to the outbreak of the 1st Judaean Revolt, his prophetic pronouncement of Vespasian's imminent rise to the imperial throne, and his time in the Roman prisoner-of-war camp, are subjected to rigorous analysis and evaluated against the broader ancient evidence by the application of a vivid historical imagination. Den Hollander also explores at great length the relationships formed by Josephus with the Flavian emperors and other individuals of note within the Roman army camp and, later, in the city of Rome. He builds solidly on recent trends in Josephan research that emphasize Josephus' distance from the corridors of power.