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Disclosure and Discretion in Roman Astrology - Manilius and his Augustan Contemporaries (Hardcover)
Loot Price: R2,937
Discovery Miles 29 370
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Disclosure and Discretion in Roman Astrology - Manilius and his Augustan Contemporaries (Hardcover)
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In light of modern scepticism towards the practice, it is easy to
overlook just how important a role astrology played in the career
of Rome's first Emperor, Augustus. Augustus' enthusiasm for
employing astrological predictions and symbols to cement his own
position of power was matched by an equally forceful desire to
restrict their use by his political rivals. Astrology in Rome was,
then, to use Tacitus' neat formulation, both 'forbidden and
maintained' (Tacitus, Histories, 1.22). This volume is the first to
take seriously this imperial complex as a key to understanding the
diverse ways in which contemporary commentators handle the volatile
topic of astrology in their writings. It shows how Roman writers
engage in elaborate discourses of discretion as they simultaneously
celebrate the power of astrology and shy away from the sort of
astrological revelations that might offend imperial sensibilities.
With a particular focus on the key astrological poem of Manilius,
this study provides a new conceptual framework in which to
appreciate the complex treatments of astrology during the period of
Octavian/Augustus.
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