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This is the first commentary on Caesar's Bellum Gallicum to
approach it as a literary text. It attempts a contextualized
reading of the work through the eyes of a contemporary Roman
reader, who was trained in rhetoric, versed in Greek and Roman
literature, and familiar with the same political and cultural
conventions and discourses as its author. In appreciating Caesar as
a writer and situating the seventh book of the Bellum Gallicum
within its 'horizon of expectations' and especially its
historiographical tradition, it reveals much that rewards careful
attention, including: a dramatized narrative, sustained
intertextual borrowings and allusions (especially from and to
Thucydides and Polybius), (in)direct speeches telling of Rome's
second-greatest speaker, and word- and sound-play telling of the
leading linguist, not to mention artful technical descriptions that
lack parallels in the Roman republic. Ultimately, both author and
text emerge as quite different from their grossly generalized
reputations.
Historians often refer to past events which took place prior to
their narrative's proper past - that is, they refer to a 'plupast'.
This past embedded in the past can be evoked by characters as well
as by the historian in his own voice. It can bring into play other
texts, but can also draw on lieux de memoire or on material
objects. The articles assembled in this volume explore the manifold
forms of the plupast in Greek and Roman historians from Herodotus
to Appian. The authors demonstrate that the plupast is a powerful
tool for the creation of historical meaning. Moreover, the acts of
memory embedded in the historical narrative parallel to some degree
the historian's activity of recording the past. The plupast thereby
allows Greek and Roman historians to reflect on how (not) to write
history and gains metahistorical significance. In shedding new
light on the temporal complexity and the subtle forms of
self-conscious reflection in the works of ancient historians, Time
and Narrative in Ancient Historiography significantly enhances our
understanding of their narrative art.
Historians often refer to past events which took place prior to
their narrative's proper past - that is, they refer to a 'plupast'.
This past embedded in the past can be evoked by characters as well
as by the historian in his own voice. It can bring into play other
texts, but can also draw on lieux de memoire or on material
objects. The articles assembled in this volume explore the manifold
forms of the plupast in Greek and Roman historians from Herodotus
to Appian. The authors demonstrate that the plupast is a powerful
tool for the creation of historical meaning. Moreover, the acts of
memory embedded in the historical narrative parallel to some degree
the historian's activity of recording the past. The plupast thereby
allows Greek and Roman historians to reflect on how (not) to write
history and gains metahistorical significance. In shedding new
light on the temporal complexity and the subtle forms of
self-conscious reflection in the works of ancient historians, Time
and Narrative in Ancient Historiography significantly enhances our
understanding of their narrative art.
This is the first commentary on Caesar's Bellum Gallicum to
approach it as a literary text. It attempts a contextualized
reading of the work through the eyes of a contemporary Roman
reader, who was trained in rhetoric, versed in Greek and Roman
literature, and familiar with the same political and cultural
conventions and discourses as its author. In appreciating Caesar as
a writer and situating the seventh book of the Bellum Gallicum
within its 'horizon of expectations' and especially its
historiographical tradition, it reveals much that rewards careful
attention, including: a dramatized narrative, sustained
intertextual borrowings and allusions (especially from and to
Thucydides and Polybius), (in)direct speeches telling of Rome's
second-greatest speaker, and word- and sound-play telling of the
leading linguist, not to mention artful technical descriptions that
lack parallels in the Roman republic. Ultimately, both author and
text emerge as quite different from their grossly generalized
reputations.
Well-known as a brilliant general and politician, Julius Caesar
also played a fundamental role in the formation of the Latin
literary language and remains a central figure in the history of
Latin literature. With twenty-three chapters written by renowned
scholars, this Companion provides an accessible introduction to
Caesar as an intellectual along with a scholarly assessment of his
multiple literary accomplishments and new insights into their
literary value. The Commentarii and Caesar's lost works are
presented in their historical and literary context. The various
chapters explore their main features, the connection between
literature, state religion and politics, Caesar's debt to previous
Greek and Latin authors, and his legacy within and outside of Latin
literature. The innovative volume will be of great value to all
students and scholars of Latin literature and to those seeking a
more rounded portrait of the achievements of Julius Caesar.
When the Roman historian Tacitus wrote the Germania, a
none-too-flattering little book about the ancient Germans, he could
not have foreseen that centuries later the Nazis would extol it as
a bible and vow to resurrect Germany on its grounds. But the
Germania inspired and polarized readers long before the rise of the
Third Reich. In this elegant and captivating history, Christopher
B. Krebs, a professor of classics at Harvard University, traces the
wide-ranging influence of the Germania, revealing how an ancient
text rose to take its place among the most dangerous books in the
world."
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