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Marcus Aurelius in the Historia Augusta and Beyond Geoff W. Adams

Marcus Aurelius in the Historia Augusta and Beyond By Geoff W. Adams

Marcus Aurelius in the Historia Augusta and Beyond by Geoff W. Adams


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Summary

This book will be of interest to any person, whether an interested party, student, or scholar of the Roman Empire. It highlights the way in which we should consider ancient figures-be they good or bad.

Marcus Aurelius in the Historia Augusta and Beyond Summary

Marcus Aurelius in the Historia Augusta and Beyond by Geoff W. Adams

This book examines the biography of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. It seeks to further understand the author of the Historia Augusta alongside the reminiscences of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Geoff W. Adams arrives at this understanding through a study of a wide range of literary texts. Marcus Aurelius was a very important ruler of the Roman Empire, who has had an impact symbolically, philosophically, and historically upon how the Roman Empire has been envisioned. Adams achieves this end to bring a clearer understanding to his representation and to modern interpretations of his highly interpreted and romanticized representations in the ancient texts.

Marcus Aurelius in the Historia Augusta and Beyond Reviews

Adams provides a welcome precis of his biographical-literary methods that reveal the intensely aretalogical aspect (narrating the mythical or miraculous deeds of a hero or god) in the Vita Marci Antonini Philosophi, set within the larger context of the historically and textually problematic Historia Augusta. The author acknowledges the earlier contributions of Joseph Schwendemann, Andre Chastagnol, Ronald Syme, and Robin Birley, and claims to publish the first in-depth commentary on the Vita Marci. He validates his claims through an insightful thematic analysis that focuses on the biographer's motivations, the probity of the Vita as a historical source, and the romantic memorialization of Marcus Aurelius as the ideal princeps. Adams presents a trenchantly detailed literary dissection of the Vita using a distinctive approach (complete with graphs) that focuses on the biographical elevation of thematic progression over historical fact. By contextualizing the Vita Marci, Adams demonstrates the consistent partiality toward the character of Marcus Aurelius evidenced within the entire corpus of the Historia Augusta. This is a highly specialized literary study demonstrating (and demanding) a virtuosic command of scholarship. It cuts across a broad spectrum of scholarly issues, and should appeal to advanced students of Roman imperial history and biography. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. * CHOICE *

About Geoff W. Adams

Geoffrey Adams taught as assistant lecturer in Archaeology and Ancient History at Monash University in 2007/8. His research interests include Roman Domestic Space, Pompeii and Herculaneum, Roman Biography, Roman Imperial History, Roman Britain, Pyrrhus of Epirus and the design of Hellenistic Palaces.

Table of Contents

Introduction Chapter 1: The Vita Marci Antonini Philosophi and the Historia Augusta in its Biographical Context Chapter 2: Commentary on the Vita Marci Antonini Philosophi Chapter 3: Commentary on the Interpolation in the Vita Marci Antonini Philosophi Chapter 4: Marcus Aurelius' General Representation in the Historia Augusta Chapter 5: Marcus Aurelius in the Third and Fourth Centuries AD Conclusions Appendix: The Vita Marci Antonini Philosophi: the Text and a Translation

Additional information

NLS9780739197769
9780739197769
0739197762
Marcus Aurelius in the Historia Augusta and Beyond by Geoff W. Adams
New
Paperback
Lexington Books
2014-07-09
344
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
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