History and memory in Roman thinking of the past (original) (raw)
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Like any other object of scholarly inquiry, Roman historiography is an everchanging topic in terms of how it is perceived and studied. Earlier generations of philologists focused on the language, style and narrative techniques of individual authors. Such themes continue to be addressed, but have constantly been extended and reinterpreted in new ways, most recently under the influence of literary and cultural theory and other post-structural approaches to literary texts.1 As for the concerns of historical research, after the birth of critical history these have largely centered on bias and, to no lesser degree, on the evidentiary basis of the information conveyed by the ancient historians. In the 19th century many scholars indulged in Quellenforschung, which eventually matured into the study of the fragments of lost authors; such material has to this day continued to attract a fair amount of attention. One of the really big issues of 20th-century scholarship was the general reliability of the annalistic tradition; this very animated discussion, which still goes on, has been fuelled by a growing body of archaeological and epigraphic evidence. During the last few decades the scope has gradually broadened from a primary focus on authors and works of historiography to include all sorts of expressions, in the entire literary canon, of historical thought, historical consciousness and historical culture. Also audience expectations and reception, within their ideological and communicative framework, have emerged as new categories for study. We also note that the theoretical currents associated with the linguistic turn have * I owe a debt of gratitude to several people who have helped me at the various stages of the preparation of this paper. Especially my co-editor, professor Christopher Smith, has been most helpful, but also professor emerita Eva Margareta Steinby and professor Jyri Vaahtera read early drafts and provided most valuable comments. And Ms. Jasmin Lukkari kindly and competently assisted me in checking bibliographic references in the libraries of Rome. 1 For a discussion of how postmodern historiographical theory has affected our perception of the evidence provided by the Roman historians, see Batstone , 24-40.
[ARTIGO] Exemplary History: Competition in Roman Historiography
História da Historiografia: International Journal of Theory and History of Historiography, 2019
A great part of the perceived value of history in the ancient world was connected with its educational function. In one way or another, it was regarded as a beneficial guide to conduct or as magistra vitae (Cicero, De Oratore II, 36). To give political instruction and advice on the one hand (Polybius, I, 1, 2), and to provide exempla, were two major aims of history. This paper will argue that by narrating the history of the past, historians not only judged past actions or people, and provided useful moral examples to their contemporaries, but also stimulated a type of competition between past and present times. By recording good examples to be imitated and bad ones to be avoided, the Roman historians promoted the code of values of the maiores for their own time, fostered action and, to a certain extent, became significant indicators to Roman society. This competitive aspect of Roman historiography is illustrated here in three distinct categories, analysing the work of major Roman historians: Sallust, Livy and Tacitus. https://www.historiadahistoriografia.com.br/revista/article/view/1398/788
Exemplary History: Competition in Roman Historiography
História da Historiografia: International Journal of Theory and History of Historiography, 2019
A great part of the perceived value of history in the ancient world was connected with its educational function. In one way or another, it was regarded as a beneficial guide to conduct or as magistra vitae (Cicero, De Oratore II, 36). To give political instruction and advice on the one hand (Polybius, I, 1, 2), and to provide exempla, were two major aims of history. This paper will argue that by narrating the history of the past, historians not only judged past actions or people, and provided useful moral examples to their contemporaries, but also stimulated a type of competition between past and present times. By recording good examples to be imitated and bad ones to be avoided, the Roman historians promoted the code of values of the maiores for their own time, fostered action and, to a certain extent, became significant indicators to Roman society. This competitive aspect of Roman historiography is illustrated here in three distinct categories, analysing the work of major Roman hi...
Greek and Roman Historical Thought
Written for a Historiography class, the approaches of Thucydides, Herodotus, and Polybius are examined as to how they approached the task of recording and writing history.