Magistracy and the Historiography of the Roman Republic: Politics in Prose

Ayelet Haimson Lushkov (University of Texas, Austin)

Magistracy and the Historiography of the Roman Republic: Politics in Prose
Format
Paperback
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Country
United Kingdom
Published
28 May 2020
Pages
213
ISBN
9781108820097

Magistracy and the Historiography of the Roman Republic: Politics in Prose

Ayelet Haimson Lushkov (University of Texas, Austin)

The study of Roman republican magistracy has traditionally been the preserve of historians posing constitutional and prosopographical questions. As a result, one fundamental aspect of our most detailed contemporary and near-contemporary sources about magistracy has remained largely neglected: their literariness. This book takes a new approach to the representation of magistrates and shows how the rhetorical and formal features of prose texts - principally Livy’s history but also works by Cicero and Sallust - shape our understanding of magistracy. Applying to the texts an expanded concept of exemplarity, Haimson Lushkov shows how a rich body of anecdotes concerning the behaviour and speech of magistrates reflects on the values and tensions that defined the republic. A variety of contexts - familial, military, and electoral, among others - flesh out the experience of being, becoming, and encountering a Roman magistrate, and the political and ethical problems highlighted and negotiated in such circumstances.

This item is not currently in-stock. It can be ordered online and is expected to ship in approx 2 weeks

Our stock data is updated periodically, and availability may change throughout the day for in-demand items. Please call the relevant shop for the most current stock information. Prices are subject to change without notice.

Sign in or become a Readings Member to add this title to a wishlist.