Reconfiguring the Imperial Past: Narrative Patterns and Historical Interpretation in Herodian’s History of the EmpireIn the process of recording the history of the Roman Empire, from the death of Marcus Aurelius to the accession of Gordian III, Herodian makes his characters respond to the same situations in similar or different ways. This book shows that each reign in Herodian’s History is creatively mapped onto ever-recurring narrative patterns. It argues that patterning is not simply decorative in Herodian’s work but constitutes a crucial conceptual and methodological tool for writing interpretative history. Herodian deserves credit as an original and independent author. A careful consideration of the formulaic nature of his historiography indicates that there is more artistry in his composition than had previously been discerned. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
1 Character Introductions | 29 |
2 Accession Stories | 64 |
3 Warfare and Battle Narratives | 130 |
4 TransRegnal Themes | 197 |
5 The Emperors Finale | 249 |
Conclusion | 311 |
Bibliography | 323 |
Index Locorum | 353 |
381 | |
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Reconfiguring the Imperial Past: Narrative Patterns and Historical ... Chrysanthos S. Chrysanthou No preview available - 2022 |
Common terms and phrases
accession story Albinus Alexander's Alföldy Ancient Greek Literature army barbarians battle narratives battle of Lugdunum behaviour Caracalla Cass Cassius Dio character characteristics Commodus contrast death narrative Dio's History earlier Elagabalus Emde Boas emperor fighting Fuchs Geta goodwill Gordian Gordian III Hatra Hekster Herodian Herodian's account Herodian's description Herodian's History Herodian's narrative Hidber historians historiography imperial power Julia Domna Julianus Kemezis Laetus Leiden & Boston Macrinus Maesa Mallan Marcus Aurelius Maximinus Maximus and Balbinus mention military Niger patterns Pertinax Pertinax's accession Pitcher plot Polybius Praetorians reaction readers reference reign role Rome Scott senate Septimius Severus Severus Alexander Sidebottom 1998 similar soldiers speech stresses Suet Suetonius Tacitus Temmerman theme Thucydides Timonen tion Whittaker 1969 Zimmermann 1999a αὐτῷ γὰρ δὲ δὴ εἰς ἐν ἐπὶ ἦν καὶ τὰ μὲν μὴ οἱ οὐκ πρὸς τε καὶ τῇ τῆς τὸ τοῖς τὸν τοῦ τοὺς τῷ τῶν ὑπὸ ὡς