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Ammianus, traditions of satire and the Eternity of Rome

Ammianus, traditions of satire and the Eternity of Rome
Ammianus, traditions of satire and the Eternity of Rome
The fourth-century historian Ammianus Marcellinus famously attacks the inhabitants of Rome in two satirical “digressions,” which have often been read as autobiographical statements of Ammianus’ anger against his fellow inhabitants of Rome. This article argues, however, that Ammianus consciously adopts a light-hearted satirical persona, whose indignatio owes more to the traditions of Roman satire than personal experience. Furthermore, the insertion of these satirical passages is a radical response to the contemporary reawakening of interest in satire, particularly by Christian authors, in Late Antiquity and a statement of the Res Gestae’s place in a longer literary tradition.
0009-8353
356-373
Ross, Alan
e487447e-3b04-48a3-9dd3-e0e5988b3f98
Ross, Alan
e487447e-3b04-48a3-9dd3-e0e5988b3f98

Ross, Alan (2015) Ammianus, traditions of satire and the Eternity of Rome. The Classical Journal, 110 (3), 356-373. (doi:10.5184/classicalj.110.3.0356).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The fourth-century historian Ammianus Marcellinus famously attacks the inhabitants of Rome in two satirical “digressions,” which have often been read as autobiographical statements of Ammianus’ anger against his fellow inhabitants of Rome. This article argues, however, that Ammianus consciously adopts a light-hearted satirical persona, whose indignatio owes more to the traditions of Roman satire than personal experience. Furthermore, the insertion of these satirical passages is a radical response to the contemporary reawakening of interest in satire, particularly by Christian authors, in Late Antiquity and a statement of the Res Gestae’s place in a longer literary tradition.

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Published date: February 2015
Organisations: History

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Local EPrints ID: 389499
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/389499
ISSN: 0009-8353
PURE UUID: 782c9df3-8863-40dd-87b1-0b72c05fcfd5

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Date deposited: 08 Mar 2016 12:31
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 23:04

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Author: Alan Ross

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