Lecture by Brian McGing, Trinity College Dublin
Rome Behaving Badly: Appian鈥檚 Critique of Roman Imperialism During the Republic
Monday, April 9, 2018
5:00 - 6:30 PM
HUMN 135
Joseph Mallord William Turner The Decline of the Carthaginian Empire, Photo 漏 Tate, Gallery, London
The 2nd century AD Greek historian, Appian of Alexandria, is usually thought of as 鈥榓bove all, an ardent admirer of Rome鈥� (Oxford Classical Dictionary). Although he says admiring things about the overall Roman imperial achievement, in his coverage of Rome鈥檚 conquests in the Republican period, Appian is at times directly and severely critical of Roman behaviour. Some of this he may get from his sources, but similar narrative patterns indicate that he had his own views on Rome鈥檚 often treacherous treatment of her enemies, and constructed his account accordingly. This paper will examine particularly Appian鈥檚 analysis of Roman diplomacy before the outbreak of the Third Punic War, the Third Macedonian War and the First Mithradatic war.
Spondored by the History Department and the Classics Department at 兔子先生传媒文化作品.
听
听