Rome's Religious History: Livy, Tacitus and Ammianus on their Gods

Description

This book explores the way in which three ancient historians, writing in Latin, embedded the gods into their accounts of the past. Although previous scholarship has generally portrayed these writers as somewhat dismissive of traditional Roman religion, it is argued here that Livy, Tacitus and Ammianus saw themselves as being very close to the centre of those traditions. The gods are presented as a potent historical force, and a close reading of the historians' texts easily bears out this conclusion. Their treatment of the gods is not limited to portraying the role and power of the divine in the unfolding of the past: equally prominent is the negotiation with the reader concerning what constituted a 'proper' religious system. Priests and other religious experts function as an index of the decline (or restoration) of Rome and each writer formulates a sophisticated position on the practical and social aspects of Roman religion.

Jason P. Davies is Research Fellow at the Department of Education and Professional Development, University College London.

'The book is well-produced ... A full index locorum and a useful subject index serve the reader well.' Jan den Boeft, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam 'This is a comprehensive and interesting piece of informed research ... So very thorough and thoroughly referenced, confidently explored and argued ...' The London Association of Classical Teachers Newsletter 'Davies' sensitivity to the interpretive strategies of the ancient authors allows for sympathetic reconstructions of the cultural contexts which inform the historical works. ... In sum, this is an erudite, powerful, and invaluable interpretation of Roman religion and historiography.' Journal of Roman Studies