Divination, Prediction and the End of the Roman Republic
Divination, Prediction and the End of the Roman Republic
This book offers a comprehensive assessment of the intersection between Roman politics, culture and divination in the late Republic. It discusses how the practice of divination changed at a time of great political and social change and explores the evidence for a critical reflection and debate on the limits of divination and prediction in the second and first centuries BC. Divination was a central feature in the workings of the Roman government and this book explores the ways in which it changed under the pressure of factors of socio-political complexity and disruption. It discusses the ways in which the problem of the prediction of the future is constructed in the literature of the period. Finally, it explores the impact that the emergence of the Augustan regime had on the place of divination in Rome and the role that divinatory themes had in shaping the ideology of the new regime.
- Provides a comprehensive discussion of Roman divination in the late Republic and early Principate
- Discusses divination against the backdrop of wider intellectual developments
- Engages with a wide range of Continental European scholarship, to present readers with a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the topic
Reviews & endorsements
'These author-focused studies not only enhance readers' appreciation of the role of prophetic events and discourse in Latin literature, they also inform understanding of traditional religious practices newly defined to serve Augustan religious and political ideologies. The bibliography constitutes a valuable research tool. Useful glossary; full indexes … Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.' P. B. Harvey, Jr, Choice
'… [this] book is highly recommended for scholars and students of Roman history and religion. … the overall thoughtful examination of the numerous historical reports and problems will provide essential reading for anyone trying to evaluate the role of divination in Rome in this period.' Nancy T. de Grummond, Phoenix
'Federico Santangelo has written a wonderful book on a difficult, crucial subject that has never been discussed in such depth in the past … The excellent methodology and rich bibliography, accurate editing, and a reasonable price make this book well worth purchasing by historians of pre-Roman and Roman Italy.' Daniele F. Maras, Bryn Mawr Classical Review
'Santangelo's book constitutes an important contribution to the growing body of literature on ancient divination. It will be of interest to a wide range of readers, and useful in charting many of the ways in which the practice of divination shaped and was shaped by the political and intellectual concerns of the last century of the Roman Republic.' William E. Klingshirn, The Classical Journal
Product details
September 2022Paperback
9781009296359
369 pages
227 × 151 × 21 mm
0.54kg
3 b/w illus.
Available
Table of Contents
- Introduction - the power of signs
- 1. The De diuinatione in context
- 2. The terms of the debate
- 3. Fringe divination?
- 4. The haruspices and the rise of prophecy
- 5. Etruscan ages and the end of the Republic
- 6. Alien sooth: the Sibylline Books
- 7. Wild prophecies
- 8. Foresight, prediction, and decline in Cicero's correspondence
- 9. Between fortune and virtue: Sallust and the decline of Rome
- 10. Divination, religious change, and the future of Rome in Livy
- 11. Signs and prophecies in Virgil
- 12. The rise of monarchy
- Envoi - away from the future
- Appendix 1. Mark Antony and the election of Dolabella
- Appendix 2. Glossary.
