Time and Antiquity in American Empire
Roma Redux
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:18th Mar '21
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Exploring the parallels between America and Rome, Time and Antiquity in American Empire examines how cultural narratives shape our understanding of imperial power.
In Time and Antiquity in American Empire, the author explores the intricate relationship between the American empire and ancient Rome, revealing how various writers and artists have drawn parallels between these two powerful entities. This cultural history delves into the ways in which Roman antiquity has been utilized as both a justification for American imperial ambitions and a means of critique against them. By examining a wide range of cultural artifacts, from novels and journalism to film and photography, the book provides a comprehensive look at how these analogies have shaped our understanding of power and identity throughout history.
The narrative spans from the eighteenth century to contemporary times, highlighting the enduring influence of Roman ideals on American thought. It investigates the dual pillars of American empire—republicanism and slavery—while also considering the popular genres that have reinterpreted the connections between America and Rome, including Christian fiction and science fiction. Through this exploration, Time and Antiquity in American Empire challenges readers to reconsider the implications of these cultural narratives and their impact on our political landscape.
Ultimately, the book offers a profound inquiry into how we construct our understanding of history and culture through the lens of analogy. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing the dynamic interplay between text and context, history and culture, and the ways in which our perceptions of the past inform our present. By engaging with the dialectical logic of these analogies, the author encourages a fresh perspective on the historicist approaches to literary study, suggesting new avenues for understanding the complexities of our political and cultural identities.
Time and Antiquity in American Empire is a fascinating inquiry into the multiple -- and often unexpected -- ways in which Roman analogies are germane to US imperial discourse. It is undoubtedly a major intervention in the political history of classical models, and it makes a compelling contribution to our understanding of transatlantic historical time. * Ronan Ludot-Vlasak, Transatlantica *
Time and Antiquity in American Empire is a fascinating inquiry into the multiple-and often unexpected-ways in which Roman analogies are germane to US imperial discourse. It is undoubtedly a major intervention in the political history of classical models, and it makes a compelling contribution to our understanding of transatlantic historical time. * Ronan Ludot-Vlasak, Transatlantica *
Time and Antiquity in American Empire asks us to reimagine the ways we might undertake comparative literature, by, as Walter Benjamin invokes, 'grasp[ing] the constellation which [our] own era has formed with a definite earlier one' in an analogical network of dynamic, overlapping and ever-unfurling significance. * Andrew Taylor, The Review of English Studies *
Time and Antiquity is a worthwhile read in the now vast body of work redefining our relationship to the ancient world. It will be of interest not only to American literary historians and to those with a specific interest in America's relationship to the Greco-Roman world. * Thomas Munro, Yale Department of Classics *
ISBN: 9780198871507
Dimensions: 245mm x 165mm x 20mm
Weight: 546g
270 pages