Roman Reflections
Studies in Latin Philosophy
Gareth D Williams editor Katharina Volk editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc
Published:5th Nov '15
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
When the Romans adopted Greek literary genres, artistic techniques, and iconographies, they did not slavishly imitate their models. Rather, the Romans created vibrant and original literature and art. The same is true for philosophy, though the rich Roman philosophical tradition is still too often treated as a mere footnote to the history of Greek philosophy. This volume aims to reassert the significance of Roman philosophy and to explore the "Romanness" of philosophical writings and practices in the Roman world. The contributors reveal that the Romans, in their creative adaptation of Greek modes of thought, developed sophisticated forms of philosophical discourse shaped by their own history and institutions, concepts and values-and last, but not least, by the Latin language, which nearly all Roman philosophers used to express their ideas. The thirteen chapters-which are authored by an international group of specialists in ancient philosophy, Latin literature, and Roman social and intellectual history-move from Roman attitudes to and practices of philosophy to the great late Republican writers Cicero and Lucretius, then onwards to the early Empire and the work of Seneca the Younger, and finally to Epictetus, Apuleius, and Augustine. Using a variety of approaches, the essays do not combine into one grand narrative but instead demonstrate the diversity and originality of the Roman philosophical discourse over the centuries.
the quality of the papers is consistently high (the acknowledgements at the end of each chapter suggest that all underwent substantial review and revision before publication). They also cohere surprisingly well. Although not always explicitly so, many of the chapters inform one another. Taken together they offer a fine overview of both the ancient material and the concerns of current scholarship. All texts quoted are helpfully given in both Latin and English translation throughout. Anyone interested in Roman philosophy will want to have a copy of this book. * John Sellars, Language and Literature *
ISBN: 9780199999767
Dimensions: 163mm x 236mm x 28mm
Weight: 544g
320 pages