War suffused Roman life to a degree unparalleled in other ancient societies. Although the place of war in ancient Roman culture has been the subject of many studies, this book examines how Romans represented war, in both visual imagery and in literary accounts. Spanning a broad chronological range, from the mid-fourth century BC to the third century AD, the essays in this volume consider audience reception, the reconstruction of display contexts, as well as the language of images, which could be either explicit or allusive in representations of war. They also analyze the construction of the Romans' view of themselves, their past, and their future.
Contents
Introduction Katherine E. Welch; 1. The transformation of victory into power: from event to structure Tonio Holscher; 2. Siege narrative in Livy: representation and reality Jonathan P. Roth; 3. Roman aesthetics and the spoils of Syracuse Myles McDonnell; 4. Domi Militiaeque: Roman domestic aesthetics and war booty in the Republic Katherine E. Welch; 5. The origins of the Roman Scaenae Frons and the architecture of triumphal games in the second century B.C. Laura S. Klar; 6. The bringer of victory: imagery and institutions at the advent of empire Michael Koortbojian; 7. Conquest and desire: Roman Victoria in public and provincial sculpture Rachel Kousser; 8. Women on the columns of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius and the visual language of Roman victory Sheila Dillon; 9. Battle imagery and politics on the Severan arch in the Roman Forum Susann Lusnia; 10. Readings in the narrative literature of Roman courage William V. Harris.
Reviews
"The reader who seeks to add to their understanding of Roman culture by flipping through the book will be amply rewarded, and historians who might take a dim view of the usefulness of art as a tool for interpreting Roman culture will find themselves repeatedly corrected...The work here demonstrates an ingenious use of art history to open a broad window on Roman society--a lot more of the history of Rome can be explained by the study of looted statues than one might think." -- Bryn Mawr Classical Review
"Anyone interested in Roman preoccupation with war...and the centrality of asserted military success in Roman culture and ideology will want a copy of this book." -- Choice
"Overall, on first glance, one might be tempted to relegate this volume to the realm of art history or classics. That would be a shame. Although several of the articles do have one foot firmly in those camps, and there is much here that may be a bit specialized, it is certainly useful for those with an interest in the ideology and representation of Roman imperialism and warfare." - Joseph Frechette, U.S. Army Center of Military History, H-NET
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