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Neronianis Temporibus: The So-Called Arae Incendii Neroniani and the Fire of A.D. 64 in Rome's Monumental Landscape

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Virginia Closs
Virginia Closs*
Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts
*
closs@umass.edu
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Abstract

This essay examines the evidence for the Domitianic ‘Arae Incendii Neroniani’, a presumed set of monumental altars dedicated to Vulcan in fulfilment of a vow dating back to the Neronian Fire of a.d. 64. A close reading of the text of the dedicatory inscription creates a framework for exploring the larger historical and cultural context of these monuments, which offer a significant illustration of Flavian rhetoric concerning Rome's post-Neronian transformation. Reaffirming Julio-Claudian notions of civic identity, collective memory, and the ruler's privileged relationship with the gods, the Arae also constitute a conspicuous form of posthumous reproach to Nero.

Keywords

NeroDomitianGreat Fire of RomeAra Incendii NeronianiAra Incendii NeronisVolcanaliaRoman monumentsRoman altars

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Type
Articles
Information
The Journal of Roman Studies , Volume 106 , November 2016 , pp. 102 - 123
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2016. Published by The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies 

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