This paper sets out to elaborate on the persistence of the republican ideal in imperial Rome through the lens of historiography. The investigation – which is meant to be part of a wider workplan – is divided in two parts. Firstly, it focuses on what is believed to be a key-factor of such persistence: Cicero's elaboration of the ideal government of the Roman state in his De re publica. Secondly, it highlights significant testimonies focusing on two momentous events of the third century, notably from the Historia Augusta, which suggest the persistence of Cicero's assessment: the rise of Pupienus and Balbinus and the death of Maximinus (238), and the rise of Tacitus (275).
Cassius Dio's account of Caligula's principate pivots on the divide between Caligula's 'democratic' debut and his later decline into despotism. As Dio reports, the murder of the emperor in 41 CE polarised the Senate on the question of whether to abolish the Principate or to confirm it. It is likely that Dio's interest in such a crucial passage depends on his own experience of the end of Commodus and the accession of Pertinax in 192-193 CE. The underpinning of his political thought is Stoic: when the relationship between the princeps and the Senate collapses, the solution is not so much 'republicanism' as a 'republican spirit', to be intended as a fruitful cooperation between the two.
The essay focuses on a selection of case studies referring to Gaius Caesar's mission to the East (early 1 B.C.-A.D. 4). The first concerns a reassessment of Plu. Mor., 207 E and Mor. 319 D, and Jul. Caes. 332 D, all referring to the same historical episode. The three versions differ from each other in some significant details that have been overlooked by critics, and that are here analyzed specifically. The episode they refer to may be reconstructed as a public speech held by Augustus as augur, solemnly celebrating Gaius' departure. Another possibility is taken into account, i.e. that the episode refers to a celebrative epigram composed by Augustus. In this respect, the comparison with AP 9.59 highlights the analogy with an ekphrastic propemptikon by Antipater of Thessalonica in honour of Gaius, which must be coeval with the episode narrated by Plutarch and Julian. The similarity of the final verses of Antipater with Plutarch's and Julian's words concerning the prayer of Augustus is notable, but the idea that the episode relates to a poem by the princeps is only seductive. An appendix is dedicated to the ekphrastic construction of Antipater' composition, revealing that the occasion for the poem was given by the inauguration of a painting in Gaius' house on the Palatine, where Antipater may have been present. ; The essay focuses on a selection of case studies referring to Gaius Caesar's mission to the East (early 1 B.C.-A.D. 4). The first concerns a reassessment of Plu. Mor., 207 E and Mor. 319 D, and Jul. Caes. 332 D, all referring to the same historical episode. The three versions differ from each other in some significant details that have been overlooked by critics, and that are here analyzed specifically. The episode they refer to may be reconstructed as a public speech held by Augustus as augur, solemnly celebrating Gaius' departure. Another possibility is taken into account, i.e. that the episode refers to a celebrative epigram composed by Augustus. In this respect, the comparison with AP 9.59 highlights ...
Nel 2021 Giovannella Cresci Marrone, Professore Ordinario di Storia Romana presso l'Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, è andata in pensione. Il volume ripercorre i suoi diversi interessi, attraverso la prospettiva di colleghi che con lei hanno condiviso esperienze particolarmente importanti dal punto di vista professionale e personale. All'indagine dei nuclei tematici che hanno caratterizzato la sua attività di ricerca segue una riflessione sugli aspetti maggiormente innovativi della sua didattica e del suo impegno istituzionale. Il volume si configura come un riconoscimento del fondamentale ruolo che Giovannella ha rivestito per i suoi numerosi allievi, i suoi moltissimi studenti e per tutti coloro che hanno in diversi modi potuto trarre profitto dal suo magistero. ; This book is a collection of essays in honour of Giovannella Cresci Marrone, Professor of Roman History at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, on the occasion of her retirement on 1 October 2021. The volume explores Giovannella's interests through the eyes of a group of colleagues, who, over the years and since the very beginning of her academic career, have shared with her significant experiences in a professional and personal capacity. The essays cover the main domains of Giovannella's scientific research: epigraphy and regional history, ancient writing cultures, historiography and political history, from the Greek classical period to the uses of the past in the twentieth century. Specific attention is given to the multiple patterns through which different areas of Italy were incorporated into the Roman world and to the scrutiny of several key figures of ancient history, such as Themistocles, Alexander the Great, Caesar, and Augustus, as well as their receptions. They also consider Giovannella's innovative teaching methodologies and her commitment to the institutions at which she worked. The book is conceived as a tribute to the crucial role that Giovannella has played for her many pupils, for her countless students, and for all those who have had the privilege of benefiting in different ways from her mentorship.
