Introduction
Chapter 1: The Vita Marci Antonini Philosophi and the Historia
Augusta in its Biographical Context
Chapter 2: Commentary on the Vita Marci Antonini Philosophi
Chapter 3: Commentary on the Interpolation in the Vita Marci
Antonini Philosophi
Chapter 4: Marcus Aurelius’ General Representation in the Historia
Augusta
Chapter 5: Marcus Aurelius in the Third and Fourth Centuries AD
Conclusions
Appendix: The Vita Marci Antonini Philosophi: the Text and a
Translation
Geoffrey Adams taught as assistant lecturer in Archaeology and Ancient History at Monash University in 2007/8. His research interests include Roman Domestic Space, Pompeii and Herculaneum, Roman Biography, Roman Imperial History, Roman Britain, Pyrrhus of Epirus and the design of Hellenistic Palaces.
Adams provides a welcome précis of his biographical-literary
methods that reveal the intensely aretalogical aspect (narrating
the mythical or miraculous deeds of a hero or god) in the Vita
Marci Antonini Philosophi, set within the larger context of the
historically and textually problematic Historia Augusta. The author
acknowledges the earlier contributions of Joseph Schwendemann,
André Chastagnol, Ronald Syme, and Robin Birley, and claims to
publish the first in-depth commentary on the Vita Marci. He
validates his claims through an insightful thematic analysis that
focuses on the biographer's motivations, the probity of the Vita as
a historical source, and the romantic memorialization of Marcus
Aurelius as the ideal princeps. Adams presents a trenchantly
detailed literary dissection of the Vita using a distinctive
approach (complete with graphs) that focuses on the biographical
elevation of thematic progression over historical fact. By
contextualizing the Vita Marci, Adams demonstrates the consistent
partiality toward the "character" of Marcus Aurelius evidenced
within the entire corpus of the Historia Augusta. This is a highly
specialized literary study demonstrating (and demanding) a
virtuosic command of scholarship. It cuts across a broad spectrum
of scholarly issues, and should appeal to advanced students of
Roman imperial history and biography. Summing Up: Highly
recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.
*CHOICE*
Ask a Question About this Product More... |