Writing Rome : textual approaches to the city / Catharine Edwards.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Edwards, Catharine.

Series:

Roman literature and its contexts

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Latin literature--History and criticism.

Latin literature.

Literature, Modern--Roman influences.

Literature, Modern.

City and town life in literature.

Cities and towns in literature.

Literature and society--Rome.

Literature and society.

Rome (Italy)--In literature.

Rome (Italy).

Rome--In literature.

Rome.

Rome (Empire).

Physical Description:

xii, 146 pages ; 20 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1996.

Summary:

The city of Rome is built not only of bricks and marble but also of the words of its writers. For the ancient inhabitant or visitor, the buildings of Rome, the public spaces of the city, were crowded with meanings and associations. These meanings were generated partly through activities associated with particular places, but Rome also took on meanings from literature written about the city: stories of its foundation, praise of its splendid buildings, laments composed by those obliged to leave it. Ancient writers made use of the city to explore the complexities of Roman history, power and identity. This book aims to chart selected aspects of Rome's resonance in literature and the literary resonance of Rome. A wide range of texts are explored, from later periods as well as from antiquity, since, as the author hopes to show, Gibbon, Goethe and others can be revealing guides to the literary topography of ancient Rome.

Contents:

Introduction: the city of words 1

1 The city of memories 27

2 The city of gods 44

3 The city of empire 69

4 The city of marvels 96

5 The city of exiles 110.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0521550807

0521559529

OCLC:

33897758