From Caligula to the Nazis : the Nemi ships in Diana's Sanctuary / John M. McManamon, S.J.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McManamon, John M., author.

Series:

Ed Rachal Foundation nautical archaeology series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Caligula, Emperor of Rome, 12-41.

Caligula.

Mussolini, Benito, 1883-1945.

Mussolini, Benito.

Museo delle navi romane (Nemi, Italy)--History.

Museo delle navi romane (Nemi, Italy).

Sanctuary of Diana (Nemi, Italy)--History.

Sanctuary of Diana (Nemi, Italy).

Ships, Ancient--Italy--Nemi, Lake.

Ships, Ancient.

Underwater archaeology--Italy--History.

Underwater archaeology.

Nemi, Lake (Italy)--Antiquities, Roman.

Nemi, Lake (Italy).

Rome--Social life and customs.

Rome.

Classical antiquities.

Manners and customs.

Italy.

Italy--Lake Nemi.

Rome (Empire).

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

x, 218 pages : illustrations, maps ; 29 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

College Station : Texas A&M University Press, [2023]

Summary:

"The saga of Caligula's sunken barges in Lake Nemi in Italy -- how the huge vessels came to be there in the first place; why they became a cause célèbre for Mussolini's Fascist regime; how they were raised from the lake bed; and why they were destroyed, along with the museum constructed to house them -- is, in the words of author John McManamon, a good story that is worth telling: 'It has memorable characters, twists and turns in the plot, no lack of conflict and tension, and a dramatic ending where something clearly went wrong.' In From Caligula to the Nazis: The Nemi Ships in Diana's Sanctuary, McManamon takes readers on an excursion through history: a journey enhanced by the fruits of deep scholarship, yet possessing ample narrative energy to propel the reader along the path to the fiery ending of the tale. Side trips include Roman mythology and state religion, the emperor cult of the infamous Caligula, archaeology as practiced during the Renaissance, the politics of Il Duce and his minions, and a historical whodunit surrounding the facts of the conflagration that consumed the barges. In the end, McManamon provides for both academic specialists and informed general readers the careful unwinding of a centuries-long mystery, replete with heroes, villains, gods, kings, and all the ordinary folk caught in the middle"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Preface: "From Caligula to the Nazis

Great!"

Epilogue as Prologue

The Ships of Emperor Gaius (Caligula)

The Ritual Setting

Rebirth of Interest

Underwater Archaeology in the Sixteenth Century

The Hunt for Treasure Begins

From the Art Market to the People of Italy

The Dream Realized

New Excavations

State of the Questions.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781648431142

1648431143

OCLC:

1344494574