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OverviewEpic and Empire in Vespasianic Rome offers a new interpretation of Valerius Flaccus' Argonautica, a Latin epic poem written during the reign of the emperor Vespasian (70-79 AD). Recounting the famous voyage of Jason and the Argonauts as they set off to retrieve the Golden Fleece, the poem depicts a narrative of high epic adventure. In this volume, Stover shows how Flaccus' epic reflects the restorative ideals of Vespasianic Rome, which attempted to restore order following the destructive civil war of 68-69 AD. This proposition sets it apart from the largely 'pessimistic' readings of other scholars. An important element of Flaccus' poetics of recovery is an engagement with Lucan's iconoclastic Bellum Civile. This poem's deconstructive tendencies offered Flaccus a poetic point of departure for his attempt to renew the epic genre in the context of political renewal triggered by Vespasian's accession to power. Stover's approach is thus both formalist and historicist as he seeks not only to elucidate Flaccus' dynamic appropriation of Lucan, but also to associate the Argonautica's formal gestures within a specific socio-political context. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Tim Stover (Assistant Professor, Florida State University)Publisher: Oxford University Press Imprint: Oxford University Press Dimensions: Width: 15.80cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 22.20cm Weight: 0.428kg ISBN: 9780199644087ISBN 10: 019964408 Pages: 258 Publication Date: 05 July 2012 Audience: College/higher education , Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: To order Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us. Table of ContentsLIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ; INTRODUCTION ; 1. The date of the Argonautica ; 2. The inauguration of the Argonautic moment ; 3. The sea storm and political allegory ; 4. Gigantomachy and civil war in Cyzicus ; 5. The Vespasianic vates ; 6. Recuperating the hero: Medea and the issue of Jason s virtus ; REFERENCES ; INDEX OF PASSAGES ; GENERAL INDEXReviewsUndoubtedly, this is a highly recommended book for all students and critics of Latin epic and Imperial epic in particular. Its insightful and challenging views will provoke future discussion and studies on the fascinating poem of Valerius Flaccus. --Antony Augoustakis, Classical Journal Author InformationTim Stover is Assistant Professor of Classics at Florida State University. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |