About the lecture

In this module, we turn to the historians of Rome, focusing in particular on: (i) the ‘lateness’ of historical writing in Rome and the impact this has on the character and central interests of Roman history; (ii) the earliest Roman historian, Fabius Pictor, including: the fact he wrote in Greek, and his belief in the value of history as a means of understanding/explaining the present; (iii) Sallust, including: his major works (both surviving and lost); the centrality of ‘war’ (Latin: bellum) to Roman historical writing; his debt to Thucydides; and his interest in drawing universal laws from small-scale historical events; (iv) Livy, including: his belief in the Augustan project; his belief in the superior virtue of the early Republic and its contribution to the greatness of Rome under Augustus; and (v) Tacitus: his belief in the superior virtue of the early Republic; his view of the political decline of Rome, especially since the fall of the Republican; and his celebrated prose style.

About the lecturer

Matthew Fox is Professor of Classics at Glasgow University. His research focuses on ancient historical thinking, and on how both Romans and Greeks used history as a medium for reflection. His publications include Roman Historical Myths: the Regal Period in Augustan Literature (1996) and Cicero's Philosophy of History (2007).