Latin 520 (Tiberius): Assignment for Week 5 (Jan. 28-Feb. 3)

 

As promised, weÕll finish up Tacitus on Tuesday, start in on Valerius Maximus Thursday.

 

 

 

For Tuesday: finish reading TacitusÕ Tiberian books in English – what remains of Book 5 (not much) and Book 6.  In Latin 6.20-30, 44.3-51.

 

For commentaries on Books 5-6 one must rely on Furneaux (shelved in the Tacitus section in the seminar room, not on the reserve shelf). 

 

For Thursday: please read the following in Latin from Valerius Maximus (this amounts to maybe 2 pages total): the prefaces to Books 1 and 2; and the preface to Book 8.13.  See below my remarks about ValeriusÉ

 

NB: The chief Latin edition of ValMax is the Teubner by Briscoe.  I have placed this on our reserve shelf, but you may find it easier to cull the text from the Latin Library (and in this instance, that would be perfectly acceptable):

 

http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/valmax.html

 

You should all have a copy of H.J. WalkerÕs new translation, Valerius Maximus. Memorable Deeds and Sayings (Hackett 2004): this is the translation, in any case, we all need to be using.

 

 

TuesdayÕs discussion will focus on:

a) a wrap-up discussion of the Cremutius Cordus episode (and any lingering thoughts on Moles and OÕGorman)

b) TiberiusÕ departure from Rome (cf. 4.41 and 57) – why does he leave, and what appear to be the ramifications of his departure?  Bearing in mind our observations about TiberiusÕ relationship to Rome in Velleius, do you see anything similar in TacitusÕ view of that relationship?

c) TiberiusÕ death and TacitusÕ summation

 

ThursdayÕs discussion will feature a preliminary discussion of Valerius Maximus.  The passages I have assigned you to read are all encomia of/references to Tiberius.  Be prepared to discuss what they have in common with VelleiusÉand what they do not have in common with Tacitus.

 

Valerius Maximus: Valerius, you will discover, is a very different author.  The Facta et Dicta Memorabilia is a compendium of stories drawn from RomeÕs past; there are very few contemporary stories.  But as a guide to the ethics and ideology of the Tiberian period, it is an invaluable resource.  The most trenchant analysis of ValMax is Martin BloomerÕs Valerius Maximus and the Rhetoric of the New Nobility (Chapel Hill 1992); this is also one of the most interesting books on ÔTiberian cultureÕ available.  We will be reading a good chunk of it (copy on the reserve shelf).

 

There is no commentary; the notes in WalkerÕs translation, however, are quite good, and will help orient you vis-ˆ-vis the historical situation (this is one of the biggest challenges) of each anecdote. 

 

Rather than make a random selection from the FDM, our readings of ValMax will be guided by BloomerÕs Chapter 5: The Fallen Restored and the Republic's Restorers (pp. 185-229).  Next week we will read this chapter and all the anecdotes from ValMax Bloomer cites in that chapter.

 

 

This week, however, please read Bloomer Chaps. 1 and 2 (pp. 1-58); you should also read the Introduction in Walker.

 

 

In connection with Tacitus, I was coincidentally going to recommend that you read the Champlin article to which Brandon alluded in his email (ÔSex on CapriÕ, TAPA 141 (2011) 315–332).  I will email you a pdf of that.