A study of a late antique corpus of biographies (Historia Augusta)
This thesis provides a fresh investigation of a collection of Roman imperial biographies conventionally known as the 'Historia Augusta'. The thesis supports the authenticity of the texts included in this corpus, in particular the claims they make about their dates, authorship, and scope, through philological, literary, prosopographical, and historical arguments. It shows that this corpus of texts, if the main conclusions are accepted, potentially improves our understanding of the tetrarchic-Constantinian era. It also explores the wider implications for the historiography of the fourth century; the transmission and formation of multi-author corpora in antiquity and the middle ages. It also suggests that the canon of Latin imperial biographies be widened. The thesis has two parts. Part I explores the actual state of the corpus, its textual transmission, and relation to other texts. It shows that the ancient and medieval paratexts presented the corpus as a collection of imperial biographies. The paratexts are compatible with the authorial statements in the main text. It then explores the corpus' medieval transmission, and the interest medieval scholars had in such texts. This part suggests that the corpusâs
Baker, Renan
History ; Reception of Classical antiquity ; Economic and Social History ; History of Africa ; History of the ancient world ; Intellectual History ; Late antiquity and the Middle Ages ; German ; Hellenic languages ; Classical Greek ; Latin ; Italic literatures,i.e.,Latin ; Anxiety disorders ; Suicide research ; Ancient philosophy ; Social psychology ; Stereotyping and intergroup relations ; Stress ; Church history ; Judaism ; Religions of antiquity ; Roman Empire ; Latin Language ; Biography ; Ancient Biography ; Biographical Writing
A study of a late antique corpus of biographies (Historia Augusta). This thesis provides a fresh investigation of a collection of Roman imperial biographies conventionally known as the 'Historia Augusta'. The thesis supports the authenticity of the texts included in this corpus, in particular the claims they make about their dates, authorship, and scope, through philological, literary, prosopographical, and historical arguments. It shows that this corpus of texts, if the main conclusions are accepted, potentially improves our understanding of the tetrarchic-Constantinian era. It also explores the wider implications for the historiography of the fourth century; the transmission and formation of multi-author corpora in antiquity and the middle ages. It also suggests that the canon of Latin imperial biographies be widened. The thesis has two parts. Part I explores the actual state of the corpus, its textual transmission, and relation to other texts. It shows that the ancient and medieval paratexts presented the corpus as a collection of imperial biographies. The paratexts are compatible with the authorial statements in the main text. It then explores the corpus' medieval transmission, and the interest medieval scholars had in such texts. This part suggests that the corpusâs
study late_antique corpus biography historia provide_fresh investigation collection roman_imperial biography conventionally know historia support authenticity text include corpus particular claim_make date authorship scope philological literary prosopographical historical argument show corpus_text main_conclusion accept potentially improve era also_explore wide implication historiography transmission formation multi author corpus antiquity middle_age also_suggest canon latin imperial biography widen two_part part_explore actual state corpus textual transmission relation text show ancient_medieval present corpus collection imperial biography compatible authorial statement main_text explores corpus medieval transmission interest medieval scholar texts part suggest corpus