The decline and fall of the Roman Empire as a modern cultural myth
For this study, I am investigating the âdecline and fallâ of Rome, as represented in British and American culture and thought, from the late nineteenth through the early twenty-first centuries. It is my argument that the âdecline and fallâ of Rome is no straightforward historical fact, but a âmythâ in the academic sense coined by Claude LĂ©vi-Strauss, meaning not a âfalsehoodâ but a complex social and ideological construct. It represents the fears of European and American thinkers as they confront the perceived instability and pitfalls of the civilization to which they belonged. The material I have gathered illustrates the value of the decline and fall as a spatiotemporal concept, rather than a historical event - even when most of its popular and intellectual representations characterises it as such. I am therefore inquiring into the ways in which writers, filmmakers and the media have conceptualized this âdeclineâ; and the parallels they have drawn, deliberately or unconsciously, with their contemporary world. My work fits into a broader collection of studies examining the continuing impact of the Greco-Roman heritage on our cultural and ideological horizons. However, though the representation
Theodore, John Michael
The decline and fall of the Roman Empire as a modern cultural myth. For this study, I am investigating the âdecline and fallâ of Rome, as represented in British and American culture and thought, from the late nineteenth through the early twenty-first centuries. It is my argument that the âdecline and fallâ of Rome is no straightforward historical fact, but a âmythâ in the academic sense coined by Claude LĂ©vi-Strauss, meaning not a âfalsehoodâ but a complex social and ideological construct. It represents the fears of European and American thinkers as they confront the perceived instability and pitfalls of the civilization to which they belonged. The material I have gathered illustrates the value of the decline and fall as a spatiotemporal concept, rather than a historical event - even when most of its popular and intellectual representations characterises it as such. I am therefore inquiring into the ways in which writers, filmmakers and the media have conceptualized this âdeclineâ; and the parallels they have drawn, deliberately or unconsciously, with their contemporary world. My work fits into a broader collection of studies examining the continuing impact of the Greco-Roman heritage on our cultural and ideological horizons. However, though the representation
decline_fall roman_empire modern cultural myth study_investigate decline_fall rome represent british_american culture think late_nineteenth argument decline_fall rome straightforward historical fact myth academic sense coin mean complex social_ideological construct represent fear european american thinker confront perceived instability pitfall civilization belong material gather illustrate value decline_fall spatiotemporal concept rather historical_event even popular intellectual representation characterises such therefore inquire way writer medium decline parallel draw deliberately unconsciously contemporary world work fit broad collection study examine continue impact greco_roman heritage cultural_ideological horizon however though representation