Roman Religion in Valerius Maximus
Price: $120.00
Add to Cart- ISBN: 978-0-415-27108-0
- Binding: Hardback
- Published by: Routledge
- Publication Date: 14th March 2002
- Pages: 288
About the Book
Valerius Maximus was an indefatigable collector of historical anecdotes illustrating vice and virtue. His Memorable Deeds and Sayings are unparalleled as a source for the opinions of Romans in the early empire on a vast range of subjects.Mueller focuses on what Valerius can tell us about contemporary Roman attitudes to religion, attacking several orthodoxies along the way. He argues that Roman religion could be deeply emotional. That it was possible to believe passionately in the divinity of the emperor - even when, like Tiberius, he was still alive - and that Rome's gods and religious rituals had an important role in fostering conventional morality.
Reviews
'M. weaves together an account which ... formulates a distinctive position for his author. The fact that in so doing he also outlines promising methodologies for appreciating Roman religion is a bonus.' - Journal of Roman Studies
'Scholarly and detailed, with a clear introduction and full and helpful footnotes ... the book is full of interesting readings of and insights into Valerius' work.' - The Classical Review