Wit And The Writing Of History: The Rhetoric Of Historiography In Imperial Rome
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Very good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
At the intersection of laughter and legacy, Wit and the Writing of History: The Rhetoric of Historiography in Imperial Rome presents a compelling and original argument: that wit was not merely an ornament in Roman historical writing, but a fundamental rhetorical instrument through which Imperial historians shaped, subverted, and encoded meaning. Paul Plass chronicles the sophisticated deployment of irony, satire, and pointed humour in the works of Rome's great historians — Tacitus, Suetonius, and their contemporaries — revealing how these writers navigated the treacherous political landscape of the Empire through calculated literary strategies. Plass argues with scholarly precision that the relationship between power and prose in Imperial Rome was far more complex and subversive than conventional readings allow, illustrating how wit functioned as both a survival mechanism and a vehicle for truth-telling under autocratic rule. His meticulous close readings uncover layers of rhetorical ingenuity beneath the surface of canonical texts, positioning this study as an indispensable contribution to classical scholarship. Written with the authority of a seasoned classicist and the acuity of a literary theorist, this work challenges readers to reconsider what it truly meant to write history in an age when words could cost a man his life — and silence could be just as damning.
Author: Paul Plass
Format: Paperback
Genre: Ancient history
Condition remarks:
Book: Very good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
At the intersection of laughter and legacy, Wit and the Writing of History: The Rhetoric of Historiography in Imperial Rome presents a compelling and original argument: that wit was not merely an ornament in Roman historical writing, but a fundamental rhetorical instrument through which Imperial historians shaped, subverted, and encoded meaning. Paul Plass chronicles the sophisticated deployment of irony, satire, and pointed humour in the works of Rome's great historians — Tacitus, Suetonius, and their contemporaries — revealing how these writers navigated the treacherous political landscape of the Empire through calculated literary strategies. Plass argues with scholarly precision that the relationship between power and prose in Imperial Rome was far more complex and subversive than conventional readings allow, illustrating how wit functioned as both a survival mechanism and a vehicle for truth-telling under autocratic rule. His meticulous close readings uncover layers of rhetorical ingenuity beneath the surface of canonical texts, positioning this study as an indispensable contribution to classical scholarship. Written with the authority of a seasoned classicist and the acuity of a literary theorist, this work challenges readers to reconsider what it truly meant to write history in an age when words could cost a man his life — and silence could be just as damning.