The Heart of Rome

Ancient Rome's Political Culture

Jan H. Blits

• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Year: 2013
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780739189214
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Political Philosophy

The essays in this book examine the political activities and institutions of pre-Imperial Rome in conjunction with the habits of the hearts and the minds of the Romans. Relying on the writings of ancient authors, the essays analyze significant political developments and events. They attempt to draw out the meaning of what the authors say and impose no theory on the ancient writings. Nor do they pursue the methodological techniques of contemporary historiography. While avoiding such common present-day anachronisms, they take their guidance directly from the ancient historians themselves and examine their understanding of Rome's political history and culture. Harking back to the ancient view that a political culture or regime is both a city's form of government and its way of life, the essays, trying to be true to the full character of Roman political life, seek to understand the political activities and the souls of the Romans, and to understand each in the light of the other.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Rome and the Sea
• Hannibal and Roman Blunders
• The Power of Spectacle
• Roman Memory and Time
• Public Life, Private Virtue
• The Decay of Politics and the Growth of Philosophy
• Endemic Monarchism and Emergent Caesarism
• Who’s Who
• Timeline of Events
• Index
• About the Author