HIST 375 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Quintilian, Latin Literature, Vigiles
4 Aug 2019
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Document Summary
Proliferation of sources, but all fragmentary: no one comprehensive source. Claudians: vespasian earned" being emperor, rose through hard work, there is still a clear cycle of good bad" from vespasian to domitian. Very detailed for beginning of the dynasty, but most of the work has been lost. Presumably drawn from past sources, including suetonius reliability problem. Relatively favourable towards flavians: captured + brought over to vespasian"s side during jewish wars. Lives was dedicated to septicius clarus, the praetorian prefect, who was also supposedly dismissed. Non-historians: new age of literature, promoted by vespasian. Quintilian: rose to prominence in one of the professorships created by vespasian for greek + latin literature e. g. martial, silius italicus, satius, valerius flaccus. Poets: noticeable freedom of expression, changing with the times: e. g. martial writes more mockingly about domitian after his death. Collection of scientific + historical miscellany. (natural history) Pliny the younger contemporary letters, reflecting on the dynasty.
