Vespasian and the Omens in Tacitus "Histories" 2.78
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3938707 |
|---|---|
| Authors | M Gwyn Morgan (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1996 |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 41 |
| Publication date | 1996-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Phoenix (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0031-8299 • E-ISSN: 1929-4883 |
| Publisher | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/1192680 |
| OpenAlex | W2319489095 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 6 |
D ISCUSSION OF THE VARIOUS OMENS that Tacitus records in the Histories has tended to concentrate on their religious aspect and what that tells us, or fails to tell us, about the historian's personal beliefs. My purpose is, first, to assess the literary and-to a lesser extent-the historical criteria behind Tacitus' selection of the portents he records in Histories 2.78; and second, to argue that, unless we take the measure of the design which shapes his narrative, we run a very real risk of misunderstanding the purport and purpose of his account. We need first to set the scene. Having provided Vespasian himself with two chapters in which to ponder the advantages and-still more-the disadvantages of a revolt against Vitellius (2.74-75), and Mucianus with a lengthy oration meant to bolster the Flavian's wavering resolve (76-77), Tacitus opens our chapter with the reactions to that speech:1
Ancient history · Classical Antiquity Studies · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Medicine · Organic Chemistry Synthesis Methods
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,14 |
| Citation span | 1997 - 2021 (25) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |