Silius Italicus and the Tradition of the Roman Historical Epos

Antony Augoustakis is Professor of Classics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Urbana, Illinois, US. His research interests include Latin imperial epic, Roman comedy and historiography, women in antiquity, classical reception, and gender theory. He is the author of many monographs and edited volumes on various topics in classical literature.Marco Fucecchi is Associate professor of Latin language and literature at the University of Udine (Italy). His research interests include Latin literature from the Augustan age to the Ist century CE, with particular regard to epic poetry. He is the author of some monographs on Flavian epic poems (Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica and Silius’ Punica) as well as many articles on various topics in Latin literature.Contributors are Thomas Baier, Neil W. Bernstein, Sergio Casali, Paolo Esposito, Filippo Fabbri, Alison Keith, Nicola Lanzarone, Gesine Manuwald, Raymond Marks, Stefano Poletti, Angeliki N. Roumpou, Clayton Schroer, Claire Stocks.

"The editors write that they “hope that this collection will continue the discussion of the tradition of historical epic poetry in Rome and open up further avenues of research on Silius Italicus and the Punica in the future” (p. 15). I think they have absolutely succeeded in this regard. [...] To sum up, this book is highly recommended for everyone dealing with Latin literature. I am sure that students and scholars will benefit enormously from this volume and I am confident that Silius Italicus’ poem will continue to reaffirm his position within the academic curriculum." Vicente Flores Militello, BMCR 2023.03.10.

• AbbreviationsNotes on ContributorsIntroduction: Silius Italicus and the Tradition of the Roman Historical EposAntony Augoustakis and Marco FucecchiPart 1 The Historical Epic TraditionSilius Italicus and the Conventions of Historical Epic at RomeGesine ManuwaldSilius Italicus between Epos and HistoriographyPaolo EspositoPart 2 Rethinking Roman ‘Mythical History’Silius Ciceronianus: Regulus as a Reflection of Cicero in Punica 6Thomas BaierSilius Italicus and Ovid’s Roman HistoryRaymond MarksClaudian’s SiliusNeil W. BernsteinPart 3 Historical Challenges to ‘National’ EpicSilius Italicus as an Interpreter of Virgil: Dido and AnnaSergio CasaliPompey and Aemilius Paulus, or the Epic Genre between Lucan and Silius ItalicusNicola LanzaroneFrom the Rubicon to the Alps: Re-reading Eumolpus’ Caesar in Light of Silius Italicus’ HannibalStefano PolettiPart 4 Viewing Roman History (and Literature) from the InsideScaevola’s aristeia: A Complementary Reworking of a Historical Source and the Epic TraditionFilippo FabbriExul in orbe toto, or, How to Map Future Power in Silius ItalicusClayton A. SchroerTemples of Song in Silius ItalicusAlison KeithRomuleos superabit voce nepotes: Remembering Romulus in Silius ItalicusClaire StocksHannibal Redivivus: Fear and Haunting Memory in Silius ItalicusAngeliki N. RoumpouIndex LocorumGeneral Index