Tacitean Visual Narrative

"Combining the studies of modern film, traditional narratology, and Roman art, this interdisciplinary work explores the complex and highly visual techniques of Tacitus' Annales . The volume opens with a discussion of current research in narratology, as applied to Roman historians. Narratology is a helpful and insightful tool, but is often inadequate to deal with specifically visual aspects of ancient narrative. In order to illuminate Tacitus' techniques, and to make them speak to modern readers, this book focuses on drawing and illustrating parallels between Tacitus' historiographical methods and modern film effects. Building on these premises, Waddell examines a wide array of Tacitus' visual narrative devices. Tacitean examples are discussed in light of their narrative effect and purpose in the Annales , as well as the ways in which they are similar to contemporary Roman art and modern film techniques, including focalization, alignment, use of the ambiguous gaze, temporal suggestion and quick-cutting. Through this approach the modern scholar gains a deeper understanding of the many ways in which Tacitus' Annales act upon the reader, and how his narrative technique helps to shape, guide, and deeply layer his history."--

Description based upon print version of record.

Cover page -- Halftitle page -- Series page -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Dedication -- Contents -- Figures -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction1 -- Classics and Film -- Roman Visuality -- The Romans' Visual World -- Feldherr's Visual Historiography -- Visual Historiography -- Narratology -- Toward an Understanding of Visual Narrative -- Visual Methodology -- Film Paradigm: The Classical Hollywood Film -- How Classical Hollywood Cinema Applies to Tacitus -- Part One Lens and Voice -- 1 Focalizing Empire -- Focalization and Visual Control -- The Third Man -- Pompeian Ariadne -- Tiberius

Asinius Gallus -- Agrippina at the Bridge -- Choosing a Successor -- Sejanus -- Plotting against Drusus -- Destroying the House of Germanicus -- Convincing Tiberius -- Agrippina the Younger -- The Murder of Agrippina: Th e Ideal Spectator and the Shot-Reverse-Shot -- Strangers on a Train -- Nero's Plan -- What the Rowers Saw -- Desertion, Murder, and Aft ermath -- Final Thoughts -- 2 Vox Caesaris, Vox Taciti: Imperial Alignment -- Excursus, Voice, and Alignment -- Alignment -- Pompeian Narcissus -- Murder, My Sweet -- Tiberius: The (Mis)Rule of Law -- Tiberius and Justice -- Lex Maiestatis

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