CAPN 2009 Program and Registration Information

“Lucius Ampelius: A Reassessment”
Owen Ewald ( Seattle Pacific University, Seattle)

The mid-Imperial Roman historian, Lucius Ampelius, has been regarded as a mere compiler of information widely available in derivative sources like Cornelius Nepos (Arnaud-Lindet 1993: 105-112), Florus, or the Lost Epitome of Livy (Bessone 1977: 43). But this paper will argue that Ampelius draws from sources like Herodotus, Sallust, and especially, Livy. Moreover, the way that Ampelius relies on these sources and his arrangements of material show Ampelius’ interpretation of historical events. Finally, Classicist J.D. Bolter’s concept of remediation, which he applies to forms as diverse as ecphrases and electronic texts, sheds light on how Ampelius repurposes material from historians.


 

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