Full Description
Paul and Seneca Among the Condemned: The Use of Spectacle in the Early Empire relocates the comparison of these two figures from the philosopher's lecture hall to the amphitheaters of Rome and Corinth. The book explores the sites and images of spectacle that littered the landscapes of the ancient world. By examining archaeological remains alongside the letters of Paul and Seneca, James R. Unwin recreates their exhibitions of spectacle imagery. What we discover in viewing these provocative scenes from the grim world of the arena are suggestive responses to sovereign power and state terror. Their responses open up space for us to think through the reproduction of new arenas in our present world.
Contents
Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
List of Illustrations
Introduction: Grim Worlds of the Condemned
Part I: Rome, Corinth, and their Spectacular Landscapes
Chapter 1: Sites, Sponsors, and Spectators: The Popularity of Roman and Corinthian Arenas
Chapter 2: The Stands and the Sand: Ideology and Representation of Arenas Empire-Wide
Part II: Paul, Seneca, and their Spectacles of Death
Chapter 3: "Thrown Down but not Destroyed": Arenas of Suffering and Struggle
Chapter 4: "In Honour and Dishonour": Criticising Performances and Confronting Death
Epilogue: Mimicry or Subversion of Grim Worlds
Bibliography
About the Author
