Exemplary Wisdom of Ancient Rome: exempla in Roman ethics

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Ancient Romans of all classes and backgrounds would have encountered, debated, memorised and internalised the significance of a great many historical exempla in the course of their life, through rhetorical exercises at school, public funerals, urban statuary and architecture and literature. They would have encountered many alternative and often conflicting versions of the same story, and many very different stories illustrating the same moral principles. The proposed monograph, "Roman Exemplary Wisdom: exempla in Roman ethics", demonstrates that this variety and multiplicity played a vital role in stimulating ethical reflection and development in members of Roman society. Through close analysis of a wide range of ancient Roman texts, including, in particular, the works of Cicero, Seneca, Valerius Maximus, Velleius Paterculus, Silius Italicus, Quintilian, Plutarch and Ammianus Marcellinus, it explores the way that the ancient Romans used heroic tales from their past as an important cultural resource for learning about, and thinking through, key moral issues (for instance about the ethics of war, sex or politics). It investigates what these sources can tell us about how a concise, pointed narrative can encapsulate a complex moral idea, how ancient Romans were expected to apply the moral message from an exemplum to their own lives, and how these exempla offered guidance for moral decision-making and behaviour. It also explores the question of what sort of ethical system provided the framework within which historical exempla were for centuries a key medium for mainstream education as well as informal life-long moral development. This research project is the first detailed study of the ethical dimension of the Roman exemplary system, and it develops some exciting new ideas about Roman ethics which have relevance for modern education and ethical enquiry.