The Commerce of War Exchange and Social Order in Latin Epic

Coffee, Neil

ISBN 10: 0226111873 / ISBN 13: 9780226111872

Published by Univ of Chicago Pr, 2009

304 pages. 9.50x6.25x1.00 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0226111873

Synopsis:

Latin epics such as Virgil's "Aeneid", Lucan's "Civil War", and Statius' "Thebaid" addressed Roman aristocrats whose dealings in gifts, favors, and payments defined their conceptions of social order. In "The Commerce of War", Neil Coffee argues that these exchanges play a central yet overlooked role in epic depictions of Roman society. Tracing the collapse of an aristocratic worldview across all three poems, Coffee highlights the distinction they draw between reciprocal gift giving among elites and the more problematic behaviors of buying and selling. In the "Aeneid", customary gift and favor exchanges are undermined by characters who view human interaction as short-term and commodity-driven. "Civil War" takes the next logical step, illuminating how Romans cope once commercial greed has supplanted traditional values. Concluding with the "Thebaid", which focuses on the problems of excessive consumption rather than exchange, Coffee closes his powerful case that these poems constitute far-reaching critiques of Roman society during its transition from republic to empire.

About the Author: Neil Coffee is assistant professor of classics at the University at Buffalo.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Commerce of War Exchange and Social ...
Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr
Publication Date: 2009
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Brand New