Fronto and Antonine Rome

by Edward Champlin

Overview

This is a study of a man who was the presiding genius of Latin letters in the second century, the leading orator and lawyer of his day, a prominent senator and consul, the close friend of four emperors and the teacher of two, including the philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius. It is a history that tells as much about the age as the man.

The book begins in Roman North Africa, with an account of Fronto's family and education and the province's influence on his career. After a brief glance at his Italian milieu, Champlin examines Fronto's letters for what they reveal about Fronto and about literary life in the second century. Next come portrayals of Fronto as lawyer, as senator, and as courtier—chapters in Fronto's life that yield a full picture of Antonine society. A final chapter discusses what Marcus Aurelius learned from the orator.

The fragmentary nature of Fronto's letters has seriously hampered their use as a historical source. By close analysis of many of the letters and by the deployment of formidable prosopographical skills, Champlin has coaxed information out of this rich material, and he weaves it into a clear social history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780674331778
Publisher:	Harvard University Press
Publication date:	02/19/2014
Edition description:	Reprint 2013 ed.
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Champlin Edward :

Edward Champlin is Professor of Classics and Cotsen Professor of Humanities, Princeton University.

Table of Contents

Note on Texts and Translations

Introduction

1. Africa

2. Italy

3. Literary Society at Rome

4. The Man of Letters

5. The Lawyer

6. The Senator

7. The Friend of Caesar

8. The Teacher of Emperors

Appendix A: The Dates of the Letters

Appendix B: The Date of Fronto's Birth

Appendix C: The Date of Fronto's Death

Notes

Index of Passages Discussed

General Index