Paul and Seneca Among the Condemned

The Use of Spectacle in the Early Empire

Inbunden, Engelska, 2024

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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.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2024-10-03
Mått158 x 236 x 20 mm
Vikt485 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
SeriePaul in Critical Contexts
Antal sidor230
FörlagBloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN9781978711198

Tillhör följande kategorier

Romarna inom Historia och arkeologi
Religion: allmänt inom Filosofi och religion
Kristendom inom Filosofi och religion

AcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsList of IllustrationsIntroduction: Grim Worlds of the CondemnedPart I: Rome, Corinth, and their Spectacular LandscapesChapter 1: Sites, Sponsors, and Spectators: The Popularity of Roman and Corinthian ArenasChapter 2: The Stands and the Sand: Ideology and Representation of Arenas Empire-WidePart II: Paul, Seneca, and their Spectacles of DeathChapter 3: “Thrown Down but not Destroyed”: Arenas of Suffering and StruggleChapter 4: “In Honour and Dishonour”: Criticising Performances and Confronting DeathEpilogue: Mimicry or Subversion of Grim WorldsBibliographyAbout the Author

In this profound and courageous investigation, James Unwin reaches beyond conventional scholarship on Paul and Seneca to retrieve an understanding of their respective uses of spectacle imagery to subvert the power structure of Roman militarism and imperialism. Unwin guides readers through the spectacle landscapes of the early Empire, recovering the mostly neglected Neronian and Corinthian amphitheaters. Writing with rare lyricism and passion, Unwin demonstrates that Paul and Seneca imaginatively placed themselves among the “disposable and discarded” of society, to envision alternative ways of life, through Stoic philosophy and political theology. Unwin’s retrieval of Paul among the condemned fortifies readers to resist the power of modern nation-states whose policies dehumanize refugees, migrants, and all the dispossessed of the earth.