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{en} Jonathan Davies, Representing the Dynasty in Flavian Rome: The Case of Josephus' Jewish War (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2023).

Abstract

"This monograph investigates the problem of contemporary historiography and regime representation in Flavian Rome through a close study of a text not usually read for such purposes but which has obvious promise for a study of this theme, the Jewish War of Flavius Josephus. Having surveyed the evolution of our conception of Josephus' relationship to Flavian power, taken a broad account of issues of political expression and regime representation in Flavian Rome outside Josephus, and examined questions relating to the structure and date of the work, I will provide a series of thematically focused readings of the three senior members of the Flavian family, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian, as represented by their contemporary and client Josephus. Key topics to be explored include the level of independence of Josephus' vision, his work's relationship to how the regime is depicted in other contemporary sources, how Josephus makes the Flavians serve his own agenda (which is distinct from the heavy focus of much previous scholarship on how Josephus served their agenda), and the viability and usefulness of certain types of reading practices relating to figured critique which have recently become influential in Josephan scholarship. The book offers a new approach to Josephus' relationship to the Flavian dynasty and sheds new light on contemporary historiography and political expression in the Early Principate."--

Contents

Intro -- Series page -- Series page -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Texts and Abbreviations -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Political Expression in Flavian Rome -- 2.1 Preliminary Observations on Publication and Censorship -- 2.2 Writing Politics in Flavian Rome -- 2.3 Conclusions -- 3. The Jewish War: Audience, Structure, and Date -- 3.1 Audience -- 3.2 Structure -- 3.3 Date -- 3.4 Conclusions -- 4. The Flavians in Jewish War 1-6 -- 4.1 Vespasian in Jewish War 1-6 -- 4.2 Titus in Jewish War 1-6 -- 4.3 Domitian in Jewish War 1-6 -- 5. The Flavians in Jewish War 7; 6. Conclusions -- 6.1 Josephus as Liar -- 6.2 Josephus as Panegyrist -- 6.3 Josephus as Propagandist -- 6.4 Josephus as Dissident -- 6.5 Josephus as Historian -- 6.6 Josephan Futures -- Bibliography -- Index

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