Sheila Dillon

Representations of War in Ancient Rome Sheila Dillon

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 321-348) and index. Brief Description: How Romans represented war, in both visual imagery and in literary accounts. Review Quotes: "Anyone interested in Roman preoccupation with war...and the centrality of asserted military success in Roman culture and ideology will want a copy of this book." -- ChoiceReview Quotes: "The reader who seeks to add to their understanding of Roman culture by flipping through the book will be amply rewarded, and historians who might take a dim view of the usefulness of art as a tool for interpreting Roman culture will find themselves repeatedly corrected... The work here demonstrates an ingenious use of art history to open a broad window on Roman society--a lot more of the history of Rome can be explained by the study of looted statues than one might think." -- Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewReview Quotes: "Overall, on first glance, one might be tempted to relegate this volume to the realm of art history or classics. That would be a shame. Although several of the articles do have one foot firmly in those camps, and there is much here that may be a bit specialized, it is certainly useful for those with an interest in the ideology and representation of Roman imperialism and warfare." - Joseph Frechette, U. S. Army Center of Military History, H-NETTable of Contents: Introduction Katherine E. Welch; 1. The transformation of victory into power: from event to structure Tonio Holscher; 2. Siege narrative in Livy: representation and reality Jonathan P. Roth; 3. Roman aesthetics and the spoils of Syracuse Myles McDonnell; 4. Domi Militiaeque: Roman domestic aesthetics and war booty in the Republic Katherine E. Welch; 5. The origins of the Roman Scaenae Frons and the architecture of triumphal games in the second century B. C. Laura S. Klar; 6. The bringer of victory: imagery and institutions at the advent of empire Michael Koortbojian; 7. Conquest and desire: Roman Victoria in public and provincial sculpture Rachel Kousser; 8. Women on the columns of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius and the visual language of Roman victory Sheila Dillon; 9. Battle imagery and politics on the Severan arch in the Roman Forum Susann Lusnia; 10. Readings in the narrative literature of Roman courage William V. Harris.

Contributor Bio:  Dillon, Sheila Sheila Dillon is Associate Professor of Greek and Roman Art at Duke University. A recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Academy in Rome and the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, she is the author of Ancient Greek Portrait Sculpture, which was awarded the James R. Wiseman Book Award by the Archaeological Institute of America in 2008.