Valerius Maximus and the Rhetoric of the New Nobility

by W. Martin Bloomer

Overview

Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Valerius Maximus's Memorable Deeds and Sayings was the most widely read prose after the Bible. Bloomer revives this classic text to examine how, why, and for whom Valerius composed this collection of rhetorical examples. He argues that the work expresses the concerns and anxieties of literate first-century Romans and shows that it creates paradigms for a new culture.

Originally published in 1992.

A UNC Press Enduring Edition — UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807865095
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	06/01/2011
Edition description:	1
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of Valerius within the cultural and social conditions in which he lived. . . . All readers will profit from Bloomer's book, and we should eagerly look forward to his further insights into Roman literature.—AJP



In this sympathetic, lucid re-evaluation, Bloomer gives meaning and significance to the work of a Roman author once popular, but long forgotten. The literature, rhetoric, and history of the Late Republic and Early Empire are all illuminated by it.—Richard J. A. Talbert, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill



An important book. Bloomer for the first time in English places Valerius Maximus in his cultural, literary, and educational milieu.—T. James Luce, Jr., Princeton University

Editorial Reviews

"An important book. Bloomer for the first time in English places Valerius Maximus in his cultural, literary, and educational milieu."--T. James Luce, Jr., Princeton University

"In this sympathetic, lucid re-evaluation, Bloomer gives meaning and significance to the work of a Roman author once popular, but long forgotten. The literature, rhetoric, and history of the Late Republic and Early Empire are all illuminated by it."--Richard J. A. Talbert, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"Makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of Valerius within the cultural and social conditions in which he lived. . . . All readers will profit from Bloomer's book, and we should eagerly look forward to his further insights into Roman literature."--"AJP"

From the Publisher

Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Valerius Maximus' Memorable Deeds and Sayings was the most widely read prose after the Bible, but the work's vision of ancient history and its author's literary style have since fallen into disrepute. Bloomer (classics, Stanford U.) revives the classic to examine how, why, and for whom Maximus composed this collection of rhetorical examples. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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