What is it about?
The Roman historian Tacitus' usage of metaphors of freedom and slavery in his text "Agricola". Without noticing and understanding the metaphors and their implications, we cannot understand the text properly. Metaphors investigated include FREEDOM IS LAW, SLAVERY IS LAWLESSNESS, FREEDOM IS A GODDESS, MONARCHY IS SLAVERY, and FREEDOM AND SLAVERY ARE A CONTINUOUS BOUNDED SPACE.
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Why is it important?
It demonstrates that the two parts of the narrative of Agricola, the Roman occupation of Britain and the imperial occupation of Rome, are metaphorically intertwined. As such, it supports the claim that Tacitus takes a critical stance not only towards imperial autocracy, but also towards Roman imperialism.
Perspectives
I hope to have shown the value of reading ancient texts through their imagery. The metaphor theory of Lakoff and Johnson is truly groundbreaking and offers a way of reading eminently suitable to uncover hidden ideologies and unstated implications.
Mr Aske D Poulsen
Lund University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Language of Freedom and Slavery in Tacitus’ Agricola, Mnemosyne, October 2016, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/1568525x-12342202.
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