What is it about?
This chapter explores book 2 of Valerius Maximus' Memorable Deeds and Sayings, and argues that we can see how Valerius deliberately creates not just virtuous Romans but virtuous imperial Romans. By deliberate strategies of selection and manipulation, Valerius presents his historical examples in a way that showcases colonial values while also emphasising notions of Roman superiority and everyone else’s inferiority.
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Why is it important?
This is the first attempt to read Valerius Maximus through a post-colonial theoretical lens, which seeks to understand how this work of historiography contributes to the wider Roman imperial project.
Perspectives
This article grew out of lectures I had been giving to first years on Valerius Maximus for several years. It was exciting to find new ways to unlock the text, and to engage with theoretical models which helped me articulate precisely what I had seen on the page. I was also quietly delighted to be able to develop a framework for interpretation which drew on the magic of Penn and Teller!
Dr Liz Gloyn
Royal Holloway University of London
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A colonialist trick of the eye, May 2024, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.4324/9781003096016-18.
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