University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Nature, imperialism, and the ethics of war in Flavian epic

Kozak, Adam Alexander

Content Files
KOZAK-DISSERTATION-2020.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/107904

Description

Title
Nature, imperialism, and the ethics of war in Flavian epic
Author(s)
Kozak, Adam Alexander
Issue Date
2020-04-22
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Augoustakis, Antony
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Augoustakis, Antony
Committee Member(s)
  • Bosak-Schroeder, Clara
  • Walters, Brian
  • Williams, Craig
Department of Study
Classics
Discipline
Classical Philology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Date of Ingest
2020-08-26T21:54:24Z
Keyword(s)
  • Flavian epic
  • nature
  • natural world
  • imperialism
  • ecocriticism
  • Statius
  • Silius Italicus
  • Valerius Flaccus
  • Thebaid
  • Punica
  • Argonautica
  • forests
  • rivers
  • ideology
  • Latin literature
  • Latin epic poetry
  • Vespasian
  • Domitian
  • Tacitus
  • Agricola
Abstract
This dissertation argues that Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica, Silius Italicus’ Punica, and Papinius Statius’ Thebaid use human encounters with nature to reflect on the morality of their poems’ central characters. Interactions and conflicts with nature occur at programmatic points in the poems, further indicating their importance for the narratives. This common thread throughout all three epics points to a deeper interest in nature and the unknown beyond the edges of the empire. As such, ecocritical theory and theories of space and place have greatly informed my approach to this topic. By examining encounters with nature such as humans crossing geographical boundaries, cutting down forests, and fighting river gods, Flavian epic is shown to comment on the military exploits of the three Flavian emperors, their interactions with nature while on campaign, and the ideology of their regime.
Graduation Semester
2020-05
Type of Resource
Thesis
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/107904
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2020 Adam Alexander Kozak

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