Virtus Romana: Politics And Morality In The Rom... Instant

Scholars of Roman history, historiography, and intellectual history, as well as advanced undergraduates.

Historians served as "promoters of change," using the concept of virtus to help Romans redefine their identity as they moved from citizen-soldiers of a Republic to subjects of an Emperor. Virtus Romana: Politics and Morality in the Rom...

In her book , Catalina Balmaceda explores how the core Roman concept of virtus (manliness or virtue) evolved as Rome shifted from a Republic to an Empire. By analyzing the works of four major historians—Sallust, Livy, Velleius Paterculus, and Tacitus—she demonstrates that these writers did not just record history, but actively shaped Roman identity and morality through their changing definitions of what it meant to be a "good" Roman. Core Themes & Evolution of Virtus Scholars of Roman history