Valerius Maximus and the Rhetoric of the New Nobility | W. Martin Bloomer

296 pp., 6 x 9

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-8078-6509-5
Published: June 2011

Buy this Book

Paperback $50.00

To purchase online via an independent bookstore, visit Bookshop.org

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.

Reviews

"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

Quick Links

Permissions Information

Subsidiary Rights Information

Media Inquiries

Related Subjects

Classics / Ancient Archaeology

Related Books