September 26-27, 2024

Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Neo-Latin Studies

(Innsbruck, Austria)

 

co-organized by  James McNamara, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Neo-Latin Studies, Innsbruck and Victoria E. Pagán, University of Florida 

 

According to Guicciardini, “Cornelius Tacitus teaches those who live under tyrants quite well the way of living and governing themselves prudently, just has he teaches tyrants the ways of founding tyranny.” In the early twentieth century, Giuseppe Toffanin reframed the paradox in terms of a “red” Tacitus, champion of liberty and enemy of tyranny, and the “black” Tacitus, defender of monarchy and Realpolitik. Our project explores this phenomenon, whereby early modern interpretations of Tacitus influence later engagements in the cultural imagination. To what extent does Tacitus come pre-packaged, as it were, by pronouncements levied during a distinct period when he was radically popular and widely read?  Our study questions the extent to which the early modern interpretations are themselves starting points for later interpretations. When authors read Tacitus, to what extent are they engaging in received traditions? Is it possible to refer to Tacitus without thinking through the colored lenses of red and black?

Rather than attempt to prove unbroken continuity in the reception of Tacitus across all time periods, our project examines distinct eruptions of interest in Tacitus. As successive eras rediscover Tacitus, the echoes of previous rediscoveries either persist or die away. Ours is a study of dynamic reception that explores the influences of Tacitus on the moment as well as their effects on future iterations.

Our method aims at encouraging historically situated readings capable, as appropriate, of demonstrating both how an ancient author is reinvented in light of contemporary concerns and how the drive to understand the present through an ancient touchstone can create a sense of community across time. Through close engagement with scholars of the early modern period, we aim to contribute to the history of European intellectual life, and ultimately to understand our own peculiar moment in a world that is increasingly either “black” or “red.”

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Questions: vepagan@ufl.edu

 

Photo Credit: C. Cornelii Taciti opera quae extant ex recensione Iacobi Gronovii. 1721. Wikimedia Commons.