Christoph Kugelmeier

... Herr Dr. Christoph Catrein, Frau Dr. Ulrike Riemer, Frau Michaela Stark und Frau Sarah Träm nahmen die Mühe des Korrekturlesens auf ... Norman T. Pratt, Denis Henry und Bessie Walker, Anna Lydia Motto und John R. Clark sowie Alessandro Schiesaro, im deutschsprachigen ...

This paper aims to examine the way in which Tacitus in the books of his Annals concerning the reign of Nero makes use of ancient novelistic literature and to what purpose he employs novelistic motifs in writing history. The hypothesis that he does indeed make use of such means is confirmed by many instances; examples include certain passages from the books concerning the reign of Nero (13-16), especially his relationship with his mother Agrippina.This method of writing appears to be typical of Tacitus, who in this respect stands for agreat part of ancient historiography. In writing history, dramatization is achieved not only by means of the writer's art but frequently also by direct recourse to the features not only of fictional literature and dramatic poetry,but also of novels and novellae.

Am Beispiel des zweiten Chorliedes der Phaedra (Vv. 736–834) soll untersucht werden, welche Funktion die Chore in den Dramen Senecas besitzen und in welcher Weise sie auf die umgebende dramatische Handlung bezogen sind. Diese Fragestellung last die vieldiskutierte Problematik der Auffuhrbarkeit von Senecas Tragodien zunachst offen. Obwohl Aussagen uber die Chorpartien, sei es in ihrer Gesamtheit, sei es zu Einzelfragen, sehr verschieden ausfallen werden, je nachdem man die Stucke als tatsachliche Buhnenwerke ansieht oder der in neuerer Zeit von August Wilhelm Schlegel1 und, sehr entschieden, von Otto Zwierlein in seinem Buch uber die „Rezitationsdramen Senecas“ (s. Literaturverzeichnis) vertretenen Meinung folgt, es handle sich um Werke, die nicht zur Buhnenauffuhrung, sondern zur (offentlichen oder auch privaten) Rezitation bestimmt gewesen seien, vermag doch vielleicht eine Untersuchung der Chorpartien ihrerseits neues Licht in die nach wie vor offene Diskussion zu diesem Punkt zu...

Seneca’s dramas brood in the shadows of the Attic tragedies, which are frequently played in theatres all over the world. To this day, it is controversial whether Seneca’s plays were intended for the stage or only for recitation. But the enormous after-effect of these texts in the literature devoted to European theatre (above all in Shakespeare) shows that they themselves are not only part of our cultural heritage, but that it is worthwhile to consider how one might propose a more contemporary staging of these works in order to afford an authentic reception for the first time – and indeed, for a broader public. Admittedly, the texts can and will only find a larger audience if Seneca’s recitation dramas are brought to the contemporary stage in a form and language appropriate to this audience. In a project undertaken by Saarbrücken Classical Philology since 2011, for the first time directly playable German translations are to be produced for this purpose. These take into account the dr...

"Alternative" facts and the more or less subtle tendentious colouring of factual reports through rhetorical and literary design, even through the choice of basic linguistic means, are by no means a recent invention, but were already a much-discussed problem in antiquity from various aspects. Polybius (ca. 200-120 BC), the most important historian of Hellenism and the only one to have survived in complete texts, provides us with a great deal of information about his historiographical principles in his work. In this context, he often polemicises against his predecessors, criticising their historical works for their excessive emotionality and even accusing them of blurring the distinction between historiography and fictional literature, especially tragedy.

This paper aims to examine the way in which Tacitus in the books of his Annals concerning the reign of Nero makes use of ancient novelistic literature and to what purpose he employs novelistic motifs in writing history. The hypothesis that he does indeed make use of such means is confirmed by many instances; examples include certain passages from the books concerning the reign of Nero (13-16), especially his relationship with his mother Agrippina.This method of writing appears to be typical of Tacitus, who in this respect stands for agreat part of ancient historiography. In writing history, dramatization is achieved not only by means of the writer's art but frequently also by direct recourse to the features not only of fictional literature and dramatic poetry,but also of novels and novellae.

The picture we can form of the Roman emperors of the 1st century A.D. can only be traced with the utmost caution. We know that popular perception of this period sees a Caligula or a Nero as true beasts in human form; this is all the more true when this view is further clouded by modern distortions of film and historical fiction. But also the power of the images created by the despotic principes of that era, which historians like Tacitus left to posterity, should not be underestimated, despite centuries of critical investigation and partial revision. The suspicion that the authors consciously orientate themselves towards fictional literature, both drama and novel, is confirmed in a number of cases, e.g. in Tacitus' account of the reign of Nero (Ann. XIII-XVI), on which the paper will concentrate.
For Tacitus (and with him apparently for the majority of ancient historians), this procedure seems to be typical: a representation that does not produce inner drama with the means of linguistic art alone, but often feeds directly from the sources of dramatic poetry and the novel. Thus Eduard Schwartz could describe Tacitus as "not the last great ancient historian, but the last great ancient poet". It remains a worthwhile task to continue to pursue this obviously close relationship to fictional literature. To critically examine the representational strategies of ancient historians means to sharpen the awareness of when admirable linguistic art distorts historical truth, when "history" becomes "stories", then and now.