Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Λατινική ΦιλολογίαLibrary of the School of Philosophy
Author:
Ntoumpara Spyridoula
Supervisors info:
Σοφία Παπαϊωάννου, Καθηγήτρια Λατινικής Φιλολογίας, Τμήμα Φιλολογίας, Φιλοσοφική Σχολή ΕΚΠΑ
Ανδρέας Μιχαλόπουλος, Καθηγητής Λατινικής Φιλολογίας, Τμήμα Φιλολογίας, Φιλοσοφική Σχολή ΕΚΠΑ
Σοφία Ανεζίρη, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια Αρχαίας Ιστορίας, Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας, Φιλοσοφική Σχολή ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Παραδείγματα Λογοκρισίας στην Αρχαία Ρώμη (από την ύστερη res publica έως την εποχή του Τιβερίου)
Translated title:
Examples of Censorship in Ancient Rome (from late Republic to Tiberius' era)
Summary:
Libertas is considered to be one of the fundamental values of the Roman mos maiorum. Liberty was originally identified with the political system of res publica in Cicero’s corpus and later in Tacitus’ Annales. The term libertas includes the idea of freedom of speech, which was thought to be an indefeasible part of Romans’ political freedom. During the first Triumvirate though, libertas started to be restricted, until it was totally offended in Tiberius’ era. This alteration can be depicted through specific examples, investigating the limits of liberty that authors could enjoy or the censorship that they suffered from, as well as the survival or the destruction of their writings. During the late Republic and the first period of Augustus’ regime, freedom of speech was really established because of Caesar’s and Augustus’ clementia and moderatio, so as, even if offensive writings were sometimes produced, no punishment was imposed. However, authors gradually realised that some limits and restrictions were posed by the princeps. The use of the mechanism of recusatio by the Augustan poets operates as an indicator of the new situation of limited freedom of expression. During the last years of Augustus’ regime, princeps adopted inclemency and viciousness, while few years later, Tiberius’ cruelty, who forced authors to employ oratio figurata, led to the final suppression of libertas, the collapse of res publica and consequently the establishment of hard censorship. Terrible punishments were imposed on authors including bookburning.
Main subject category:
History
Keywords:
libertas, moderatio, clementia, recusatio, censorship,bookburning, damnatio memoriae, oratio figurata
Number of references:
101
