The international discussion on the political culture of the Roman republic which began in the
1980s and is still going on is one of the most vibrant and lively debates in the Classics.
This collection of essays - all revised and updated - offers fresh approaches to central themes
of the debate: Roman republican social and political order in scholarship in the 20th century
the origins and development of the aforementioned debate the emergence of new questions
fields of research theoretical and methodological approaches the constitution of the ruling
class the concept of 'political culture' the importance of public oratory the character and
role of the 'public' in a 'city-state' - contio and comitia the role of history and collective
memory the performative construction of hierarchy and 'power' performative media of
self-presentation - processions and other rituals monumental and other visual media of
self-fashioning - temples spoils and statues the self-fashioning of prominent families - the
Marcii and the Cornelii Scipiones.
