The Moral Mirror of Roman Art - Softcover

Taylor, Rabun

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1107689430 ISBN 13: 9781107689435

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2014

Synopsis

This interdisciplinary study explores the meanings of mirrors and reflections in Roman art and society. When used as metaphors in Roman visual and literary discourses, mirrors had a strongly moral force, reflecting not random reality but rather a carefully filtered imagery with a didactic message. Focusing on examples found in mythical narrative, religious devotion, social interaction, and gender relations, Rabun Taylor demonstrates that reflections served as powerful symbols of personal change. Thus, in both art and literature, a reflection may be present during moments of a protagonist's inner or outer transformation.

About this title

Book Description

This interdisciplinary study explores the meanings of mirrors and reflections in Roman art and society. When used as metaphors in Roman visual and literary discourses, mirrors had a strongly moral force, reflecting not random reality but rather a carefully filtered imagery with a didactic message.

About the Author

Rabun Taylor is Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Texas, Austin. He received his PhD in Classical Studies from the University of Minnesota and taught at Harvard University prior to his current appointment. His publications include Public Needs and Private Pleasures: Water Distribution, the Tiber River, and the Urban Development of Ancient Rome (2000) and Roman Builders: A Study in Architectural Process (2003).

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1107689430
• ISBN 13: 9781107689435
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 285