Tacitean Visual Narrative

Combining the studies of modern film traditional narratology and Roman art this interdisciplinary work explores the complex and highly visual techniques of Tacitus' <i>Annales</i>. The volume opens with a discussion of current research in narratology as applied to Roman historians. Narratology is a helpful and insightful tool but is often inadequate to deal with specifically visual aspects of ancient narrative. In order to illuminate Tacitus' techniques and to make them speak to modern readers this book focuses on drawing and illustrating parallels between Tacitus' historiographical methods and modern film effects.<br/><br/> Building on these premises Waddell examines a wide array of Tacitus' visual narrative devices. Tacitean examples are discussed in light of their narrative effect and purpose in the <i>Annales</i> as well as the ways in which they are similar to contemporary Roman art and modern film techniques including focalization alignment use of the ambiguous gaze temporal suggestion and quick-cutting. Through this approach the modern scholar gains a deeper understanding of the many ways in which Tacitus' <i>Annales</i> act upon the reader and how his narrative technique helps to shape guide and deeply layer his history.