Noscendi Nilum Cupido: Imagining Egypt from Lucan to Philostratus (Trends in Classics - Supplementary Volumes Book 18)

What significations did Egypt have for the Romans a century after Actium and afterwards? How did Greek imperial authors respond to the Roman fascination with the Nile? This book explores Egypt's aftermath beyond the hostility of Augustan rhetoric, and Greek and Roman topoi of Egyptian "barbarism." Set against history and material culture, Julio-Claudian, Flavian, Antonine, and Severan authors reveal a multivalent Egypt that defines Rome's increasingly diffuse identity while remaining a tertium quid between Roman Selfhood and foreign Otherness. Vespasian's Alexandrian uprising, his recognition of Egypt as his power basis, and his patronage of Isis re-conceptualize Egypt past the ideology of Augustan conquest. The imperialistic exhilaration and moral angst attending Rome's Flavian cosmopolitanism find an expressive means in the geographically and semantically nebulous Nile. The rapprochement with Egypt continues in the second and early third centuries. The "Hellenic" Antonines and the African-Syrian Severans expand perceptions of geography and identity within an increasingly decentralized and diverse empire. In the political and cultural discourses of this period, the capacious symbolics of Egypt validate the empire's religious and ethnic pluralism. Part I: Setting the Scene 11 Introduction 13 Imagining Egypt 13 Methodology and Outline 21 Theoretical Influences 34 Chapter 1: Egypt and the Nile in Julio—Claudian Rome 39 Part II: Lucan 53 Chapter 2: Pompey’s Nile 55 Chapter 3: Beyond Pompey’s Nile 69 Chapter 4: The Nile Digression 90 Acoreus, Author of the Nile 93 Physics: The Nile between Earth and Sky 96 Ethics: Lucan and Seneca on the Nile 106 Poetics: The Bard’s Song and the River of Poetry 113 The Bard’s Song 115 The River of Poetry 121 Conclusions 125 Part III: Flavian Rome 129 Chapter 5: Egypt and the Nile in Flavian Rome 131 Chapter 6: Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica 143 The Nile in Cyzicus 148 The Nile in the Bosphorus 152 The Nile in Aea 157 The Nile on the Danube 166 Chapter 7: Statius’ Thebaid 174 The Nile on Perseus’ Hill 177 The Nile on the Langia 180 The Nile in Athens 188 Chapter 8: Statius’ Propempticon (Silu. 3.2) 194 Producing Egypt, Staging Isis 196 Remapping the Land: From Egypt to Rome and Back Again 199 Relating to Religion: Anubis, Phoenix, and Apis 208 Revisiting History: Alexander and Cleopatra 216 Conclusions 226 Part IV: The Antonine and Severan Periods 231 Chapter 9: The Nile and Egypt in the Antonine and: Severan Periods 233 The Emperor’s Nile: The Younger Pliny and Fronto 244 Chapter 10: Plutarch’s On Isis and Osiris 262 Chapter 11: Philostratus’ Life of Apollonius of Tyana 268 Sage and Emperor on the Nile 272 Reclaiming the Nile 283 Imagining the Nile 293 Conclusions 317 Afterword 319 Texts and Translations Used 323 Bibliography 325 General Index 361 Index of Ancient Texts 371 Egypt And The Nile In Julio-claudian Rome: Lucan -- Pompey's Nile -- Beyond Pompey's Nile -- Acoreus -- Acoreus, Author Of The Nile -- Physics: The Nile Between Earth And Sky -- Ethics: Lucan And Seneca On The Nile -- Poetics: The Bard's Song And The River Of Poetry -- The Bard's Song -- The River Of Poetry -- Flavian Rome: Egypt And The Nile In Flavian Rome -- Valerius Flaccus' Argonautica -- The Nile In Cyzicus -- The Nile In The Bosphorus -- The Nile In Aea -- The Nile On The Danube -- Statius' Thebaid -- The Nile On Perseus' Hill -- The Nile On The Langia -- The Nile In Athens -- Statius' Siluae -- Producing Egypt, Staging Isis -- Remapping The Land: From Egypt To Rome And Back Again -- Relating To Religion: Anubis, Phoenix, And Apis -- Revisiting History: Alexander And Cleopatra -- The Antonine And Severan Periods: The Nile And Egypt In The Antonine And Severan Periods -- The Emperor's Nile: The Younger Pliny And Fronto -- Plutarch's On Isis And Osiris -- Philostratus' Life Of Apollonius Of Tyana -- Sage And Emperor On The Nile -- Reclaiming The Nile -- Imagining The Nile. Eleni Manolaraki. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. What significations did Egypt have for the Romans a century after Actium and afterwards? How did Greek imperial authors respond to the Roman fascination with the Nile? This book explores Egypt's aftermath beyond the hostility of Augustan rhetoric, and Greek and Roman topoi of Egyptian 'barbarism'. Set against history and material culture, Julio-Claudian, Flavian, Antonine, and Severan authors reveal a multivalent Egypt that defines Rome's increasingly diffuse identity while remaining a tantalizing tertium quid between Roman Selfhood and foreign Otherness. Eleni Manolaraki, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA