The Politics of Immorality in Ancient Rome

Why was the literature of ancient Rome so preoccupied with immorality? Arguing that this powerful moralising discourse was utilised by Romans to negotiate conflicts and tensions in their social and political order, this study is of vital importance to students, scholars and non-specialists intrigued by Roman culture and society.

The question this book addresses is not how immoral the ancient Romans were, but why the literature they produced is so preoccupied with immorality. The modern image of immoral Rome derives from ancient accounts which are largely critical rather than celebratory. Far from being empty commonplaces, these accusations constituted a powerful discourse through which Romans negotiated conflicts and tensions in their social and political order. This study proceeds by a detailed examination of a wide range of translated ancient texts, exploring the dynamics of their rhetoric, as well as the ends to which they were deployed. Roman moralising discourse, Edwards suggests, may be seen as especially concerned with the articulation of anxieties about gender, social status and political power. This revised edition contains a substantial new Introduction which engages with critical and scholarly developments in the study of Roman culture since the original publication.