Roman attitudes to Jews and Judaism in the first century B.C.E: between Hellenistic traditions and local realities

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The question addressed is whether and in which measure Latin accounts written in the first century B.C.E. dealing with the Jewish people made use of previous Hellenistic sources. From a comparison of extant literary works, it emerges that only one Roman historian, Pompeius Trogus, himself of Gallic origins, consulted Greek, Syrian, Egyptian and Jewish sources while dealing with the Jews. Other Romans who wrote about the Jews at the time, such as Cicero, Varro, Livy, Tibullus, Horace and Ovid, reveal little interest in the views of previous Hellenistic sources about them. What really mattered for them was the social and political dimension of local life and the priorities of their own society.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication"Let the Wise Listen and add to Their Learning" (Prov 1:5)
Subtitle of host publicationFestschrift for Günter Stemberger on the Occasion of his 75th Birthday
EditorsConstanza Cordoni, Gerhard Langer
Publisherde Gruyter
Pages111-125
Number of pages15
ISBN (Electronic)9783110435283
ISBN (Print)9783110441031
DOIs
StatePublished - 20 Jun 2016

Publication series

NameStudia Judaica
PublisherDe Gruyter
Volume90
ISSN (Print)0585-5306

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Arts and Humanities

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