aemilianus Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 (edited) Hi, Sorry if this is not the right place to post, I have never written on this forum before so excuse me if I have got it wrong. I am currently deciding a topic to pursue for my undergraduate thesis in Ancient History and am having difficulty deciding what to do! I have narrowed the decision down to two main areas and I was wondering which you thought would be the most interesting/ appropriate/ rewarding etc. The first area I have looked at was the political propaganda of Antony in the decade or so before Actium. As obviously Octavian was the victor, most of this has been swept under the carpet but it is still possible to draw some conclusions. The second area I have been looking at is the origins of the Social War and the reforms of Livius Drusus. Most of the information I have found has been on the aims of the allies at the start of the Social War (Brunt, Gabba, Moritsen etc) so I'm a bit worried that if I did choose to do this I would end up reciting the views of other historians. Let me know what you think anyway, and where you think these could possibly lead. Thanks for your time, Aemilianus Edited March 17, 2009 by aemilianus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primus Pilus Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Hi, Sorry if this is not the right place to post, I have never written on this forum before so excuse me if I have got it wrong. I am currently deciding a topic to pursue for my undergraduate thesis in Ancient History and am having difficulty deciding what to do! I have narrowed the decision down to two main areas and I was wondering which you thought would be the most interesting/ appropriate/ rewarding etc. The first area I have looked at was the political propaganda of Antony in the decade or so before Actium. As obviously Octavian was the victor, most of this has been swept under the carpet but it is still possible to draw some conclusions. The second area I have been looking at is the origins of the Social War and the reforms of Livius Drusus. Most of the information I have found has been on the aims of the allies at the start of the Social War (Brunt, Gabba, Moritsen etc) so I'm a bit worried that if I did choose to do this I would end up reciting the views of other historians. Let me know what you think anyway, and where you think these could possibly lead. Thanks for your time, Aemilianus I for one would love to a take on Antonian propaganda. While you know considerable detail in anti-Antonius propaganda thanks to Cicero and the contemporary Augustan historians, we know far less (relatively speaking) of the countering view. The information is out there, so you're task is certainly not impossible, but I think it could be one that has some very compelling potential... especially considering that everyone knows Antonius was a dirtbag... or was he? As you said, the era and details of Livius Drusus has been well documented and debated, though should you choose it, you may wish to pursue your own angle. Again the information is there, via primary and secondary sources, so you stand a chance of telling the tale of any pre-existing view. However, if you take sides and do so with conviction, even using arguments of earlier historians, you're thesis can stand on it's own and with merit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursus Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Pat Southern has however done biographies on both Anthony and Cleopatra, and viewed the civil war from their perspective, so the idea is not as novel as it first seems. Though focusing specifically on the propaganda aspect may make for an interesting read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aemilianus Posted March 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 I for one would love to a take on Antonian propaganda. While you know considerable detail in anti-Antonius propaganda thanks to Cicero and the contemporary Augustan historians, we know far less (relatively speaking) of the countering view. The information is out there, so you're task is certainly not impossible, but I think it could be one that has some very compelling potential... especially considering that everyone knows Antonius was a dirtbag... or was he? As you said, the era and details of Livius Drusus has been well documented and debated, though should you choose it, you may wish to pursue your own angle. Again the information is there, via primary and secondary sources, so you stand a chance of telling the tale of any pre-existing view. However, if you take sides and do so with conviction, even using arguments of earlier historians, you're thesis can stand on it's own and with merit. Hi, thanks for your post. I think you're right and I should write about Antony. Maybe tackling the Social War is something to be reserved for later study. I felt a bit like I was going round in circles with the interpretations so any significant contribution would be hard to achieve. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aemilianus Posted March 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2009 Pat Southern has however done biographies on both Anthony and Cleopatra, and viewed the civil war from their perspective, so the idea is not as novel as it first seems. Though focusing specifically on the propaganda aspect may make for an interesting read. Hey, thanks for replying and letting me know about the Pat Southern book on Antony and Cleopatra. I have read his biography of Augustus but I will definitely seek that one out. I have found an article focusing on the propaganda of Antony so I will probably start there. Wish me luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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