Scholars of Roman history, historiography, and intellectual history, as well as advanced undergraduates.
Uses virtus as a nostalgic tool, presenting legendary figures from Rome’s past as moral exemplars for his contemporary audience to emulate. Virtus Romana: Politics and Morality in the Rom...
In her book , Catalina Balmaceda explores how the core Roman concept of virtus (manliness or virtue) evolved as Rome shifted from a Republic to an Empire. By analyzing the works of four major historians—Sallust, Livy, Velleius Paterculus, and Tacitus—she demonstrates that these writers did not just record history, but actively shaped Roman identity and morality through their changing definitions of what it meant to be a "good" Roman. Core Themes & Evolution of Virtus By analyzing the works of four major historians—Sallust,
Balmaceda highlights a dichotomy between virilis-virtus (manly courage in war) and humana-virtus (moral virtues like justice and clemency). Book Details Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (2017)
Catalina Balmaceda , Associate Professor at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (2017).
The term virtus is famously difficult to translate, shifting between "military courage" and "ethical virtue". Balmaceda traces this progression across different eras:
Definitions of political and moral terms are not fixed; they are reinterpreted by historians to fit or challenge contemporary political realities.