Dissidence and Literature Under Nero: The Price of Rhetoricization - Hardcover

"The insights R. offers into the psychological worlds of the three writers are articulate and thoughtful, drawing on his extensive knowledge of the period's literature and culture and paying scrupulous attention to the text. They will intrigue any reader of Neronian literature, from the advanced undergraduate to the scholar ." -"Bryn Mawr Classical Review "An exciting, carefully documented book from which teachers of Neronian literature can only benefit ... I warmly urge reading a book that eill forever change one's view of the authors treated." -William Calder III, University of Illinois

This work inquires into the impact of dissident sensibilities on the writings of the major Neronian authors. It offers a detailed and innovative analysis of essays, poetry and fiction written by Seneca, Lucan and Petronius, and illuminates their psychological and moral anguish.
The study is intended as a companion volume to Vasily Rudich's earlier work Political Dissidence under Nero: The Price of Dissimulation, where he discussed the ways in which 'dissident sensibilities' of the Neronians affected their actual behaviour. Dissidence and Literature under Nero extends this analysis to show how the same sensibilities became manifest in the texts written by the Neronian authors. It explores the pressures on authors under a repressive regime, who strive to maintain their artistic integrity.
Thus the argument of this book can be seen as a comparison between the predicament of a Neronian dissident and the situation of the postmodern intellectual. It will interest professional classicists and the wider audience concerned with the ongoing debate on the benefits and perils of rhetorical discourse.