Browsing by Author "Keck, Sarah Anne"

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    Serial Adulterer or Political Mastermind: A Re-examination of the Evidence on Julia the Elder’s Autonomy
    (2024-04-29) Keck, Sarah Anne; Hughes, Lisa A.; Muessig, Carolyn; Sigismund-Nielson, Hanne
    Scholarship on Julia the Elder’s life has continuously focused on the impact her actions had on Augustus, and other men in her life such as Tiberius or Iullus. It is male oriented and denies Julia autonomy and agency as an individual. Beginning with scholars such as R. Syme (1939), R. Bauman (1994) and E. Fantham (2006), key scholars in Augustan studies, I examine their arguments and identify the ways in which they view Julia as lacking autonomy. More recent works such as A. Richlin (2014) where the evidence on Julia is critically re-examined to identify authorial bias and intent that had previously not been addressed. This thesis provides a new way to view the evidence that allows for an understanding of Julia’s potential autonomy through a re-examination of the evidence, with a framework based on C. Mackenzie’s (2014) relational model of autonomy. By using this model, which fosters an understanding of the connections between the different aspects of autonomy, I can better address the internal conditions of Julia’s autonomy. With a focus on literary evidence on the events of 2 B.C.E. which led to Julia exile, I begin an analysis of how each autonomy condition could be filled with the evidence available. This thesis provides more holistic reading of Julia that acknowledges her beyond mere adulteress, but as a potential political mastermind.