The Narrator and the Participant
The Narrator and the Participant
Gallus and Silvanus in Preparation for Julian
Chapter 2 analyses the depiction of two characters in the first extant books, who in similar ways prefigure Julian’s later role in the narrative. The Caesar Gallus in Book 14 and the usurper Silvanus in Book 15 are both appointees, rivals, and finally victims of Constantius. Significantly Ammianus appears as a character during both episodes, and it is argued that he establishes his presence as a means of effecting a significant shift in the narrative’s presentation of each of Constantius’ rivals. Additionally the chapter proposes that Ammianus draws on the figure of Nero in his characterization of the tyrannical Gallus, and it offers a narratological survey of the Silvanus episode.
Keywords: Gallus, Silvanus, Nero, Tacitus, Suetonius, Constantius II, Narratology, Intertextuality
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