Éditeur :C.H.Beck
Date Parution :02/10/2020
Collection :Zetemata
Langue : anglais

Uncertainty is a fundamental part of the human condition. Experiences thwart
expectations, and the world is in constant need of interpretation, evaluation
and disambiguation. When writing about the past, historians can approach this
uncertainty in different ways and either eliminate it from their history or
enact it. This book examines the dynamics between historiography and
uncertainty in the works of Livy and Velleius Paterculus. Combining close
readings and theoretical reflection, it develops a distinct concept of
temporal and hermeneutic uncertainty and builds on this concept to shed new
light on the narrative composition of their histories. It has been argued that
narrative is an essential part of human life and civilization. While engaging
with recent approaches to the theory of narrative, Uncertainty in Livy and
Velleius explores historiographical narrative as a mode of grappling with
uncertainty.