Abstract EN:

The main topic of this disertation is the relationships between literature and national identity in Rome, in the 1st century BCE; during this period, the definition of Rome’s national identity as well as the nature of its relations with foreign, barbarian or civilized people, was felt as problematic, which prompted Roman authors and thinkers to develop a sophisticated theoretical discourse about these issues. This work adresses the historical question of the Roman vision of foreigners by studying literary documents. In Livy’s Ab Vrbe condita, which is meant as an enquiry about the foundations of Roman identity, the foreigner plays a central role, since it helps define the ideal Roman. Livy’s ideas on citizenship and the laws of war reflect the concerns of his time; a complex, ambiguous vision of foreigners emerges from Livy’s narrative. In the narrative, the point of view is mainly moralistic: most often, the foreigner appears as a counter-model for Romans, thus contributing to the edifying purposes of Livy’s work.