Tacitus' Narrative Technique

The basic principles of successful narrative presentation are simple to state, if difficult to achieve. Selection and organization of material to make the desired point; sufficient variety of tone and pace to hold the audience's interest and to emphasize the point; and a proper appreciation of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Greece and Rome 1977-04, Vol.24 (1), p.13-22
Main Author: Miller, N. P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Armies
Emperors
Narrative history
Narratives
Noun phrases
Omens
Citations: Items that cite this one
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Summary:The basic principles of successful narrative presentation are simple to state, if difficult to achieve. Selection and organization of material to make the desired point; sufficient variety of tone and pace to hold the audience's interest and to emphasize the point; and a proper appreciation of the context in which the point has to be made: these requirements seem to be valid, whether the narrative being presented is a literary history, an imaginative novel, or an archetypal story which starts with ‘An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman …’ For each of these narrative forms implies intellectual judgement by the narrator on his material, artistic judgement about its presentation, and assumptions about the audience for whom it is intended. I should like to consider some aspects of Tacitus' art of narrative presentation, and the connection of that art with his historical judgement.
ISSN:0017-3835
1477-4550
DOI:10.1017/S0017383500019574