Papers by Rúben de Castro
• Cicero’s personal omens: Pater Patriae and Electus Diuorum – Chapter in the book Trindade Lopes, H. (ed.) Images, Perceptions and Productions in and of Antiquity. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing (2023). ISBN: 1-5275-9275-8. , 2023
Should the modern reader go through the works of Ancient Romans, he would be baffled by the sever... more Should the modern reader go through the works of Ancient Romans, he would be baffled by the several hundreds of omens narrated in those living words of the Roman World. Through those works written by and about men of whom we have more questions than answers, we are left with a series of omens, which told tales of signs from the gods about the future of Rome and its leaders.
By the time of Cicero, and to his great distress, the Republic was in crisis as the consequences of the Empire’s expansion were felt. The political changes of the Late Republic also resulted in the rise of personal omens regarding the future of the city’s political leaders—omens showing their predestination to greatness or their looming death. Cicero was no exception.
This paper provides a brief symbolic analysis and explanation of those omens and, more importantly, uses these omens’ constructed narratives to evince a better understanding of how Cicero’s image was conveyed, in what context, and by whom. Additionally, those omens are used as a case study for the dominant narrative constructions of Late Republican personal omens. Thus, the aim is to provide a better understanding of Cicero and his omens’ place in his time, how they are part of a broader phenomenon of Late Republican omens, and how the operation and manipulation of popular opinion, political propaganda, and Roman religion worked together to construct this portrayal.
• Self-Perception in the Construction of the Other: Case-Study of Roman portrayal of Viriatus, Arminius and Boudica – Chapter in the book Brandão, J.L. et al (ed.) Confronting Identities in the Roman Empire. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing (2023). ISBN: 978-13-5035-398-5., 2023
When reading the works written by Greek and Latin authors regarding Rome’s enemies, one cannot he... more When reading the works written by Greek and Latin authors regarding Rome’s enemies, one cannot help but notice how much of the construction of the other, of Rome’s enemies and neighbours, is dominated by how Romans saw themselves.
We are left with a series of writings on people such as Viriathus, Arminius and Boudica, three of the most iconic of Rome’s enemies, who have reached our days as national icons, occupying in modern and contemporary collective imagination an in-between position that mixes History and Myth.
Through the narratives ancient authors left us of those three characters, we can understand how Romans portrayed themselves, their history, and their civilization.
Through the case-study of the portrayals ancient authors give of Viriathus, Arminius and Boudica, this paper will effort a better understanding of the political, philosophical, and narrative elements transversal in the portraits of those three figures in order to provide a clearer insight on how Roman self-perception is present in the construction of the “other” in the Roman world.
The Romans Before Adversity, 2021
Roman authors included in their works several occurrences taken as imperial omens, prodigies pert... more Roman authors included in their works several occurrences taken as imperial omens, prodigies pertaining to the future of the Urbe’s rulers. Like many other forms of divination throughout Roman history, this phenomenon is necessarily a by-product of how Romans saw their world, a world where “citizen gods” played a central role in overseeing the political life of Rome.
The period known as the “Year of the Four Emperors” is no exception, with ancient literature showcasing the continued formulation of the rise and fall from imperial power through omens expressing divine will. Thus, we have several omens portending the rise and/or fall of Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitelius and Vespasian.
Our paper attempts to provide a brief analysis and explanation of those omens’ constructed narrative to effort a better understanding of the image being conveyed for the different emperors, in which context, and by whom. The aim is to provide a better understanding of how the chaotic period of 68 and 69 AD was interpreted and remembered by Romans, and how it showcased their religious worldview in times of crisis. Therefore, our goal is to provide a better understanding of that period of crisis through its omens, of how the operation and manipulation of popular opinion, political propaganda and Roman religion worked together, in the omens, to shape the collective memory of those turbulent years.
Thesis Chapters by Rúben de Castro
Several ancient authors included in their works a series of occurrences interpreted as omina mort... more Several ancient authors included in their works a series of occurrences interpreted as omina mortis, death omens. The first Roman imperial dynasty wasn’t an exception. Authors as Suetonius, Cassius Dio, Appian, Ovid, Plutarch or Flavius Josephus were essential in making that the Julio-Claudian dynasty could reach our days as one of the richest periods of the history of the Roman Empire in omina mortis. The present Dissertation aims to study the symbolic elements and the imagetic constructs that give meaning to the death omens of Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius Caligula, Claudius and Nero. Hence, it’s about understanding the meaning of the portents and the symbolism of the internal elements that constitute those omens, trying, in the process, to demonstrate that the omina mortis in study are an obvious expression of the Roman religious and cultural mentality at the time and, also, of the Collective memory developed around each of the characters in study.
Conferences and Sessions by Rúben de Castro
Pérez González, J. (University of Barcelona)
Bermúdez Lorenzo, J.M. (King Juan Carlos University)... more Pérez González, J. (University of Barcelona)
Bermúdez Lorenzo, J.M. (King Juan Carlos University)
Virtual Congress.
Congress date: December 16-17, 2020.
On August 24, AD 79 Pliny had taken his customary bath in the sun, a cold bath, then had something to eat, and finally turned to study. At the seventh hour of the day, his sister called on him to notice the existence of a strange cloud ... Little would Pliny imagine that that prodigy of nature which he was about to contemplate from Misenum would end up becoming a catastrophic phenomenon for the inhabitants of the Vesuvian region as well as for himself. It only took a few hours to erase several cities from the map and radically alter both the landscape and coastline. The event was to challenge the capabilities of the imperial administration in managing a humanitarian, economic and social crisis for which there was no precedent.
The present congress aims to offer a space for reflection and debate on the forms of intellectual analysis and reaction developed by Roman society in relation to catastrophic phenomena, both those of natural origin and those which were the results of concrete decision-making. Our main interest lies in understanding those moments in which the daily life of Romans was twisted, and in detailing the responses generated by political leaders and individuals in these complex situations. In particular, we wish to investigate those processes after the moment of change, where not all are capable of overcoming critical episodes, but which become, for some, an opportunity. Although the meeting focuses on Rome as the main society, the intellectual “narratives” generated from the experience of the ‘other/s’, from conquered peoples to the peregrinus subject to the will of the imperial power, are not excluded. In this regard, we consider it important to analyze episodes faced by individuals and groups of various kinds (such as families, professional groupings, status groups, and civic communities) in all areas of social, political and economic life, and the perceptions which were the result of overcoming them. From these perceptions it can be understood that what for some would become an annus nefastus, for others would be an annus propicius.
Ultimately, the core of our investigation hopes to analyze the various forms of intellectual reflection and reaction to catastrophes or threats, real or imagined, public-collective and individual, and across a great variety of different areas.
We invite the participants to delve into some of the following topics:
Truncated lives? challenges, reflection and response to a catastrophic event: wars, genocides, earthquakes, tsunamis, pandemics, famines, etc.
-Romans facing adversity.
-New approaches to daily habits. The perception of unexpected events as an opportunity.
-Leadership and political changes after moments of crisis.
-Trade-offs of the moment: impoverishment versus enrichment.
-Strategies and challenges in public-private management and measures for economic-social recovery. Intellectual reflection on a crisis and its consequences.
-The reception of disasters and/or crises in the history of Rome.
Deadline for Receipt of Proposals: 11/16/2020
Notification of acceptance: 19.11.2020
Final schedule of accepted contributions: 11/20/2020
Online conference: 16-17.12.2020.
***Versión española***
Pérez González, J. (Universitat de Barcelona)
Bermúdez Lorenzo, J.M. (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos)
Congreso Virtual.
Fecha del congreso: 16-17 Diciembre 2020.
El 24 de agosto del año 79 d.C. Plinio había tomado su acostumbrado baño al sol, un baño de agua fría y había comido algo, para dedicarse a continuación al estudio. A la séptima hora del día su hermana le hizo notar la existencia de una extraña nube... Poco imaginaría Plinio que aquel prodigio de la naturaleza que se disponía a contemplar desde Miseno acabaría por convertirse en un fenómeno catastrófico para los habitantes de la región vesubiana y para él mismo. Solo hicieron falta unas horas para borrar del mapa varias ciudades y alterar radicalmente el paisaje y la línea de la costa. El evento iba a desafiar las capacidades de la administración imperial para gestionar una crisis humanitaria, económica y social para la que no existían precedentes.
El presente congreso pretende ofrecer un espacio de reflexión y debate sobre las formas de análisis intelectual y de reacción desarrollados por la sociedad romana en relación con los fenómenos de carácter catastrófico, tanto los que son de origen natural como aquellos resultados de la toma de decisiones concretas. Nuestro interés principal radica en conocer esos momentos en los que se torció la cotidianeidad de las romanas y romanos, y detallar las respuestas generadas por los responsables políticos y los individuos ante estas complejas situaciones. Resulta de nuestro interés indagar en aquellos procesos posteriores al momento de cambio, donde no todos son capaces de sobreponerse a episodios críticos, y que, por el contrario, se convierten en una oportunidad para algunos. Si bien el encuentro se centra en Roma como sociedad protagonista, no se excluyen las “narrativas” intelectuales generadas desde la experiencia del ‘otro/s’, desde los pueblos conquistados al peregrinus sometido al arbitrio del poder imperial. En este sentido, consideramos importante analizar episodios afrontados por individuos y colectivos de tipo diverso (una familia, una categoría profesional, un grupo de status, una comunicad cívica) en todos los ámbitos de la vida social y política, o la economía, y la percepción resultante de la superación de los mismos. Desde esta percepción se puede entender que, a lo que para algunos se convertiría en un annus nefastus, para otros sería un annus propicius.
En definitiva, el núcleo de la cuestión sería analizar las diversas formas de reflexión intelectual y de reacción ante catástrofes o amenazas, reales o imaginarias, públicas-colectivas e individuales; en todo tipo de ámbitos.
Invitamos a las/los participantes a profundiza en algunos de los siguientes temas:
-¿Vidas truncadas? desafíos, reflexión y respuesta ante un evento catastrófico: guerras, genocidios, terremotos, tsunamis, pandemias, hambrunas, etc.
-La/El romana/o ante la adversidad.
-Nuevos planteamientos en los hábitos diarios. La percepción de los eventos inesperados como oportunidad.
-Cambios de liderazgo y políticos posteriores a los momentos de crisis.
-Disyuntivas del momento: empobrecimiento versus enriquecimiento.
-Estrategias y retos en la gestión público-privada y medidas para la recuperación económico-social. La reflexión intelectual en torno a una crisis y sus consecuencias.
-La recepción de los desastres y/o crisis en la historia de Roma.
Fecha límite de Recepción de Propuestas: 16.11.2020
Notificación de aceptación: 19.11.2020
Programa definitivo de las contribuciones aceptadas: 20.11.2020
Conferencia online: 16-17.12.2020.
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Papers by Rúben de Castro
By the time of Cicero, and to his great distress, the Republic was in crisis as the consequences of the Empire’s expansion were felt. The political changes of the Late Republic also resulted in the rise of personal omens regarding the future of the city’s political leaders—omens showing their predestination to greatness or their looming death. Cicero was no exception.
This paper provides a brief symbolic analysis and explanation of those omens and, more importantly, uses these omens’ constructed narratives to evince a better understanding of how Cicero’s image was conveyed, in what context, and by whom. Additionally, those omens are used as a case study for the dominant narrative constructions of Late Republican personal omens. Thus, the aim is to provide a better understanding of Cicero and his omens’ place in his time, how they are part of a broader phenomenon of Late Republican omens, and how the operation and manipulation of popular opinion, political propaganda, and Roman religion worked together to construct this portrayal.
We are left with a series of writings on people such as Viriathus, Arminius and Boudica, three of the most iconic of Rome’s enemies, who have reached our days as national icons, occupying in modern and contemporary collective imagination an in-between position that mixes History and Myth.
Through the narratives ancient authors left us of those three characters, we can understand how Romans portrayed themselves, their history, and their civilization.
Through the case-study of the portrayals ancient authors give of Viriathus, Arminius and Boudica, this paper will effort a better understanding of the political, philosophical, and narrative elements transversal in the portraits of those three figures in order to provide a clearer insight on how Roman self-perception is present in the construction of the “other” in the Roman world.
The period known as the “Year of the Four Emperors” is no exception, with ancient literature showcasing the continued formulation of the rise and fall from imperial power through omens expressing divine will. Thus, we have several omens portending the rise and/or fall of Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitelius and Vespasian.
Our paper attempts to provide a brief analysis and explanation of those omens’ constructed narrative to effort a better understanding of the image being conveyed for the different emperors, in which context, and by whom. The aim is to provide a better understanding of how the chaotic period of 68 and 69 AD was interpreted and remembered by Romans, and how it showcased their religious worldview in times of crisis. Therefore, our goal is to provide a better understanding of that period of crisis through its omens, of how the operation and manipulation of popular opinion, political propaganda and Roman religion worked together, in the omens, to shape the collective memory of those turbulent years.
Thesis Chapters by Rúben de Castro
Conferences and Sessions by Rúben de Castro
Bermúdez Lorenzo, J.M. (King Juan Carlos University)
Virtual Congress.
Congress date: December 16-17, 2020.
On August 24, AD 79 Pliny had taken his customary bath in the sun, a cold bath, then had something to eat, and finally turned to study. At the seventh hour of the day, his sister called on him to notice the existence of a strange cloud ... Little would Pliny imagine that that prodigy of nature which he was about to contemplate from Misenum would end up becoming a catastrophic phenomenon for the inhabitants of the Vesuvian region as well as for himself. It only took a few hours to erase several cities from the map and radically alter both the landscape and coastline. The event was to challenge the capabilities of the imperial administration in managing a humanitarian, economic and social crisis for which there was no precedent.
The present congress aims to offer a space for reflection and debate on the forms of intellectual analysis and reaction developed by Roman society in relation to catastrophic phenomena, both those of natural origin and those which were the results of concrete decision-making. Our main interest lies in understanding those moments in which the daily life of Romans was twisted, and in detailing the responses generated by political leaders and individuals in these complex situations. In particular, we wish to investigate those processes after the moment of change, where not all are capable of overcoming critical episodes, but which become, for some, an opportunity. Although the meeting focuses on Rome as the main society, the intellectual “narratives” generated from the experience of the ‘other/s’, from conquered peoples to the peregrinus subject to the will of the imperial power, are not excluded. In this regard, we consider it important to analyze episodes faced by individuals and groups of various kinds (such as families, professional groupings, status groups, and civic communities) in all areas of social, political and economic life, and the perceptions which were the result of overcoming them. From these perceptions it can be understood that what for some would become an annus nefastus, for others would be an annus propicius.
Ultimately, the core of our investigation hopes to analyze the various forms of intellectual reflection and reaction to catastrophes or threats, real or imagined, public-collective and individual, and across a great variety of different areas.
We invite the participants to delve into some of the following topics:
Truncated lives? challenges, reflection and response to a catastrophic event: wars, genocides, earthquakes, tsunamis, pandemics, famines, etc.
-Romans facing adversity.
-New approaches to daily habits. The perception of unexpected events as an opportunity.
-Leadership and political changes after moments of crisis.
-Trade-offs of the moment: impoverishment versus enrichment.
-Strategies and challenges in public-private management and measures for economic-social recovery. Intellectual reflection on a crisis and its consequences.
-The reception of disasters and/or crises in the history of Rome.
Deadline for Receipt of Proposals: 11/16/2020
Notification of acceptance: 19.11.2020
Final schedule of accepted contributions: 11/20/2020
Online conference: 16-17.12.2020.
***Versión española***
Pérez González, J. (Universitat de Barcelona)
Bermúdez Lorenzo, J.M. (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos)
Congreso Virtual.
Fecha del congreso: 16-17 Diciembre 2020.
El 24 de agosto del año 79 d.C. Plinio había tomado su acostumbrado baño al sol, un baño de agua fría y había comido algo, para dedicarse a continuación al estudio. A la séptima hora del día su hermana le hizo notar la existencia de una extraña nube... Poco imaginaría Plinio que aquel prodigio de la naturaleza que se disponía a contemplar desde Miseno acabaría por convertirse en un fenómeno catastrófico para los habitantes de la región vesubiana y para él mismo. Solo hicieron falta unas horas para borrar del mapa varias ciudades y alterar radicalmente el paisaje y la línea de la costa. El evento iba a desafiar las capacidades de la administración imperial para gestionar una crisis humanitaria, económica y social para la que no existían precedentes.
El presente congreso pretende ofrecer un espacio de reflexión y debate sobre las formas de análisis intelectual y de reacción desarrollados por la sociedad romana en relación con los fenómenos de carácter catastrófico, tanto los que son de origen natural como aquellos resultados de la toma de decisiones concretas. Nuestro interés principal radica en conocer esos momentos en los que se torció la cotidianeidad de las romanas y romanos, y detallar las respuestas generadas por los responsables políticos y los individuos ante estas complejas situaciones. Resulta de nuestro interés indagar en aquellos procesos posteriores al momento de cambio, donde no todos son capaces de sobreponerse a episodios críticos, y que, por el contrario, se convierten en una oportunidad para algunos. Si bien el encuentro se centra en Roma como sociedad protagonista, no se excluyen las “narrativas” intelectuales generadas desde la experiencia del ‘otro/s’, desde los pueblos conquistados al peregrinus sometido al arbitrio del poder imperial. En este sentido, consideramos importante analizar episodios afrontados por individuos y colectivos de tipo diverso (una familia, una categoría profesional, un grupo de status, una comunicad cívica) en todos los ámbitos de la vida social y política, o la economía, y la percepción resultante de la superación de los mismos. Desde esta percepción se puede entender que, a lo que para algunos se convertiría en un annus nefastus, para otros sería un annus propicius.
En definitiva, el núcleo de la cuestión sería analizar las diversas formas de reflexión intelectual y de reacción ante catástrofes o amenazas, reales o imaginarias, públicas-colectivas e individuales; en todo tipo de ámbitos.
Invitamos a las/los participantes a profundiza en algunos de los siguientes temas:
-¿Vidas truncadas? desafíos, reflexión y respuesta ante un evento catastrófico: guerras, genocidios, terremotos, tsunamis, pandemias, hambrunas, etc.
-La/El romana/o ante la adversidad.
-Nuevos planteamientos en los hábitos diarios. La percepción de los eventos inesperados como oportunidad.
-Cambios de liderazgo y políticos posteriores a los momentos de crisis.
-Disyuntivas del momento: empobrecimiento versus enriquecimiento.
-Estrategias y retos en la gestión público-privada y medidas para la recuperación económico-social. La reflexión intelectual en torno a una crisis y sus consecuencias.
-La recepción de los desastres y/o crisis en la historia de Roma.
Fecha límite de Recepción de Propuestas: 16.11.2020
Notificación de aceptación: 19.11.2020
Programa definitivo de las contribuciones aceptadas: 20.11.2020
Conferencia online: 16-17.12.2020.
By the time of Cicero, and to his great distress, the Republic was in crisis as the consequences of the Empire’s expansion were felt. The political changes of the Late Republic also resulted in the rise of personal omens regarding the future of the city’s political leaders—omens showing their predestination to greatness or their looming death. Cicero was no exception.
This paper provides a brief symbolic analysis and explanation of those omens and, more importantly, uses these omens’ constructed narratives to evince a better understanding of how Cicero’s image was conveyed, in what context, and by whom. Additionally, those omens are used as a case study for the dominant narrative constructions of Late Republican personal omens. Thus, the aim is to provide a better understanding of Cicero and his omens’ place in his time, how they are part of a broader phenomenon of Late Republican omens, and how the operation and manipulation of popular opinion, political propaganda, and Roman religion worked together to construct this portrayal.
We are left with a series of writings on people such as Viriathus, Arminius and Boudica, three of the most iconic of Rome’s enemies, who have reached our days as national icons, occupying in modern and contemporary collective imagination an in-between position that mixes History and Myth.
Through the narratives ancient authors left us of those three characters, we can understand how Romans portrayed themselves, their history, and their civilization.
Through the case-study of the portrayals ancient authors give of Viriathus, Arminius and Boudica, this paper will effort a better understanding of the political, philosophical, and narrative elements transversal in the portraits of those three figures in order to provide a clearer insight on how Roman self-perception is present in the construction of the “other” in the Roman world.
The period known as the “Year of the Four Emperors” is no exception, with ancient literature showcasing the continued formulation of the rise and fall from imperial power through omens expressing divine will. Thus, we have several omens portending the rise and/or fall of Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitelius and Vespasian.
Our paper attempts to provide a brief analysis and explanation of those omens’ constructed narrative to effort a better understanding of the image being conveyed for the different emperors, in which context, and by whom. The aim is to provide a better understanding of how the chaotic period of 68 and 69 AD was interpreted and remembered by Romans, and how it showcased their religious worldview in times of crisis. Therefore, our goal is to provide a better understanding of that period of crisis through its omens, of how the operation and manipulation of popular opinion, political propaganda and Roman religion worked together, in the omens, to shape the collective memory of those turbulent years.
Bermúdez Lorenzo, J.M. (King Juan Carlos University)
Virtual Congress.
Congress date: December 16-17, 2020.
On August 24, AD 79 Pliny had taken his customary bath in the sun, a cold bath, then had something to eat, and finally turned to study. At the seventh hour of the day, his sister called on him to notice the existence of a strange cloud ... Little would Pliny imagine that that prodigy of nature which he was about to contemplate from Misenum would end up becoming a catastrophic phenomenon for the inhabitants of the Vesuvian region as well as for himself. It only took a few hours to erase several cities from the map and radically alter both the landscape and coastline. The event was to challenge the capabilities of the imperial administration in managing a humanitarian, economic and social crisis for which there was no precedent.
The present congress aims to offer a space for reflection and debate on the forms of intellectual analysis and reaction developed by Roman society in relation to catastrophic phenomena, both those of natural origin and those which were the results of concrete decision-making. Our main interest lies in understanding those moments in which the daily life of Romans was twisted, and in detailing the responses generated by political leaders and individuals in these complex situations. In particular, we wish to investigate those processes after the moment of change, where not all are capable of overcoming critical episodes, but which become, for some, an opportunity. Although the meeting focuses on Rome as the main society, the intellectual “narratives” generated from the experience of the ‘other/s’, from conquered peoples to the peregrinus subject to the will of the imperial power, are not excluded. In this regard, we consider it important to analyze episodes faced by individuals and groups of various kinds (such as families, professional groupings, status groups, and civic communities) in all areas of social, political and economic life, and the perceptions which were the result of overcoming them. From these perceptions it can be understood that what for some would become an annus nefastus, for others would be an annus propicius.
Ultimately, the core of our investigation hopes to analyze the various forms of intellectual reflection and reaction to catastrophes or threats, real or imagined, public-collective and individual, and across a great variety of different areas.
We invite the participants to delve into some of the following topics:
Truncated lives? challenges, reflection and response to a catastrophic event: wars, genocides, earthquakes, tsunamis, pandemics, famines, etc.
-Romans facing adversity.
-New approaches to daily habits. The perception of unexpected events as an opportunity.
-Leadership and political changes after moments of crisis.
-Trade-offs of the moment: impoverishment versus enrichment.
-Strategies and challenges in public-private management and measures for economic-social recovery. Intellectual reflection on a crisis and its consequences.
-The reception of disasters and/or crises in the history of Rome.
Deadline for Receipt of Proposals: 11/16/2020
Notification of acceptance: 19.11.2020
Final schedule of accepted contributions: 11/20/2020
Online conference: 16-17.12.2020.
***Versión española***
Pérez González, J. (Universitat de Barcelona)
Bermúdez Lorenzo, J.M. (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos)
Congreso Virtual.
Fecha del congreso: 16-17 Diciembre 2020.
El 24 de agosto del año 79 d.C. Plinio había tomado su acostumbrado baño al sol, un baño de agua fría y había comido algo, para dedicarse a continuación al estudio. A la séptima hora del día su hermana le hizo notar la existencia de una extraña nube... Poco imaginaría Plinio que aquel prodigio de la naturaleza que se disponía a contemplar desde Miseno acabaría por convertirse en un fenómeno catastrófico para los habitantes de la región vesubiana y para él mismo. Solo hicieron falta unas horas para borrar del mapa varias ciudades y alterar radicalmente el paisaje y la línea de la costa. El evento iba a desafiar las capacidades de la administración imperial para gestionar una crisis humanitaria, económica y social para la que no existían precedentes.
El presente congreso pretende ofrecer un espacio de reflexión y debate sobre las formas de análisis intelectual y de reacción desarrollados por la sociedad romana en relación con los fenómenos de carácter catastrófico, tanto los que son de origen natural como aquellos resultados de la toma de decisiones concretas. Nuestro interés principal radica en conocer esos momentos en los que se torció la cotidianeidad de las romanas y romanos, y detallar las respuestas generadas por los responsables políticos y los individuos ante estas complejas situaciones. Resulta de nuestro interés indagar en aquellos procesos posteriores al momento de cambio, donde no todos son capaces de sobreponerse a episodios críticos, y que, por el contrario, se convierten en una oportunidad para algunos. Si bien el encuentro se centra en Roma como sociedad protagonista, no se excluyen las “narrativas” intelectuales generadas desde la experiencia del ‘otro/s’, desde los pueblos conquistados al peregrinus sometido al arbitrio del poder imperial. En este sentido, consideramos importante analizar episodios afrontados por individuos y colectivos de tipo diverso (una familia, una categoría profesional, un grupo de status, una comunicad cívica) en todos los ámbitos de la vida social y política, o la economía, y la percepción resultante de la superación de los mismos. Desde esta percepción se puede entender que, a lo que para algunos se convertiría en un annus nefastus, para otros sería un annus propicius.
En definitiva, el núcleo de la cuestión sería analizar las diversas formas de reflexión intelectual y de reacción ante catástrofes o amenazas, reales o imaginarias, públicas-colectivas e individuales; en todo tipo de ámbitos.
Invitamos a las/los participantes a profundiza en algunos de los siguientes temas:
-¿Vidas truncadas? desafíos, reflexión y respuesta ante un evento catastrófico: guerras, genocidios, terremotos, tsunamis, pandemias, hambrunas, etc.
-La/El romana/o ante la adversidad.
-Nuevos planteamientos en los hábitos diarios. La percepción de los eventos inesperados como oportunidad.
-Cambios de liderazgo y políticos posteriores a los momentos de crisis.
-Disyuntivas del momento: empobrecimiento versus enriquecimiento.
-Estrategias y retos en la gestión público-privada y medidas para la recuperación económico-social. La reflexión intelectual en torno a una crisis y sus consecuencias.
-La recepción de los desastres y/o crisis en la historia de Roma.
Fecha límite de Recepción de Propuestas: 16.11.2020
Notificación de aceptación: 19.11.2020
Programa definitivo de las contribuciones aceptadas: 20.11.2020
Conferencia online: 16-17.12.2020.