The Politics of Syme’s Revolution

This paper explores an aspect of the interplay between Ronald Syme’s political outlook and his historiographical trajectory. It proposes to read The Roman Revolution against the backdrop of the wider development of Syme’s scholarship. Its goal is to further unveil the complex antinomies that punctuate Syme’s intellectual itinerary. We will study his work on the Roman ‘political class’ in its historical and academic context, under the twofold light of the confrontational fascination he displayed towards the Augustus and his strategy, and his engaged detachment towards contemporary politics.