A conference organized on the 1950th anniversary of the Pisonian conspiracy, Charles University, Prague (24–25 September 2015).

By Edita Wolf (CEFRES, FF UK)

The conference Roma Argentea, held on 24 and 25 September 2015, was organized by the Institute of Greek and Latin Studies of the Faculty of Arts of the Charles University in Prague. The conference brought together researchers representing the most important Czech research institutions in the field of Classical Studies as well as researchers in other disciplines on the commemoration of the 1950th anniversary of the Pisonian conspiracy exposed in 65 CE.

Although the framework of the conference was defined by an historical event – as the title itself suggests –, the conference papers were also united by the theme of image of the Neronian age. The image of the Neronian age has a double meaning: the first interpretation being the image constructed by emperors and artists of imperial Rome, and the second image being the period constructed by later writers, both artists and scholars. Therefore, the literary and visual arts’ imagery and the imperial ideology of the Julio-Claudian dynasty was examined, as well as the image of the emperor Nero and his reign in later historiography and its reception in later periods. Special mention was made of the Czech baroque period. The conference was divided accordingly into several panels discussing the Pisonian conspiracy from a historical perspective, its wider cultural and historical context, Seneca as a playwright and as a philosopher and the reception of Seneca’s writings and the so-called Silver Age of Latin literature.

Strong interest was shown for the literary and visual arts’ elaboration of the modes of representation of the newly established imperial power. Senecan tragedies and Seneca’s interpretation of Cicero were seen as a trial to understand the role of individual, irresistibility of power and (im)possible human resistance. Attention was brought to the way Nero presented himself as vindex libertatis according to the Augustan model. The workings of the imperial ideological programme were examined on the example of the Tiberius’ seaside villa in Sperlonga with its sculptural decoration. This had been inspired by the Odyssey-based genealogy of the Claudian branch of the dynasty in contrast to the Iliad-based Julian ideology. Furthermore, the historical image of the Pisonian conspiracy and its cultural background were presented, as well as the fate of the family of Pisones under Galba.

It followed from the discussions that images devised by later centuries were marked by strict opposition between the acceptance of Seneca as a martyr and a sage, as supported by fake correspondence of Seneca and St. Paul, and the demonization of Nero in particular and the Neronian age in general. The positive image of Seneca was further elaborated under neostoic influence and evolved into the iconographical type of Seneca Pamphilj as used on the colonnade of the Flower garden in Kroměříž. In contrast, rather a negative image of emperor Nero appears already in Historia Augusta and subsists in the general acceptance of the Neronian age during the late 19th century. The literary debute Není římského lidu of the Czech author Jarmila Loukotková is built on this very image. The Jesuit school drama authors rewrote Senecan tragedies for their pupils. Hence, their goal was to create edifying examples and deterring images of tyranny. The latest Senecan scenography on Czech stage (Phaedra, Divadlo v Dlouhé) has tried to reinvent the image of tyranny by means of incorporating elements of oriental theatre.

The Roma Argentea conference was a succesfull reanimation of the Czech Classics. It demonstrated that the topics traditionally reserved in the Czech Republic to classical scholarship are not only available to interdisciplinary research, but that they have been already subject of such a research. The conference seems to have laid a solid foundation for planned annual reunions around the classical themes, establishing a dialogue between disciplines and a basis for future collaboration. For the autumn 2016, on the anniversary of the voyage of Rutilius Namatianus from Rome to Gaul in 416, the focus will shift to late antiquity.