Imperialism Power And Identity Analysis

The article “Imperialism, Power and Identity: Experiencing the Roman Empire” by David Mattingly is a comprehensive study of the various historical interpretations of the Roman Empire, and is an attempt to present new ideas about studying antiquity itself, and the relationship between the Romans. Mattingly is essentially calling for a reform in the scholarship of such, with an emphasis on a more critical review of the ‘benevolence’ of Roman rule, in addition to overthrowing the ‘unhelpful’ and out-dated term ‘Romanisation’.
Mattingly is quick to point out that understanding the nature of Roman rule is plagued by the absence of reliable evidence - virtually all sources from this era were written by the Roman elite as ‘posto facto’ justifications. Virgil is used by Mattingly as an example of this, dismissing his poem expressing the military as being on a ‘civilising mission’ as a defence and justification of the Empire’s actions. He elaborates on this point further as alternative narratives to the nature of Roman life have been eradicated. This is evident with the burning of the library of Carthage, and as a result, Mattingly convincingly argues that there has been little exploration into the nature …show more content…
Whilst his viewpoint is a relatively new, less-debated one, he does make reference to Edward Said and Jane Webster’s works, in his efforts on a continuation on Said’s ‘discrepant experience’ and working towards adopting a more accurate concept, such as that of ‘Creolisation’, to the Roman empire. This article’s purpose is to provoke thinking and to inspire a new line of study and interpretation in relation to ancient Rome, and so whilst his views are relatively new and forward thinking, he is not the sole challenger, which gives his case even more