The directed gaze: enargeia and film in the Annales of Tacitus

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] My aim in this study is to examine the visual aspects of Tacitus' Annales in order to elucidate his creation of vivid narrative through control of the directed gaze. Examples of Tacitean visuality are examined through the dual lenses of ancient Roman art and modern cinematography. The visual qualities of Tacitus' historiography are clarified through the contexts provided by both Roman art and modern film. In the first chapter, I discuss relevant Tacitean scholarship that pertains to the question of veracity and historiography. In the next two chapters, I examine point of view, considering its constituent elements: focalization and voice. During the following three chapters, themes of transition and temporality are discussed. In the final part of the dissertation, chapter 7, I investigate the ways in which Tacitus provides his reader the key to understanding his secret history, by decoding silent gazes and showing the invisible. Through this dissertation, I hope to show that the Annales cannot be understood fully without an appreciation of the visual artistry of Tacitus.