From Barbarians to New Men: Greek, Roman, and Modern Perceptions of Peoples from the Central Apennines

The Central Appennine peoples, alternatively represented as decadent and dangerous barbarians or as personifications of manly wisdom and virtue, were important figures in Greek and Roman ideology. This unique study considers the ways in which these perceptions developed--reflecting both the shifting needs of Greek and Roman societies and the character of interaction between the various cultures of ancient Italy--to illuminate the development of a specifically Roman identity through the creation of an ideology of incorporation.