What makes Roman science ‘Roman’? How did the Romans investigate natural phenomena? And how did changing institutions influence scientific discourse? Contemporary ancient science scholarship focuses on positioning science in the wider ancient world and investigating how social, cultural, and political circumstances motivated developments in scientific knowledge and discourse. However, there is currently little research addressing the relationship between Roman science and culture.

In this paper, I will outline the scope and aims of my current PhD research, including a brief literature review, explanation of methodology, and timeline. My thesis will focus on Roman scientific discourse in Manilius’ poem Astronomica, the anonymous poem Aetna, and various Roman inscriptional parapegmata. By investigating how institutional forces contributed to the way Romans produced and communicated scientific knowledge, my research seeks to uncover new insights about the nature of Roman science, Roman culture, and how the two are intertwined.

All welcome. No registration required