Publications
Dr. Lobur's new monograph, Cornelius Nepos: A Study in the Evidence and Influence with University of Michigan Press, offers a fresh look at the literary abilities and cultural understanding of a Roman author whom generations of scholars have dismissed as an inaccurate and simplistic writer.
Dr. Lobur has taught a Latin class based on this new work in the field."John Lobur’s work rehabilitates Nepos to show that in fact he should be understood as an emblematic member of the Italian intelligentsia, one well-positioned to write narratives of great potency with respect to the ideological tenor of emerging Roman imperial culture." (U. of Michigan Press)
Consensus, Concordia and the Formation of Roman Imperial Ideology (Routledge, 2008) concerns the relationship between ideas and power in the genesis of the Roman empire. The self-justification of the first emperor through the consensus of the citizen body constrained him to adhere to ‘legitimate’ and ‘traditional’ forms of self-presentation.
Lobur explores how these notions become explicated and reconfigured by the upper and mostly non-political classes of Italy and Rome. The chronic turmoil experienced in the late republic shaped the values and program of the imperial system; it molded the comprehensive and authoritative accounts of Roman tradition and history in a way that allowed the system to appear both traditional and historical.
This book also examines how shifts in rhetorical and historiographical practices facilitated the spreading and assimilation of shared ideas that allowed the empire to cohere.
Courses Taught
- Clc 102 Introduction to Roman Civilization
- Clc 313 / Hst 304 The Roman Republic
- Clc 314 / Hst 305 The Roman Empire
- Clc 352 / Hst 306 From Republic to Empire
- CLC 201 Medical Terminology in Greek and Latin (Online)
Education
B.A. Classics, Kalamazoo College (1995)
Ph.D. Classics, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (2004)