Dichiarazioni di aeternitas e manifestazioni di romanitas : il Graecus Ammiano e i sentimenti nei confronti di Roma

Declarations of aeternitas and manifestations of romanitas : the graecus Ammianus and his feelings towards Rome · The evolution of the concept of aeternitas and also the promise of an “eternal Rome” seem to develop in historiography in parallel : in some cases with references to the myths of the city’s foundation, in others with the creation of some specific lexical strategies. The Res Gestae of Ammianus Marcellinus are an effective witness of this second practice. The author, graecus, is also the bearer of what can be considered a sort of terminological transliteration. Through the analysis of some specific passages, in this contribution we try to hypothesize and demonstrate the possibility of the existence of a sort of ideal concordance between aeternitas, romanitas and civilitas. In the Res Gestae, Julian and Ammianus Marcellinus themselves seem to demonstrate, one through his scientia militaris, the other through his culture, that they fit perfectly into the clever design of celebrating romanitas.