UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Mos Christianorum: The Roman Discourse of Exemplarity and the Jewish and Christian Language of Leadership Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/46m8r5xw Author Petitfils, James Michael Publication Date 2013 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Mos Christianorum: The Roman Discourse of Exemplarity and the Jewish and Christian Language of Leadership A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in History by James Michael Petitfils 2013 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERATION Mos Christianorum: The Roman Discourse of Exemplarity and the Jewish and Christian Language of Leadership by James Michael Petitfils Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology University of California, Los Angeles, 2013 Professor S. Scott Bartchy, Co-chair Professor Ronald Mellor, Co-chair Prompted by recent research on “example” in the field of Classics, this dissertation sets out to better understand the various ways in which Jewish and Christian authors writing, for the most part, in the Imperial west participated in the ubiquitous Roman discourse of exemplarity as they contended for what they understood to be native ancestral leadership ideals. I first introduce the form, function, and broad popularity of the Roman discourse of exemplarity (chapter 1), and propose five prevailing characteristics of ideal Roman leadership (noble lineage, courage/martial prowess, eloquence, generous patronage, and piety), before testing them on multiple Roman works (chapter 2). ii My project then explores the ways in which both the rhetorical form and moral content of this ancient conversation were appropriated and redeployed in texts celebrating non-Roman ancestral leaders. I begin with the Moses(es) of Josephus’ Ant. 2–4 and Philo’s Mosis 1–2, arguing that Josephus’ more sustained contact with Roman culture and politics significantly shaped his presentation of Moses’ exemplary leadership, while Philo’s account largely lacks such narratological and moral Roman coloring. Both authors, however, stress Moses’ all-encompassing paradigmatic piety. Chapters 4–5 focus on the leadership discourse in 1 Clement and The Letter of the Churches of Vienne and Lyons, two corporate letters deploying Christ and Christ-imitating ancestral exempla in the service of intracommunal issues of leadership. I demonstrate the robust participations of these two texts in the Roman discourse of exemplarity as well as their shared appropriation of many characteristically Roman leadership priorities (especially courage and agonistic endurance). At the same time, I argue, both texts advocate the rather un- Roman, Pauline leadership priority of humility (tapeinofrosu,nh) using Roman discursive tools, thus affirming the utility of Roman exemplarity for the preservation and articulation of non-Roman ancestral traditions. Among other implications, my project encourages those studying Roman pedagogy and moral discourse to begin including texts often overlooked as belonging exclusively to the fields of Jewish or Christian studies. Secondly, for those interested in ancient notions of Jewish and Christian leadership, my project encourages the appreciation of both the similarity of developing Mosaic or Christ-oriented leadership traditions to Roman approaches and the possibility of their cultural peculiarity. iii The dissertation of James Michael Petitfils is approved. Ra’anan Boustan Carol Bakhos S. Scott Bartchy, Committee Co-chair Ronald Mellor, Committee Co-chair University of California, Los Angeles 2013 iv To Braelyn v TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Chapter 1: The Discourse of Exemplarity in the Ancient Mediterranean World 21 I. Examples in Ancient Greek Rhetoric, Education, and Patriotism 22 I.A. The Greek para,deigma: Definition and Place in Rhetorical Theory I.A.1. Defining para,deigma I.A.2. Para,deigma in Rhetorica ad Alexandrum 23 I.A.3. Aristotle 24 I.B. The Pedagogic and Patriotic Use of para,deigmata in Greek Culture 25 I.B.1. Poetry in Greek Society I.B.2. Speeches of Praise 27 II. Exempla and Exemplarity in Roman Culture 28 II.A. Definition and Taxonomical Matters 29 II.B. Exempla in Specific Authors/Rhetorical Handbooks 33 II.B.1. Auctor ad Herennium II.B.2. Marcus Tullius Cicero 34 II.B.3. Marcus Fabius Quintilianus 36 II.C. The Broader Discourse of Exemplarity 37 II.D. Venues for the Deployment of Exempla in Roman Society and Culture 42 II.D.1. Roman Education 43 II.D.2. Imagines in Roman Culture 46 II.D.3. Popular Oratory and Exemplarity 51 II.D.4. Architecture, Statues, and Inscriptions 54 vi II.D.5. Exemplarity in Roman Historiography 58 III. Conclusion 60 Chapter 2: Notions of Exemplary Leadership in Roman Society and Culture 60 I. Major Categories of Exemplary Leadership in Roman Society and Culture 63 I.A. Noble Lineage I.B. Courage and Martial Prowess 68 I.C. Education and Eloquence 75 I.D. Personal Frugality and Generous Patronage 80 I.E. Piety toward the Gods 86 I.E.1. Definition I.E.2. Excursus: The Nature of Roman Religion 88 I.E.2.a. Public vs. Private Practice I.E.2.b. Formalism and the Mos Maiorum I.E.2.c. Orthopraxy 89 I.E.2.d. Empirical Epistemology 90 I.E.2.e. Religion and Society 91 I.E.3. Leadership and Roman Piety 92 II. Exemplary Leadership in Cornelius Nepos and Plutarch 95 III. Laudationes and Exemplary Leadership 97 IV. Honorable Leadership in De Officiis 100 IV.A. Noble Lineage in De Officiis 101 IV.B. Courage and Martial Prowess in De Officiis 103 IV.C. Rhetorical Ability in De Officiis 105 vii IV.D. Generous Patronage in De Officiis 106 IV.E. Piety and Other Cardinal Virtues in De Officiis 110 V. Conclusion 113 Chapter 3: Moses as an Exemplum of Native Leadership in Philo’s De Vita Mosis and Josephus’s Antiquities 2–4 115 I. Josephus and Philo’s Relative Exposure to Roman Culture and Politics 117 I.A. Romanization in the East I.B. Josephus’ Exposure to Roman Culture and Politics 119 I.C. Philo’s Alexandria and Experience with Rome 123 II. A Tale of Two Moseses 129 II.A. Josephus’ Moses (Ant. 2–4) 130 II.A.1. Noble Lineage 131 II.A.2. Bravery/Martial Prowess 132 II.A.3. Education and Eloquence 137 II.A.4. Generous Patronage 141 II.A.5. The Josephan Favorite: “Piety” 145 II.B. Philo’s Portrayal of Moses’ Exemplary Leadership in Mos. 1–2 151 II.B.1. Noble Lineage 154 II.B.2. Bravery and Martial Prowess 156 II.B.3. Moses’ Education and Eloquence 157 II.B.4. Personal Frugality and Generous Patronage 163 II.B.5. The Philonic Favorite: Piety 165 II.B.5.a. Philo’s General View of God 166 viii II.B.5.b. Philo’s View of God in Mos. 1–2 169 II.B.5.c. Manifestations of Piety in Mos. 1 and 2 170 II.B.6. Moses Balancing Reason and Emotions 173 II.C. Josephus and Philo’s Elevating the Figure of Moses in light of Roman Discourse 175 II.C.1. Josephus and Philo’s Shared Exaltation of Moses II.C.2. Consolidation of Virtue in Valerius Maximus 178 II.C.2.a. Noble Lineage II.C.2.b. Courage and Martial Prowess 179 II.C.2.c. Education and Eloquence 180 II.C.2.d. Personal Frugality and Generous Patronage 181 II.C.2.e. Piety toward the Divine 182 II.C.3. Traditional Roman Leadership Preferences in Josephus and Philo 183 II.C.4. Form: Traditional Roman Discourse of Exemplarity in Josephus and Philo 184 III. Conclusion Chapter 4: Exempla and Roman Exemplarity in 1 Clement 187 I. Overview of 1 Clement 188 I.A. Preservation and Date of Composition I.B. Authorship 190 I.C. Genre and Structure 191 I.D. Occasion 193 I.E. Previous Scholarship on Leadership and Rhetoric in 1 Clement ix I.F. Advocating a “Native” Morality of Leadership on the Way to Restoring Harmony 197 II. Exempla in 1 Clement 199 II.A. Ubiquity of Exempla II.B. Selection of Exempla 202 III. Leadership Ideals 204 III.A. Noble Lineage 205 III.B. Courage, Martial Prowess, and Endurance in 1 Clement 207 III.B.1. Martial images 208 III.B.2. Agonistic Endurance (u`pomonh,) 210 III.C. Eloquence 214 III.D. Generous Patronage 217 III.E. Piety 218 III.E.1. Euvse,beia 219 III.E.2 General Emphasis on the Divine III.E.3. Piety and Orderly Ritual 222 III.E.4. Piety as Encompassing All Virtue 224 III.F. Love (avga,ph) 227 III.G. Humility (tapeinofrosu,nh) 232 III.G.1: Unelaborated Exhortations to Humility III.G.2. Extended Exempla of Humility 235 III.G.3. Humility as an Enduring, Honorable Attribute in 1 Clement 239 III.G.4. Excursus: The tapeino- Word Group in Ancient Mediterranean x Literature 243 III.G.4.a. Traditional Greco-Roman Usage III.G.4.b. The tapeino-Word Group in the LXX and Jewish Literature 254 III.G.4.b.1. Usage in the LXX III.G.4.b.2. Other uses in Jewish Literature 259 III.G.4.c. The tapeino-Word Group in the New Testament 260 III.G.5. “Humility” in 1 Clement as a Pauline Preservation 263 IV. Conclusion 265 Chapter 5: The Martyrs of Vienne and Lyons as Exempla of Christian Leadership 268 I. Overview of the Letter of the Churches of Vienne and Lyons 270 I.A Date and Contents I.B. Review of Scholarship on Lyons 272 II. Preservation of The Letter of the Churches of Vienne and Lyons 281 III. The Presence and Nature of Roman Power and Culture in Gaul 288 III.A. General Roman Power in the Region 289 III.B.