Abstract

This chapter looks at inaugural episodes or sequences of episodes in historiography and epic which explore the relationship between leaders and unruly crowds. The author's approach is at once broader than that of Ash, in that he include the Annals as well as the Histories , and focuses on those inaugural episodes that are programmatic for the importance in Tacitean imperial narrative of the relationship between the unus homo and those whom he must command or control if he is to establish and maintain monarchical power. Lucan, drawing on both epic and historiographical models, explores the relationship between crowd and leader in his narrative of the inexorable advance of Julius Caesar towards monarchical power. The author concludes with a parallelism between a Tacitean description of the Roman people watching a struggle for control of the throne and an inaugural moment from Ennius' epic poem on the history of Rome. Keywords: Annals; civilian crowds; Ennius' epic poem; imperial historiography; strong leadership; Tacitean; unus homo

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