Thomas Jefferson, the Classical World, and Early America

Abstract

Is this another book about Thomas Jefferson? Yes, and one that should stimulate readers who are fascinated by his lifelong engagement with classical antiquity. The volume is a collection of essays consisting of an introduction, a prologue, and ten pieces—all by different hands. These essays were first presented as papers during a conference held at the American Academy in Rome in 2008, and the whole is the result of an international collaboration of leading experts and younger researchers in the fields of American history, art and architecture, and classical studies. The essays are of uneven length, and while each has something to offer, not all of them pertain to Jefferson specifically. Some endeavor to trace the ideas and influences that percolated through Jefferson's social and intellectual milieu, such as Paul A. Rahe's study of the American reception of classical republicanism vis-à-vis Cicero. (The same analysis of reception, I think, should be done through the lens of Plutarch's Lives.) Other essays examine the reception and influence of figures such as Pericles, Aristotle, King Alfred, and the various associations of the image of George Washington with Cincinnatus and Marcus Aurelius.