COLLOQUIUM: Krešimir Vuković, Catholic University of Croatia, “Saving the Environment: the Tiber and Roman Mythology”

Most studies of Roman mythology have focused either on its political/historical aspects or its usage in a specific literary context. Starting from the paradigmatic hypothesis that "Roman myths are myths of place" (Beard, North and Price 1996) I propose an approach that centres on the environment. The river Tiber played an essential role in the development of the city of Rome and the process left indelible marks on Roman myths. Janus was placed on both sides of the river and played an essential role in communication between the two riverbanks. Vertumnus, the shapeshifter god, appears as the face of the changing river in the Forum. The twins, Romulus and Remus, are saved from certain death due to a flood of the Tiber. In the Aeneid, Tiberinus features as a character who directs Aeneas to the site of Rome but also delivers Turnus from certain death. Vergil exploits river ambiguity inherent in earlier myths to convey a message about the Italic landscape. The crucial episode of Ascanius shooting Silvia's stag in book VII is situated on the banks of an unnamed river which has all the hallmarks of the Tiber.