What makes the expert, and his expertise?

Alice Rebecca König, Michael Peachin

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Medicine and law were territories lorded over by highly specialized experts, and seemingly ought to have been highly pragmatic. But were they? How, we might ask, was specialized expertise altogether construed in the Roman context? And how was a figure of authority (an expert) in an area of specialization marked out as such? How was his proficiency to be demonstrated? And are we talking of a stature for such people that is in any way, or ways, similar to modern professionalism? Instead of attempting to offer a comprehensive overview of specialized expertise, and its pragmatic effects, in the Roman world, the present chapter is structured around some particular texts, which can provide illustrative case studies, namely Vitruvius’ De architectura, Frontinus’ De aquis, Pliny’s Epistulae, and Balbus and the Corpus Agrimensorum.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMedicine and the law under the Roman Empire
EditorsClaire Bubb, Michael Peachin
Place of PublicationOxford
PublisherOxford University Press
Pages159-176
Number of pages18
ISBN (Electronic)9780191924897
ISBN (Print)9780192898616
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2023

Publication series

NameOxford studies in Roman society and law

Keywords

  • Expertise
  • Specialization
  • Vitruvius
  • Agrimensores
  • Frontinus
  • Pliny

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