Creating exemplary figures and self-promotion in the Agricola: A new insight on the competing familial memories under the Principate

The process of competing familial narratives is well-studied for the republican times, as many of the exempla from Roman history were fostered by aristocratic competition for magistracies. However, it is noteworthy that very few imperial aristocrats became lasting exemplary figures. This article analyses the Agricola as an important document to examine this phenomenon under the Principate, as Tacitus wrote the biography of his father-in-law at a crucial point, both in his career and in imperial history. The historian and senator indeed found himself opposed with divergent interpretations of the recent past that sought to elevate members of other prominent families.