British and Irish Association for Holocaust Studies Conference, 4-5 July 2024

Valerius Maximus’ Facta et Dicta Memorabila provides a unique opportunity to explore the representation of time and human temporal experience from a literary and philosophical perspective. With its focus on memory, anecdote and moral exemplarity, the work offers rich material for a study of broader issues relating to the relationship between past, present, and future, and for exploring such issues as the ways these three temporal modes determine and shape the understanding of the concept of time, the central role played by time and memory in philosophical arguments, and the psychological continuity or otherwise of individuals over time. As Paul Ricoeur says, “time becomes human to the extent that it is articulated through a narrative mode,” and such metaphysical questions, when considered in relation to the Facta et Dicta Memorabila, take on an important literary dimension in relation to the representation of time by Valerius within his narratives, in his passages of reflection, and in the overarching structures of his work.