This volume includes the proceedings of a conference held at the Department of Historical Studies of the University of Milan and realised within the framework of the PRIN 2017 project Italian Scholars in the face of the Race Laws (1938-1945): Ancient Historians and Jurists. The conference favoured the dialogue between specialists of various backgrounds and aimed mainly at exposing the complex relations between the political use (or, rather, abuse) of ancient history by fascism, together with the theoretical aberrations that led to the formulation of the Manifesto degli scienziati razzisti, with specific focus on anti-Semitism. Despite the diversity of approaches, the essays help to clarify how the heritage of the ancient world was connected to the racial issue with a double perspective: on the one hand, the anxious search for illustrious roots for modern anti-Semitism; on the other hand, the alleged and pretentious primacy of the ‘Italic race’ over other nations, by virtue of its glorious past. We hope that this choral work will contribute to a deeper interpretation of the cultural background that saw the deadly virus of racism take root in Italy.

This book is included in DOAB.