FATAL ATTRACTION. THE CLASSICAL PAST AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY REPUBLIC (1792-93)

The aim of this paper is to investigate the image of the ancient republics in the early months of the French Republic, with particular attention to the debate that preceded the adoption of the Constitution of the Year I (24 June 1793) and to the publications on historical themes discussed or signaled by the press in the summer of 1792. I intend to show how the history of the ancient republics served as a laboratory in which model or simulate the effectiveness of new ideas and concepts, but also as practical guide for those where living through the shocking reality of the revolution.