Acknowledgements
In the process of researching and composing a monograph one incurs a debt to many people. Numerous individuals have devoted their time to reading and constructively critiquing my work, or simply pointing me in the right direction when it came to texts that would benefit my research. First, I must thank Charles Stinger. His guidance and consistent availability made my research and writing a most rewarding task. His own research on Renaissance Rome provided my text with the sturdiest of foundations, without which this project would likely never have been undertaken. Our provocative discussions and his perceptive commentary on my work were invaluable. I would also like to thank Craig Kallendorf, whose expertise in Vergilian reception ably assisted my inquiries at various junctures and whose encouragement was instrumental. I am grateful for his support and his commentary on my text undoubtedly improved the quality of my work. I must also thank James Bono, Martha Malamud, Jonathan Dewald, and Frances Muecke. Each of them contributed significantly to this work in its earlier phases through their critiques, recommendations, and unmatched erudition. I am also grateful to the two anonymous readers secured by Brill, whose suggestions improved both the argument and sources. I express the same sentiments to those who commented on my presentation on portions of chapters three and four for the New York State Association of European Historians. Further, I must convey my gratitude to the ever-helpful staffs at the following libraries: Harvard University’s Houghton Library, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Newberry Library, Princeton University’s Firestone Library (Rare Books and Special Collections), the University of Chicago’s Regenstein Library (Rare Books Collection), and the Vatican Film Library in St. Louis.
I offer special thanks to Sixteenth Century Journal for permission to republish portions of my article “Vergilianism in Early Cinquecento Rome: Egidio Gallo and the Vision of Roman Destiny.” XLV, No. 1 (Spring 2014): 73–98.
Finally, I would like to thank my extended family for all of their support throughout the periods of my research and writing. I especially acknowledge the support of my partner, Alexandria, and my children, Sophie and Will. To them I owe my deepest gratitude for their unyielding patience and love. This project would never have been completed without them.
The research and writing of this project were largely funded through the Plesur Dissertation Research Fellowship and the Mark Diamond Research Fund, both granted by the State University of New York at Buffalo, as well as the Vatican Film Library Mellon Fellowship.
Any errors in this work are solely mine.