Hannah Cornwell
University of Birmingham, Classics, Faculty Member
- Classics: Ancient History and Archaeology, Ancient History, Classics, Late Roman Republic, Roman Republic, Roman Empire, and 14 moreRoman imperialism, War and Peace, Roman Victory, Roman imperial history, Roman Imperial Ideology, Civil Wars (Roman Republic), Roman diplomacy, Diplomacy and international relations, Diplomatic History, History, Greek and Latin Epigraphy, Roman Epigraphy, Ancient Roman Numismatics, and Roman Archaeologyedit
Title page and table of contents.
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Perhaps in defiance of expectations, Roman peace (pax) was a difficult concept that resisted any straightforward definition: not merely denoting the absence or aftermath of war, it consisted of many layers and associations and formed part... more
Perhaps in defiance of expectations, Roman peace (pax) was a difficult concept that resisted any straightforward definition: not merely denoting the absence or aftermath of war, it consisted of many layers and associations and formed part of a much greater discourse on the nature of power and how Rome saw her place in the world. During the period from 50 BC to AD 75 - covering the collapse of the Republic, the subsequent civil wars, and the dawn of the Principate-the traditional meaning and language of peace came under extreme pressure as pax was co-opted to serve different strands of political discourse. This volume argues for its fundamental centrality in understanding the changing dynamics of the state and the creation of a new political system in the Roman Empire, moving from the debates over the content of the concept in the dying Republic to discussion of its deployment in the legitimization of the Augustan regime, first through the creation of an authorized version controlled by the princeps and then the ultimate crystallization of the pax augusta as the first wholly imperial concept of peace. Examining the nuances in the various meanings, applications, and contexts of Roman discourse on peace allows us valuable insight into the ways in which the dynamics of power were understood and how these were contingent on the political structures of the day. However it also demonstrates that although the idea of peace came to dominate imperial Rome's self-representation, such discourse was nevertheless only part of a wider discussion on the way in which the Empire conceptualized itself.
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This paper examines the language of power and authority in the Italian Alps, after the Roman pacification of the area in 14 B.C. The focus of the examination is an arch set up at Segusio to Augustus by a local dynast named Cottius, which... more
This paper examines the language of power and authority in the Italian Alps, after the Roman pacification of the area in 14 B.C. The focus of the examination is an arch set up at Segusio to Augustus by a local dynast named Cottius, which allows us to consider how the incorporation of the region into the Roman Empire was perceived and presented from a ‘local’ point of view, and how we might use our interpretations to construct ideas of identity and power relationships integral to early imperial provincial administration.
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9874379&fileId=S0075435815000957
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9874379&fileId=S0075435815000957
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Research Interests:
The representation of victorious achievements in war was commonplace in the art and self- presentation of the political elite of the Roman Republic. In both ephemeral display and permanent memorialisation, Rome celebrated her triumphs... more
The representation of victorious achievements in war was commonplace in the art and self- presentation of the political elite of the Roman Republic. In both ephemeral display and permanent memorialisation, Rome celebrated her triumphs over her enemies, a practice that scholarship recognises as part of the competitive cult of the mid and late Republic. Rome, the perennial victor knew how to represent and understand the enemy, when the enemy was external. The civil wars of the late Republic, however, produced the issue of how to deal with and talk about an enemy who was Roman.
During the period of growing civil conflicts and violence of the late Republic the concern for political stability, and with that political dominance, became increasingly prevalent. Rhetoric traditionally used in respect of external enemies was being employed by statesmen against their political enemies (one need only think of Cicero’s speeches against Catiline as an illustration of this). Whilst rhetoric and allusion could be used against one’s political enemies in domestic politics, the period of civil wars from 49 BCE onwards brought the problematic nature of creating enemies out of fellow citizens to the foreground. Cicero in a letter to Atticus, written in 49, stated that ‘even an unjust peace is better than the most just wars against one’s countrymen’ (Ad Att. 7.14). For Cicero that idea that of a victor in civil war was tantamount to tyranny. For all that, sides were taken, and the enemy was ‘constructed’ by both sides as justification for civil war.
This paper examines how Romans went about constructing and representing their opponents in civil war, through a variety of media: letters, speeches, coins, and even rumour. The author in each instance champions their cause against an opponent who would destroy the ideals of the state that they set out. Creating an image of the enemy in civil war was a game of rhetoric over whose idea of the res publica was correct. The paper examines the whole period of civil war from 49-30 BCE in order to build up a picture of the battles played with words and images, that enabled Romans to construct enemies out of Romans.
During the period of growing civil conflicts and violence of the late Republic the concern for political stability, and with that political dominance, became increasingly prevalent. Rhetoric traditionally used in respect of external enemies was being employed by statesmen against their political enemies (one need only think of Cicero’s speeches against Catiline as an illustration of this). Whilst rhetoric and allusion could be used against one’s political enemies in domestic politics, the period of civil wars from 49 BCE onwards brought the problematic nature of creating enemies out of fellow citizens to the foreground. Cicero in a letter to Atticus, written in 49, stated that ‘even an unjust peace is better than the most just wars against one’s countrymen’ (Ad Att. 7.14). For Cicero that idea that of a victor in civil war was tantamount to tyranny. For all that, sides were taken, and the enemy was ‘constructed’ by both sides as justification for civil war.
This paper examines how Romans went about constructing and representing their opponents in civil war, through a variety of media: letters, speeches, coins, and even rumour. The author in each instance champions their cause against an opponent who would destroy the ideals of the state that they set out. Creating an image of the enemy in civil war was a game of rhetoric over whose idea of the res publica was correct. The paper examines the whole period of civil war from 49-30 BCE in order to build up a picture of the battles played with words and images, that enabled Romans to construct enemies out of Romans.
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Research Interests:
The idea of the ‘Pax Romana’ (or ‘Roman Peace’) is well known, in relation to the period of relative internal stability of the Roman empire from the first to the mid second centuries AD. Rome’s relationship with the concept of peace was... more
The idea of the ‘Pax Romana’ (or ‘Roman Peace’) is well known, in relation to the period of relative internal stability of the Roman empire from the first to the mid second centuries AD. Rome’s relationship with the concept of peace was not, however, a simple one, nor did they (or the Greeks) have a single term to cover the range of means, which the modern word encapsulates. Examining the Romans’ relationship with peace offers an insight into their frameworks of power dynamics within the Mediterranean world.
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This chapter shifts the focus away from an exclusively ‘internal’ perspective of the civic lived experience, to instead examine Rome as a site (or sites) of diplomatic exchange on an ‘international’ level. I will examine how the city as a... more
This chapter shifts the focus away from an exclusively ‘internal’ perspective of the civic lived experience, to instead examine Rome as a
site (or sites) of diplomatic exchange on an ‘international’ level. I will examine how the city as a whole, and how specific loci within that space, provided an architectural framework within which the social practice of diplomacy — as the mediation of otherness — was performed.
I first outline what I mean by diplomatic space, before turning to examine two case studies, one from the mid-Republic, and one from the Early Imperial period. These studies are temporally distant and offer different articulations of the specifics of urban practices, actors, and contexts (the three differentiated but interrelated historical-archaeological
approaches to urban space outlined in this volume’s Introduction). As such they provide relevant lenses through which to analyse the dynamic negotiation of power and identity between Rome and other powers as shaped by, and also shaping, the urban fabric in tandem with the changing sociopolitical internal structures of the state.
site (or sites) of diplomatic exchange on an ‘international’ level. I will examine how the city as a whole, and how specific loci within that space, provided an architectural framework within which the social practice of diplomacy — as the mediation of otherness — was performed.
I first outline what I mean by diplomatic space, before turning to examine two case studies, one from the mid-Republic, and one from the Early Imperial period. These studies are temporally distant and offer different articulations of the specifics of urban practices, actors, and contexts (the three differentiated but interrelated historical-archaeological
approaches to urban space outlined in this volume’s Introduction). As such they provide relevant lenses through which to analyse the dynamic negotiation of power and identity between Rome and other powers as shaped by, and also shaping, the urban fabric in tandem with the changing sociopolitical internal structures of the state.
Research Interests:
The civil conflicts of the late Republic gave rise to discourses and debates on the stability of the state: as part of this discourse the idea and meaning of ‘peace’ was something being negotiated by various political... more
The civil conflicts of the late Republic gave rise to discourses and debates on the stability of the state: as part of this discourse the idea and meaning of ‘peace’ was something being negotiated by various political agents in order to establish their political positions within the state. This paper explores the politicization of peace, specifically pax, through an examination of its manipulation in relation to other concepts in order to express and justify power relations between Romans.
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Research Interests:
On the challenges of encoding a varied inscription collection using Epidoc. Delivered at the 6th EAGLE conference in Bari, and appearing in A.E. Felle and A. Rocco (eds.) Proceedings of 6th EAGLE International Event (24-25 September 2015,... more
On the challenges of encoding a varied inscription collection using Epidoc. Delivered at the 6th EAGLE conference in Bari, and appearing in A.E. Felle and A. Rocco (eds.) Proceedings of 6th EAGLE International Event (24-25 September 2015, Bari, Italy), Oxford, Archaeopress, 131-140. A recording of the lecture which accompanies this paper can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLUSA_20M24
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This paper examines the ways in which the roles and possible relationships between the fetiales and caduceatores can be used to understand some aspects of how the Romans conceptualised the making and breaking of war and peace, and aims to... more
This paper examines the ways in which the roles and possible relationships between the fetiales and caduceatores can be used to understand some aspects of how the Romans conceptualised the making and breaking of war and peace, and aims to locate the caduceatores within a picture of Roman diplomatic practices and war-mongering. The caduceatores, it will be argued, should not be understood primarily as Roman officials, unlike the fetiales and legati, but rather as a Roman conceptualisation of non-Roman diplomacy. Indeed, the uses of the term caduceatores in Latin Literature present us with an insight into how Romans conceptualised peace, as not something they themselves sought, but rather imposed.
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Research Interests:
Review: LUKAS DE BLOIS, IMAGE AND REALITY OF ROMAN IMPERIAL POWER IN THE THIRD CENTURY AD: THE IMPACT OF WAR (Routledge monographs in classical studies). London/New York: Routledge, 2019. Pp. x + 312, maps. ISBN 97808153737. £115.00. EMMA... more
Review: LUKAS DE BLOIS, IMAGE AND REALITY OF ROMAN IMPERIAL POWER IN THE THIRD CENTURY AD: THE IMPACT OF WAR (Routledge monographs in classical studies). London/New York: Routledge, 2019. Pp. x + 312, maps. ISBN 97808153737. £115.00. EMMA DENCH, EMPIRE AND POLITICAL CULTURES IN THE ROMAN WORLD (Key themes in ancient history). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018. Pp. xiv + 207, illus., map. ISBN 978052100910. £19.99.
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Research Interests:
Journal of Roman Studies 108 T. P. WISEMAN, JULIUS CAESAR. Stroud: The History Press, 2016. Pp. 127. ISBN 9780750961318. £6.99. H. MOURITSEN, POLITICS IN THE ROMAN REPUBLIC. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017. Pp. 214. ISBN... more
Journal of Roman Studies 108
T. P. WISEMAN, JULIUS CAESAR. Stroud: The History Press, 2016. Pp. 127. ISBN
9780750961318. £6.99.
H. MOURITSEN, POLITICS IN THE ROMAN REPUBLIC. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2017. Pp. 214. ISBN 9781107651333. £18.99.
M. HAAKE and A.-C. HARDERS (EDS), POLITISCHE KULTUR UND SOZIALE STRUKTUR
DER RÖMISCHEN REPUBLIK: BILANZEN UND PERSPEKTIVEN: AKTEN DER
INTERNATIONALEN TAGUNG ANLÄSSLICH DES 70. TODESTAGES VON
FRIEDRICH MÜNZER (MÜNSTER, 18.–20. OKTOBER 2012). Stuttgart: Franz Steiner
Verlag, 2017. Pp. 567, illus. ISBN 978351511598. €82.00.
T. P. WISEMAN, JULIUS CAESAR. Stroud: The History Press, 2016. Pp. 127. ISBN
9780750961318. £6.99.
H. MOURITSEN, POLITICS IN THE ROMAN REPUBLIC. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2017. Pp. 214. ISBN 9781107651333. £18.99.
M. HAAKE and A.-C. HARDERS (EDS), POLITISCHE KULTUR UND SOZIALE STRUKTUR
DER RÖMISCHEN REPUBLIK: BILANZEN UND PERSPEKTIVEN: AKTEN DER
INTERNATIONALEN TAGUNG ANLÄSSLICH DES 70. TODESTAGES VON
FRIEDRICH MÜNZER (MÜNSTER, 18.–20. OKTOBER 2012). Stuttgart: Franz Steiner
Verlag, 2017. Pp. 567, illus. ISBN 978351511598. €82.00.
Research Interests:
Diplomacy, as a system of communication (both verbal and non-verbal) and a means through which the identity of different groups is articulated, is inherently spatial. As Neumann has stressed in his work Diplomatic sites: a critical... more
Diplomacy, as a system of communication (both verbal and non-verbal) and a means through which the identity of different groups is articulated, is inherently spatial. As Neumann has stressed in his work Diplomatic sites: a critical enquiry (2013), sites, as physical places, are to be understood as a process of human negotiation, which in turn results in the construction of social space. In the ancient world, even though there were no permanent embassies or consulates, the sites chosen for the reception, housing and entertainment of foreign envoys, as well as those chosen for the deposition and display of treaties and alliances, allow us to consider how inter-state relations were played out as part of social life.
Whilst any site of diplomacy will be defined by boundaries of identity and will articulate power relations through the construction of the space, which permits and regulates interactions between actors, the use made of the urban fabric of Rome and its environs to shape and manipulate Rome’s self-presentation and relations with other polities in the Mediterranean world is particularly striking. The control of the urban space, and the access, restriction, and movement through it serves to emphasise the legal and social status of individuals in relation to the city (and indeed subdivisions of the urban space), and therefore their relationship to Rome as a Mediterranean power.
This paper will address the question of how the urban space was defined in relation to foreign embassies, examining a few key arenas of interaction in terms of the loci chosen. It is necessary to understand the wider socio-political relevance of these sites in order to appreciate the ways in which Rome used the urban space as a means of diplomatic communication. In this respect Rome, as a site of diplomacy, was a key aspect in the diplomatic body language employed to structure relations between Mediterranean polities
Whilst any site of diplomacy will be defined by boundaries of identity and will articulate power relations through the construction of the space, which permits and regulates interactions between actors, the use made of the urban fabric of Rome and its environs to shape and manipulate Rome’s self-presentation and relations with other polities in the Mediterranean world is particularly striking. The control of the urban space, and the access, restriction, and movement through it serves to emphasise the legal and social status of individuals in relation to the city (and indeed subdivisions of the urban space), and therefore their relationship to Rome as a Mediterranean power.
This paper will address the question of how the urban space was defined in relation to foreign embassies, examining a few key arenas of interaction in terms of the loci chosen. It is necessary to understand the wider socio-political relevance of these sites in order to appreciate the ways in which Rome used the urban space as a means of diplomatic communication. In this respect Rome, as a site of diplomacy, was a key aspect in the diplomatic body language employed to structure relations between Mediterranean polities
Research Interests:
The city of Rome was a city of memory; its history, particularly in respect of institutional and political structures, was intimately tied to the topography and architecture of the urban-scape, even if this history was a construction of... more
The city of Rome was a city of memory; its history, particularly in respect of institutional and political structures, was intimately tied to the topography and architecture of the urban-scape, even if this history was a construction of contemporary ideologies. However, whilst the Rome of antiquity revelled in the monumentality of the past, it did not do so through the ruinenlust of Piranesi, but the maintenance and renewal of urban spaces that served to articulate the continued importance of the past to debates of the present.
Political life was a sited activity: it was not simply that political decision-making required physical interactions in specific and ritualized spaces within the urbs; the built space of the city provided a framework for the conceptualization of debate, and grounded the topics and circumstances of political discourse in urban fabric. Times of political instability and subsequent restoration of the res publica provoked competition for control of public space and continued reclamation of urban spaces in the name of certain ideological stances.
This paper will examine two different contexts which fuelled programmes of regeneration and renewal of Rome’s urban spaces in the late Republic and early Empire, which served in their own ways to construct the history of the city in relation to contemporary ideologies:
1) Continuity of structures seen as integral to the city as a political entity
2) Re-appropriation, reuse and reformulation of spaces and structures
Environmental factors also influenced the possible ways in which urban renewals could be packaged and framed, as regards questions of purpose and agency. Finally, a connective thread on control of the urban space and its relationship to ideas of ‘private’ and ‘public’ space will be examined.
The physical regeneration of such sites did not, of course, occur in isolation, but as part of a wider political discourse on the nature of power within the state; nevertheless, urban changes at Rome offered a contemporary audience and actors perhaps the most immediate indication of power dynamics and control of the state.
Political life was a sited activity: it was not simply that political decision-making required physical interactions in specific and ritualized spaces within the urbs; the built space of the city provided a framework for the conceptualization of debate, and grounded the topics and circumstances of political discourse in urban fabric. Times of political instability and subsequent restoration of the res publica provoked competition for control of public space and continued reclamation of urban spaces in the name of certain ideological stances.
This paper will examine two different contexts which fuelled programmes of regeneration and renewal of Rome’s urban spaces in the late Republic and early Empire, which served in their own ways to construct the history of the city in relation to contemporary ideologies:
1) Continuity of structures seen as integral to the city as a political entity
2) Re-appropriation, reuse and reformulation of spaces and structures
Environmental factors also influenced the possible ways in which urban renewals could be packaged and framed, as regards questions of purpose and agency. Finally, a connective thread on control of the urban space and its relationship to ideas of ‘private’ and ‘public’ space will be examined.
The physical regeneration of such sites did not, of course, occur in isolation, but as part of a wider political discourse on the nature of power within the state; nevertheless, urban changes at Rome offered a contemporary audience and actors perhaps the most immediate indication of power dynamics and control of the state.
Research Interests:
It was with hindsight that Tacitus could remark that ‘it was in the interests of peace that all power be conferred on one man’ (Hist. 1.1) as the culmination of several decades of civil war and conflict. After Actium, the Augustan Age was... more
It was with hindsight that Tacitus could remark that ‘it was in the interests of peace that all power be conferred on one man’ (Hist. 1.1) as the culmination of several decades of civil war and conflict. After Actium, the Augustan Age was heralded in and promoted as the accomplishment of peace achieved by land and sea, monumentalized in the complex at Nikopolis and the Ara Pacis Augustae at Rome. The story of peace in the Augustan period was a sanitised version of the concept now that there was no opposition or possibility of contest. The story behind this accomplishment is not so simple. The two decades of civil war that predate the Augustan regime were a time of disagreement and dissention, of shifting meanings and a dying Republic. Different visions and versions of what the res publica should be were expounded and disseminated. The coinage provides a lens through which to examine the arguments surrounding the condition (and indeed definition) of the res publica, particularly as regards central political ideals of libertas, fides, pietas, concordia and pax. Moreover, the coinage was a platform from which such political ideology was launched and through which political language was expressed to the widest possible audience.
This paper predominantly focuses on the coinage produced over the two decades of civil wars in order to examine the cacophony of voices debating the condition of the state, and how ideas of peace were taken up as expressions suitable and necessary for the discourse on the crises. Not only does the coinage illustrate the contemporary political relevance of the concept of peace (pax), it also hints as the different possibilities and definitions of the concept itself.
This paper predominantly focuses on the coinage produced over the two decades of civil wars in order to examine the cacophony of voices debating the condition of the state, and how ideas of peace were taken up as expressions suitable and necessary for the discourse on the crises. Not only does the coinage illustrate the contemporary political relevance of the concept of peace (pax), it also hints as the different possibilities and definitions of the concept itself.
Research Interests:
The representation of victorious achievements in war was commonplace in the art and self- presentation of the political elite of the Roman Republic. In both ephemeral display and permanent memorialisation, Rome celebrated her triumphs... more
The representation of victorious achievements in war was commonplace in the art and self- presentation of the political elite of the Roman Republic. In both ephemeral display and permanent memorialisation, Rome celebrated her triumphs over her enemies, a practice that scholarship recognises as part of the competitive cult of the mid and late Republic. Rome, the perennial victor knew how to represent and understand the enemy, when the enemy was external. The civil wars of the late Republic, however, produced the issue of how to deal with and talk about an enemy who was Roman.
During the period of growing civil conflicts and violence of the late Republic the concern for political stability, and with that political dominance, became increasingly prevalent. Rhetoric traditionally used in respect of external enemies was being employed by statesmen against their political enemies (one need only think of Cicero’s speeches against Catiline as an illustration of this). Whilst rhetoric and allusion could be used against one’s political enemies in domestic politics, the period of civil wars from 49 BCE onwards brought the problematic nature of creating enemies out of fellow citizens to the foreground. Cicero in a letter to Atticus, written in 49, stated that ‘even an unjust peace is better than the most just wars against one’s countrymen’ (Ad Att. 7.14). For Cicero that idea that of a victor in civil war was tantamount to tyranny. For all that, sides were taken, and the enemy was ‘constructed’ by both sides as justification for civil war.
This paper examines how Romans went about constructing and representing their opponents in civil war, through a variety of media: letters, speeches, coins, and even rumour. The author in each instance champions their cause against an opponent who would destroy the ideals of the state that they set out. Creating an image of the enemy in civil war was a game of rhetoric over whose idea of the res publica was correct. The paper examines the whole period of civil war from 49-30 BCE in order to build up a picture of the battles played with words and images, that enabled Romans to construct enemies out of Romans.
During the period of growing civil conflicts and violence of the late Republic the concern for political stability, and with that political dominance, became increasingly prevalent. Rhetoric traditionally used in respect of external enemies was being employed by statesmen against their political enemies (one need only think of Cicero’s speeches against Catiline as an illustration of this). Whilst rhetoric and allusion could be used against one’s political enemies in domestic politics, the period of civil wars from 49 BCE onwards brought the problematic nature of creating enemies out of fellow citizens to the foreground. Cicero in a letter to Atticus, written in 49, stated that ‘even an unjust peace is better than the most just wars against one’s countrymen’ (Ad Att. 7.14). For Cicero that idea that of a victor in civil war was tantamount to tyranny. For all that, sides were taken, and the enemy was ‘constructed’ by both sides as justification for civil war.
This paper examines how Romans went about constructing and representing their opponents in civil war, through a variety of media: letters, speeches, coins, and even rumour. The author in each instance champions their cause against an opponent who would destroy the ideals of the state that they set out. Creating an image of the enemy in civil war was a game of rhetoric over whose idea of the res publica was correct. The paper examines the whole period of civil war from 49-30 BCE in order to build up a picture of the battles played with words and images, that enabled Romans to construct enemies out of Romans.
Research Interests:
The civil conflicts of the late Republic gave rise to discourses and debates on the stability of the state: as part of this discourse the idea and meaning of ‘peace’ was something being negotiated by various political agents in order to... more
The civil conflicts of the late Republic gave rise to discourses and debates on the stability of the state: as part of this discourse the idea and meaning of ‘peace’ was something being negotiated by various political agents in order to establish their political positions within the state. The term ‘peace’, specifically pax, was manipulated in relation to other concepts in order to express and justify power relations between Romans.
“Auferre trucidare rapere falsis nominibus imperium, atque ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant” (To rob, to slaughter, to ravage under false names, they call empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace). Tacitus, in... more
“Auferre trucidare rapere falsis nominibus imperium, atque ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant” (To rob, to slaughter, to ravage under false names, they call empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace).
Tacitus, in his Agricola 30.4, presents, in the mouth of the Caledonian chieftain Calgacus, the idea that the use of violence was an expression of Roman power, disguised in the name of peace. What is being called into question here is the legitimacy of violence, and whilst the Romans are being condemned by Calgacus, there also exists behind this denunciation the idea that Rome justifies her acts of violence as securing peace and stability for her empire. The use of violence as a justification for imperialism within the Roman empire is a well-researched topic, dealing with debates over the defensive or aggressive nature of imperialism. This paper takes these themes of violence as a legitimising aspect of imperialism, and examines how violence was used not towards subjects and external enemies, but rather in Roman politics and civil conflicts of the late Republic and the Principate as a rhetorical tool against political opponents, in the name of stability and peace.
Appian (BC 1.2) characterised the late Republic as a period of intense political violence, and there is no shortage of evidence for such activity. One aspect of political violence, examined in this paper, was the justification for fighting fellow Romans in the name of peace and harmony (pax et concordia): this is clearly articulated in the speeches of Cicero against Catiline and Antony, and also Sallust’s speeches of Lepidus and Philippus. In these speeches, peace is used to articulate the relationship between the speaker and their political opponent, who is also characterised as an enemy, who uses violence against the state. Furthermore, violence against one’s political opponents is proposed as a means to peace. Whilst such speeches vocalise the need for violence to achieve internal stability, numismatic evidence from periods of civil conflict in the late Republic and Early Empire presents an image of the rhetoric of peace and of libertas used to justify acts of violence against fellow Romans. This paper examines the instances where violence is promoted as a means to peace, and compares it to the use of peace as a means to disguising political violence, in order to understand internal concepts of Roman imperialism.
Tacitus, in his Agricola 30.4, presents, in the mouth of the Caledonian chieftain Calgacus, the idea that the use of violence was an expression of Roman power, disguised in the name of peace. What is being called into question here is the legitimacy of violence, and whilst the Romans are being condemned by Calgacus, there also exists behind this denunciation the idea that Rome justifies her acts of violence as securing peace and stability for her empire. The use of violence as a justification for imperialism within the Roman empire is a well-researched topic, dealing with debates over the defensive or aggressive nature of imperialism. This paper takes these themes of violence as a legitimising aspect of imperialism, and examines how violence was used not towards subjects and external enemies, but rather in Roman politics and civil conflicts of the late Republic and the Principate as a rhetorical tool against political opponents, in the name of stability and peace.
Appian (BC 1.2) characterised the late Republic as a period of intense political violence, and there is no shortage of evidence for such activity. One aspect of political violence, examined in this paper, was the justification for fighting fellow Romans in the name of peace and harmony (pax et concordia): this is clearly articulated in the speeches of Cicero against Catiline and Antony, and also Sallust’s speeches of Lepidus and Philippus. In these speeches, peace is used to articulate the relationship between the speaker and their political opponent, who is also characterised as an enemy, who uses violence against the state. Furthermore, violence against one’s political opponents is proposed as a means to peace. Whilst such speeches vocalise the need for violence to achieve internal stability, numismatic evidence from periods of civil conflict in the late Republic and Early Empire presents an image of the rhetoric of peace and of libertas used to justify acts of violence against fellow Romans. This paper examines the instances where violence is promoted as a means to peace, and compares it to the use of peace as a means to disguising political violence, in order to understand internal concepts of Roman imperialism.
Servius, the commentator on Virgil’s Aeneid, presents an image of a clear dichotomy between war and peace, stating that war was announced through the fetiales, whereas as peace was achieved through the caduceatores (heralds). Whilst the... more
Servius, the commentator on Virgil’s Aeneid, presents an image of a clear dichotomy between war and peace, stating that war was announced through the fetiales, whereas as peace was achieved through the caduceatores (heralds). Whilst the rituals (however anachronistic) of the fetiales are known predominantly from Livy’s accounts, the role and function of the caduceatores is far less well documented in our sources. Whilst fetiales, as well as other officials such as legati, inhabit the spheres of both war and peace, the caduceator appears solely in the context of peace. An examination of their role, in relation to other forms of officials, will give an insight into how Romans conceptualise diplomatic practices in the context of war.
This paper examines the ways in which the roles and possible relationships between the fetiales and caduceatores can be used to understand some aspects of how the Romans conceptualised the making and breaking of war and peace, and aims to locate the caduceatores within a picture of Roman diplomatic practices and war-mongering. The focus of the paper is not on the historical authenticity of the roles and rituals of the fetiales, legati, and caduceatores, but rather the ways in which writers from the Late Republic onwards used the formalised ritual for the instigation and cessation of war in order to present and interpret Roman sanctions of warfare and peace. The caduceatores, it will be argued, should not be understood primarily as Roman officials, unlike the fetiales and legati, but rather as a Roman conceptualisation of non-Roman diplomacy. Indeed, the uses of the term caduceatores in Latin Literature present us with an insight into how Romans conceptualised peace, as not something they themselves sought, but rather imposed.
This paper examines the ways in which the roles and possible relationships between the fetiales and caduceatores can be used to understand some aspects of how the Romans conceptualised the making and breaking of war and peace, and aims to locate the caduceatores within a picture of Roman diplomatic practices and war-mongering. The focus of the paper is not on the historical authenticity of the roles and rituals of the fetiales, legati, and caduceatores, but rather the ways in which writers from the Late Republic onwards used the formalised ritual for the instigation and cessation of war in order to present and interpret Roman sanctions of warfare and peace. The caduceatores, it will be argued, should not be understood primarily as Roman officials, unlike the fetiales and legati, but rather as a Roman conceptualisation of non-Roman diplomacy. Indeed, the uses of the term caduceatores in Latin Literature present us with an insight into how Romans conceptualised peace, as not something they themselves sought, but rather imposed.
The purpose of this paper is to consider the language of power and authority after the Roman pacification of the Alps in c. 14 B.C, through an examination of an arch set up to Augustus by a local dynast, named Cottius. The arch at Segusio... more
The purpose of this paper is to consider the language of power and authority after the Roman pacification of the Alps in c. 14 B.C, through an examination of an arch set up to Augustus by a local dynast, named Cottius. The arch at Segusio (modern day Susa), in the north-west region of the Italian Alps, will be analysed to understand how the incorporation of the region into the Roman empire was perceived and presented from a ‘local’ point of view, and how we might use our interpretations to construct ideas of identity and power during the Augustan principate.
This paper primarily focuses on the language of the dedicatory inscription, which is crucial for understanding the purpose of the monument in the eyes of its dedicants. The inscription presents an interesting interplay between hereditary, pre-existing power structures, and Roman constructions of authority and governance. An examination of the inscription in relation to the narrative frieze of the arch also allows further exploration of the viewpoint of the dedicants and their presentation of their position within a Roman province.
The arch at Susa offers a view point on the Roman pacification of the Alps that does not directly reflect the concepts of conquest and subjugation, but rather utilises the moment of pacification to assert the integration of the Cottian communities into the Roman world. But more than that, it takes the Roman rhetoric of administrative power and the organisation of subject states to promote a message of the continuity of local dynasty power. The pacification of the Alps and subsequent reorganisation gave Cottius the opportunity and the means to emphasise his position within the empire and within his own sphere of authority.
This paper primarily focuses on the language of the dedicatory inscription, which is crucial for understanding the purpose of the monument in the eyes of its dedicants. The inscription presents an interesting interplay between hereditary, pre-existing power structures, and Roman constructions of authority and governance. An examination of the inscription in relation to the narrative frieze of the arch also allows further exploration of the viewpoint of the dedicants and their presentation of their position within a Roman province.
The arch at Susa offers a view point on the Roman pacification of the Alps that does not directly reflect the concepts of conquest and subjugation, but rather utilises the moment of pacification to assert the integration of the Cottian communities into the Roman world. But more than that, it takes the Roman rhetoric of administrative power and the organisation of subject states to promote a message of the continuity of local dynasty power. The pacification of the Alps and subsequent reorganisation gave Cottius the opportunity and the means to emphasise his position within the empire and within his own sphere of authority.
The development and use of pax (‘peace’) as a concept in the Roman world is part of the same process by which Rome understood her empire (imperium) in relation to a number of different situations and audiences. A history of peace as a... more
The development and use of pax (‘peace’) as a concept in the Roman world is part of the same process by which Rome understood her empire (imperium) in relation to a number of different situations and audiences. A history of peace as a concept in Roman political thought examines how the term was used as part of an ever changing imperial discourse and how it was used to conceptualise political relationships and identities within the Roman state.
The concept of pax Romana is synonymous with the idea and extent of the power achieved over the Empire from the Augustan period to the end of the second century A.D. Yet the meaning of pax during the Republic was something quite different from the peace of the principate. During the mid and late Republic pax was understood as a state-view of imperialism, set directly over and against those entering into a relationship with Rome. It was the civil wars of the late Republic that changed the ways in which political stability and peace were discussed and understood.
This paper examines the various use of pax from 49 B.C. down to 40 B.C. by the senate and individual politicians at Rome in the civil wars in order to establish the ways in which peace became an important concept of negotiation, conflict and victory rhetoric during a time of social and political upheaval and change. The political developments during the civil wars of the late Republic explain why and how pax became a major concept for the articulation of relationships of power in the 40s.
The concept of pax Romana is synonymous with the idea and extent of the power achieved over the Empire from the Augustan period to the end of the second century A.D. Yet the meaning of pax during the Republic was something quite different from the peace of the principate. During the mid and late Republic pax was understood as a state-view of imperialism, set directly over and against those entering into a relationship with Rome. It was the civil wars of the late Republic that changed the ways in which political stability and peace were discussed and understood.
This paper examines the various use of pax from 49 B.C. down to 40 B.C. by the senate and individual politicians at Rome in the civil wars in order to establish the ways in which peace became an important concept of negotiation, conflict and victory rhetoric during a time of social and political upheaval and change. The political developments during the civil wars of the late Republic explain why and how pax became a major concept for the articulation of relationships of power in the 40s.
This paper questions the modern understanding of what a trophy was considered to be in the Roman world, focusing on the display and ideology of the Parthian standards restored to Rome in 20-19 B.C. The standards present a rare example... more
This paper questions the modern understanding of what a trophy was considered to be in the Roman world, focusing on the display and ideology of the Parthian standards restored to Rome in 20-19 B.C.
The standards present a rare example of Roman signa being used as trophies: whilst there was technically no military victory, a political commemoration was established at Rome. An analysis of the ‘life-cycle’ of the Parthian trophies will illustrate the extensive and ongoing display within which the trophy was contextualized.
The standards, which Strabo describes as tropaia erected by the Parthians, became a diplomatic tool through which Phraates could negotiate peace with Rome. In 19 B.C. a senatorial arch employed the return of the standards to celebrate the stability of the Roman state, whilst there are also indications that Augustus had planned a separate display on the Capitoline linking the standards to the spolia opima of Romulus. This was certainly realised later in the Forum Augustum, an arena designated for the negotiation of peace for the empire.
The Parthian standards offer us an insight as to how a symbol of Roman military power could be recontextualized as a trophy to commemorate the establishment of peace in terms of victory.
The standards present a rare example of Roman signa being used as trophies: whilst there was technically no military victory, a political commemoration was established at Rome. An analysis of the ‘life-cycle’ of the Parthian trophies will illustrate the extensive and ongoing display within which the trophy was contextualized.
The standards, which Strabo describes as tropaia erected by the Parthians, became a diplomatic tool through which Phraates could negotiate peace with Rome. In 19 B.C. a senatorial arch employed the return of the standards to celebrate the stability of the Roman state, whilst there are also indications that Augustus had planned a separate display on the Capitoline linking the standards to the spolia opima of Romulus. This was certainly realised later in the Forum Augustum, an arena designated for the negotiation of peace for the empire.
The Parthian standards offer us an insight as to how a symbol of Roman military power could be recontextualized as a trophy to commemorate the establishment of peace in terms of victory.
Rosenstein in his 2007 paper, distinguishing between the internal peace of the Republic and that which ended the external wars of Rome, states that internal peace was ‘not a mark of triumph’. Yet by 40 B.C. it had become possible for... more
Rosenstein in his 2007 paper, distinguishing between the internal peace of the Republic and that which ended the external wars of Rome, states that internal peace was ‘not a mark of triumph’. Yet by 40 B.C. it had become possible for both Octavian and Antony to be awarded a triumphal celebration for establishing peace between themselves. The numerous civil conflicts between different groups throughout the 40s meant that political and military discussions focused on what was the desirable outcome of civil war. The development of pax, as a representation of the stability of the Roman state both internally and externally, within Roman victory rhetoric was part of such as focus.
In order to understand this development and the different perspectives concerning of pax within the civil wars from 49-40 B.C. and concerns for victory and civil stability, I will demonstrate the growing prominence of the rhetoric of pax in the political tensions of the period through an examination of the numismatic evidence and the correspondence of Cicero. Next I will turn to consider the effects of the aftermath of Caesar’s assassination on the development of political rhetoric. A study of Cicero’s Philippics will demonstrate the importance of both the concern for pax and the development of its meaning and application within civil war and victory rhetoric.
This paper will conclude that it is the effect of the civil wars on the perceptions and understanding of war, victory and political stability that explains the employment of pax between Romans, as opposed to with external enemies, as a vital component of the language of the 40s B.C. Indeed, the relevance of pax to victory rhetoric was such that its celebration could be depicted as an external victory, devoid of the stigma of civil war, and continued to influence the conceptualisation of victory in the period that followed.
In order to understand this development and the different perspectives concerning of pax within the civil wars from 49-40 B.C. and concerns for victory and civil stability, I will demonstrate the growing prominence of the rhetoric of pax in the political tensions of the period through an examination of the numismatic evidence and the correspondence of Cicero. Next I will turn to consider the effects of the aftermath of Caesar’s assassination on the development of political rhetoric. A study of Cicero’s Philippics will demonstrate the importance of both the concern for pax and the development of its meaning and application within civil war and victory rhetoric.
This paper will conclude that it is the effect of the civil wars on the perceptions and understanding of war, victory and political stability that explains the employment of pax between Romans, as opposed to with external enemies, as a vital component of the language of the 40s B.C. Indeed, the relevance of pax to victory rhetoric was such that its celebration could be depicted as an external victory, devoid of the stigma of civil war, and continued to influence the conceptualisation of victory in the period that followed.
BBC Radio 4 history programme 'When Greeks Flew Kites', hosted by Sarah Dunant, explores the past to help frame the issues of the present. This episode explores moments where leaders were willing to cross the ultimate line. As part of... more
BBC Radio 4 history programme 'When Greeks Flew Kites', hosted by Sarah Dunant, explores the past to help frame the issues of the present.
This episode explores moments where leaders were willing to cross the ultimate line. As part of this episode, Hannah Cornwell discusses Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon.
This episode explores moments where leaders were willing to cross the ultimate line. As part of this episode, Hannah Cornwell discusses Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon.
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BBC Radio 4 history programme, 'When Greeks Flew Kites' hosted by Sarah Dunant, which examines past problems to help frame the present. Episode 8 ('The Deal') examines the art of the good deal in the wake of Brexit negotiations, through... more
BBC Radio 4 history programme, 'When Greeks Flew Kites' hosted by Sarah Dunant, which examines past problems to help frame the present.
Episode 8 ('The Deal') examines the art of the good deal in the wake of Brexit negotiations, through the lens of different points in history. In part of this episode, Hannah Cornwell discusses the negotiations between Rome and Parthia in the 60s AD.
Episode 8 ('The Deal') examines the art of the good deal in the wake of Brexit negotiations, through the lens of different points in history. In part of this episode, Hannah Cornwell discusses the negotiations between Rome and Parthia in the 60s AD.
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LUKAS DE BLOIS, IMAGE AND REALITY OF ROMAN IMPERIAL POWER IN THE THIRD CENTURY AD: THE IMPACT OF WAR (Routledge monographs in classical studies). London/New York: Routledge, 2019. Pp. x + 312, maps. ISBN 97808153737. £115.00. - EMMA DENCH, EMPIRE AND POLITICAL CULTURES IN THE ROMAN WORLD (Key the...more
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This chapter examines the evolution of pax at Rome within the wider display of the new age (novum saeculum), which is intimately associated with Augustus’ control over the res publica and empire. The monumentalization and dramatization of... more
This chapter examines the evolution of pax at Rome within the wider display of the new age (novum saeculum), which is intimately associated with Augustus’ control over the res publica and empire. The monumentalization and dramatization of pax with external peoples is analysed through the lens of how Augustus and the senate depicted diplomatic success with the Parthians at the end of the 20s BC, after decades of unsuccessful military campaigns. In this ‘moment’ pax is not explicitly foregrounded, but rather the diplomatic aspects of peace are subsumed into a rhetoric of empire and triumphalism, displayed in monumental form both at the time and in later Augustan buildings, such as the forum Augustum. Peace was integrated into a rhetoric of Roman victory, firmly associated with the concept of imperium and imperial rule.
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Nothing from the subsequent Augustan age can be fully explained without understanding the previous Triumviral period (43-31 BC). In this book, twenty experts from nine different countries and nineteen universities examine the Triumviral... more
Nothing from the subsequent Augustan age can be fully explained without understanding the previous Triumviral period (43-31 BC). In this book, twenty experts from nine different countries and nineteen universities examine the Triumviral age not merely as a phase of transition to the Principate but as a proper period with its own dynamics and issues, which were a consequence of the previous years. The volume aims to address a series of underlying structural problems that emerged in that time, such as the legal nature of power attributed to the Triumvirs; changes and continuity in Republican institutions, both in Rome and the provinces of the Empire; the development of the very concept of civil war; the strategies of political communication and propaganda in order to win over public opinion; economic consequences for Rome and Italy, whether caused by the damage from constant wars or, alternatively, resulting from the proscriptions and confiscations carried out by the Triumvirs; and the transformation of Roman-Italian society. All these studies provide a complete, fresh and innovative picture of a key period that signaled the end of the Roman Republic. With papers from: F. Vervaet F. Pina Polo M-C Ferriès V. Arena F. Rohr Vio C. Steel M. Jehne F. Hurlet H. van der Blom E. García Riaza K. Welch D. Maschek C. Rosillo-López M. García Morcillo A. Díaz Fernández A. Raggi W. J. Tatum C. Ando C.H. Lange H. Cornwell
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The civil conflicts of the late Republic gave rise to discourses and debates on the stability of the state: as part of this discourse the idea and meaning of ‘peace’ was something being negotiated by various political agents in order to... more
The civil conflicts of the late Republic gave rise to discourses and debates on the stability of the state: as part of this discourse the idea and meaning of ‘peace’ was something being negotiated by various political agents in order to establish their political positions within the state. The term ‘peace’, specifically pax, was manipulated in relation to other concepts in order to express and justify power relations between Romans.
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The subjugation of the Western provinces was celebrated by the dedication of an altar to Augustan Peace (the ara Pacis Augustae) at Rome. This chapter examines in detail the dedication of that highly complex, senatorial monument at Rome.... more
The subjugation of the Western provinces was celebrated by the dedication of an altar to Augustan Peace (the ara Pacis Augustae) at Rome. This chapter examines in detail the dedication of that highly complex, senatorial monument at Rome. The altar is, as far as the surviving evidence and our literary sources indicate, the first monumental display directly associated with the personified form of Pax. In this commemoration pax was qualified as ‘Augustan’ (pax augusta), and this may be understood as the first step towards pax becoming an imperial virtue. The analysis is then followed by an examination of the adoption of the worship of this cult within Augustus’ lifetime in different parts of the empire, as a means of engaging with a truly Augustan ideal. This chapter demonstrates how pax became a vehicle for expressing messages about Roman imperialism.
The focus of this chapter is on understanding the earliest stages of Augustus’ regime and its self-representation in terms of pax, exploring how peace fits into the profuse displays of triumphal ideology and rhetoric in the aftermath of... more
The focus of this chapter is on understanding the earliest stages of Augustus’ regime and its self-representation in terms of pax, exploring how peace fits into the profuse displays of triumphal ideology and rhetoric in the aftermath of the final decade of civil war. Augustus’ triple triumph cemented his position within the state in 29 BC. In this context the lack of a developed iconography for pax (compared to that of victoria) is tackled, particularly in reference to the monumental displays after Actium, to demonstrate the triumphal significance afforded to pax. The idea of expressing power not in relation to an opponent, but as an assertion of imperium over land and sea, as the achievement of peace, is a central concern of this chapter.
This chapter examines the pressures that the civil wars of the 40s exerted on the conventional political language of the Republic, focusing in particular on the central role of pax in the debates of the time. The letters and speeches of... more
This chapter examines the pressures that the civil wars of the 40s exerted on the conventional political language of the Republic, focusing in particular on the central role of pax in the debates of the time. The letters and speeches of Cicero provide major source material for this period and offer different viewpoints between the expedient and less guarded use of the term pax in order to examine the crisis of the Republic. The literary engagement with the concept is further explored in the works of Sallust and Caesar. An investigation into the language of pax in the numismatic field also provides insight into the engaging and changing application of the term as the political structures of the Republic change.
It was with hindsight that Tacitus could remark that ‘it was in the interests of peace that all power be conferred on one man’ (Hist. 1.1) as the culmination of several decades of civil war and conflict. After Actium, the Augustan Age was... more
It was with hindsight that Tacitus could remark that ‘it was in the interests of peace that all power be conferred on one man’ (Hist. 1.1) as the culmination of several decades of civil war and conflict. After Actium, the Augustan Age was heralded in and promoted as the accomplishment of peace achieved by land and sea, monumentalized in the complex at Nikopolis and the Ara Pacis Augustae at Rome. The story of peace in the Augustan period was a sanitised version of the concept now that there was no opposition or possibility of contest. The story behind this accomplishment is not so simple. The two decades of civil war that predate the Augustan regime were a time of disagreement and dissention, of shifting meanings and a dying Republic. Different visions and versions of what the res publica should be were expounded and disseminated. The coinage provides a lens through which to examine the arguments surrounding the condition (and indeed definition) of the res publica, particularly as regards central political ideals of libertas, fides, pietas, concordia and pax. Moreover, the coinage was a platform from which such political ideology was launched and through which political language was expressed to the widest possible audience. This paper predominantly focuses on the coinage produced over the two decades of civil wars in order to examine the cacophony of voices debating the condition of the state, and how ideas of peace were taken up as expressions suitable and necessary for the discourse on the crises. Not only does the coinage illustrate the contemporary political relevance of the concept of peace (pax), it also hints as the different possibilities and definitions of the concept itself.
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In a letter written to Atticus in mid March 60 B.C., Cicero (Att. 1.19.2) flagged up a number of concerns regarding the situation in Gaul: In public life at the moment, fear of a Gallic war is the big issue. For the Aeduans, our brothers,... more
In a letter written to Atticus in mid March 60 B.C., Cicero (Att. 1.19.2) flagged up a number of concerns regarding the situation in Gaul: In public life at the moment, fear of a Gallic war is the big issue. For the Aeduans, our brothers, have recently fought a hard fight and without doubt the Helvetii are up in arms and making excursions into the province. The senate has decreed that the consuls should cast lots for the two Gauls, that levies should take place with no exemptions valid, and that legates with authority should be sent to go to the Gallic communities and to make an effort to prevent them from joining forces with the Helvetii (author’s transl.)
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ABSTRACTThis paper examines the language of power and authority in the Italian Alps, after the Roman pacification of the area in 14b.c.The focus of the examination is an arch set up at Segusio to Augustus by a local dynast named Cottius,... more
ABSTRACTThis paper examines the language of power and authority in the Italian Alps, after the Roman pacification of the area in 14b.c.The focus of the examination is an arch set up at Segusio to Augustus by a local dynast named Cottius, which allows us to consider how the incorporation of the region into the Roman Empire was perceived and presented from a ‘local’ point of view, and how we might use our interpretations to construct ideas of identity and power relationships integral to early imperial provincial administration.
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Perhaps in defiance of expectations, Roman peace (pax) was a difficult concept that resisted any straightforward definition: not merely denoting the absence or aftermath of war, it consisted of many layers and associations and formed part... more
Perhaps in defiance of expectations, Roman peace (pax) was a difficult concept that resisted any straightforward definition: not merely denoting the absence or aftermath of war, it consisted of many layers and associations and formed part of a much greater discourse on the nature of power and how Rome saw her place in the world. During the period from 50 BC to AD 75 - covering the collapse of the Republic, the subsequent civil wars, and the dawn of the Principate-the traditional meaning and language of peace came under extreme pressure as pax was co-opted to serve different strands of political discourse. This volume argues for its fundamental centrality in understanding the changing dynamics of the state and the creation of a new political system in the Roman Empire, moving from the debates over the content of the concept in the dying Republic to discussion of its deployment in the legitimization of the Augustan regime, first through the creation of an authorized version controlled...
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It was with hindsight that Tacitus could remark that ‘it was in the interests of peace that all power be conferred on one man’ (Hist. 1.1) as the culmination of several decades of civil war and conflict. After Actium, the Augustan Age was... more
It was with hindsight that Tacitus could remark that ‘it was in the interests of peace that all power be conferred on one man’ (Hist. 1.1) as the culmination of several decades of civil war and conflict. After Actium, the Augustan Age was heralded in and promoted as the accomplishment of peace achieved by land and sea, monumentalized in the complex at Nikopolis and the Ara Pacis Augustae at Rome. The story of peace in the Augustan period was a sanitised version of the concept now that there was no opposition or possibility of contest. The story behind this accomplishment is not so simple. The two decades of civil war that predate the Augustan regime were a time of disagreement and dissention, of shifting meanings and a dying Republic. Different visions and versions of what the res publica should be were expounded and disseminated. The coinage provides a lens through which to examine the arguments surrounding the condition (and indeed definition) of the res publica, particularly as r...
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significant contributions to Roman socio-historical and legal studies. These are not essays for the uninitiated, rather specialised studies for those with a working knowledge of Greek and Roman law. The volume is attractively presented... more
significant contributions to Roman socio-historical and legal studies. These are not essays for the uninitiated, rather specialised studies for those with a working knowledge of Greek and Roman law. The volume is attractively presented and very well edited (I found no errata). Each essay is presented with its own bibliography; the volume concludes with indexes of sources, persons and topics. All in all, it is a fitting homage to the remarkable legacy of Bruce Frier.
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The idea of the ‘Pax Romana’ (or ‘Roman Peace’) is well known, in relation to the period of relative internal stability of the Roman empire from the first to the mid second centuries AD. Rome’s relationship with the concept of peace was... more
The idea of the ‘Pax Romana’ (or ‘Roman Peace’) is well known, in relation to the period of relative internal stability of the Roman empire from the first to the mid second centuries AD. Rome’s relationship with the concept of peace was not, however, a simple one, nor did they (or the Greeks) have a single term to cover the range of means, which the modern word encapsulates. Examining the Romans’ relationship with peace offers an insight into their frameworks of power dynamics within the Mediterranean world.
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This thesis focuses on a short period of time between 50 B.C. to A.D. 14, which is marked by the increased prominence of pax as a central concept within the victory rhetoric of the period. The period is one of immense political and social... more
This thesis focuses on a short period of time between 50 B.C. to A.D. 14, which is marked by the increased prominence of pax as a central concept within the victory rhetoric of the period. The period is one of immense political and social upheaval and change that was to dictate the power structures of the Roman world, and one of the ways in which this change was conceptualised was through the language of peace. In this thesis I examine pax as a concept within the Roman empire and as part of an discourse on the nature of Roman imperialism. This examination considers not just the development of pax as a concept over time, but also how it was variously conceptualised and presented to different audiences and in different locations. This focuses the examination of pax on understanding what the term as an expression of Rome’s imperium meant to various peoples within the Roman empire, how it was expressed and for what reasons. As David Mattingly has recently emphasised the nature of Roman ...
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This paper examines the ways in which the roles and possible relationships between the fetiales and caduceatores can be used to understand some aspects of how the Romans conceptualised the making and breaking of war and peace, and aims to... more
This paper examines the ways in which the roles and possible relationships between the fetiales and caduceatores can be used to understand some aspects of how the Romans conceptualised the making and breaking of war and peace, and aims to locate the caduceatores within a picture of Roman diplomatic practices and war-mongering. The caduceatores, it will be argued, should not be understood primarily as Roman officials, unlike the fetiales and legati, but rather as a Roman conceptualisation of non-Roman diplomacy. Indeed, the uses of the term caduceatores in Latin Literature present us with an insight into how Romans conceptualised peace, as not something they themselves sought, but rather imposed.
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This chapter examines the semantic range of the concept of pax, considering its place in the Roman imaginary alongside ‘associated concepts’ (particularly concordia, otium, bellum, and victoria). The traditional Republican meaning and... more
This chapter examines the semantic range of the concept of pax, considering its place in the Roman imaginary alongside ‘associated concepts’ (particularly concordia, otium, bellum, and victoria). The traditional Republican meaning and uses of the term pax are examined in a variety of contexts (contemporary prose, poetry, historical writings, numismatics, and religious dimensions) in order to establish more precisely the conceptualization and meaning of pax within the conventional political language of the Republic. Whilst pax was used to describe a usually unequal relationship of power with either the gods or other civic entities, as well as interpersonal relations, it did not conventionally have a strong political presence in Roman thought prior to the first century BC.
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LUKAS DE BLOIS, IMAGE AND REALITY OF ROMAN IMPERIAL POWER IN THE THIRD CENTURY AD: THE IMPACT OF WAR (Routledge monographs in classical studies). London/New York: Routledge, 2019. Pp. x + 312, maps. ISBN 97808153737. £115.00. - EMMA DENCH, EMPIRE AND POLITICAL CULTURES IN THE ROMAN WORLD (Key the...more
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T. P. WISEMAN, JULIUS CAESAR. Stroud: The History Press, 2016. Pp. 127. isbn9780750961318. £6.99. - H. MOURITSEN, POLITICS IN THE ROMAN REPUBLIC. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017. Pp. 214. isbn9781107651333. £18.99. - M. HAAKE and A.-C. HARDERS (EDS), POLITISCHE KULTUR UND SOZIALE STRU...more
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This book examines the two generations that spanned the collapse of the Republic and the Augustan period to understand how the concept of pax Romana, as a central ideology of Roman imperialism, evolved. The author argues for the integral... more
This book examines the two generations that spanned the collapse of the Republic and the Augustan period to understand how the concept of pax Romana, as a central ideology of Roman imperialism, evolved. The author argues for the integral nature of pax in understanding the changing dynamics of the Roman state through civil war to the creation of a new political system and world-rule. The period of the late Republic to the early Principate involved changes in the notion of imperialism. This is the story of how peace acquired a central role within imperial discourse over the course of the collapse of the Republican framework to become deployed in the legitimization of the Augustan regime. It is an examination of the movement from the debates over the content of the concept, in the dying Republic, to the creation of an authorized version controlled by the princeps, through an examination of a series of conceptions about peace, culminating with the pax augusta as the first crystallizatio...