Imperial Ideals in the Roman West: Representation, Circulation, Power
Cambridge University Press
Edition: Reprint, 9/29/2016
EAN 9781316628966, ISBN10: 1316628965
Paperback, 480 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.8 cm
Language: English
Originally published in English
This book examines the figure of the Roman emperor as a unifying symbol for the western empire. It documents an extensive correspondence between the ideals cited in honorific inscriptions for the emperor erected across the Western Empire and those advertised on imperial coins minted at Rome. This reveals that the dissemination of specific imperial ideals was more pervasive than previously thought, and indicates a high degree of ideological unification amongst the aristocracies of the western provinces. The widespread circulation of a particular set of imperial ideals, and the particular form of ideological unification that this brought about, not only reinforced the power of the Roman imperial state, but also increased the authority of local aristocrats, thereby facilitating a general convergence of social power that defined the high Roman empire.
1. Introduction
Part I. Representation
Introduction to Part I
representation
2. Values and virtues
the ethical profile of the emperor
3. The benefits of empire and monarchy
Part II. Circulation
Introduction to Part II
circulation
4. The diffusion of imperial ideals in time and space
5. Central communication and local response
Part III. Power
6. Ideological unification and social power in the Roman west
Appendices 1-15.