Academic literature on the topic 'Rome History Empire'

In its lengthy history, Rome arguably did not suffer a military catastrophe greater than that at Cannae during the Second Punic War in 216 BC and at Adrianople during the Gothic War in 378 AD. Yet not only did Rome recover from both these defeats to win their respective wars, if Rome’s rise and fall were to be captured as a bell-curve, the two defeats would also be interestingly positioned on opposing sides of one another. This thesis will therefore assess the extent to which Rome’s recovery from military disasters can serve as a proxy to the “health” of the Roman Empire. In the process, the differences in Rome’s political unity, social enthusiasm and good fortune between the two cases will be highlighted and discussed.

The presentation of the body in early imperial Rome can be viewed as the manipulation of a semiotic language of dress, in which various hierarchies that both defined and limited human experience were entrenched. The study of Roman self-presentation illuminates the intersections of categories of identity, as well as the individual's desire and ability to resist essentializing views of Romanness (Romanitas), and to transform destiny through transforming identity. These categories of identity include gender; sexuality or sexual behavior; social status; economic status; ethnicity or place of origin; religion; and age. Applying the model of a matrix of identity deepens our appreciation for the work of self-presentation and its ultimate purposes. In this paper the practices and products used by Romans are described as vital indicators of self-identification, and as segues into Roman social semiotics, providing a more complete view of the possibilities for life in early imperial Rome. In the introduction, the use of queer theory and the function of the matrix model are outlined. Haircare, the maintenance of facial and bodily hair, the use of cosmetics, perfumes, skincare products, and beauty tools, the accessorizing of the body with jewelry, color, and pattern, and the display of these behaviors are examined in the main body chapters. The conclusion discusses the relevance of the matrix model to self-presentation studies in general and possible future uses.

Présenter la situation de la société romaine, à l’époque de l’Empire, par le biais d’une partie de sa population, celle des affranchis, nous permet d’étudier une situation particulière vécue à cette époque. En effet, les anciens esclaves deviennent, par la manumissio, des citoyens romains mais une dichotomie se dégage assez clairement : non seulement les affranchis supportent la macula, cette infériorité sociale due à leurs origines serviles, mais nombre d’entre eux vont chercher aussi à dépasser cette fatalité dans l’espoir de se hisser au rang des citoyens les plus influents de la cité. Pourtant, juridiquement, politiquement, intellectuellement, l’image que Rome renvoie des affranchis est souvent dévalorisée ; cela se révèle autant par le vocabulaire officiel et juridique qui servait à les désigner que dans les portraits que la littérature latine nous en a fait. De plus, cette inégalité sera considérée par les affranchis comme un obstacle à leur individualité et ils chercheront alors, grâce à leurs compétences, à leurs ambitions personnelles, parfois à leurs intrigues, à se rendre visibles aux yeux des Romains de naissance libre. A la lumière des sources épigraphiques, nous verrons les secteurs, publics comme privés, dans lesquels cette présence s’est affirmée et comment Rome a pris en compte cette population. La présence et l’influence que les affranchis eurent sur les traditions morales et culturelles de l’époque, créèrent des sujets de réflexion, qu’ils soient, le plus souvent, nés d’esprits critiques ou moqueurs mais aussi le début d’une nouvelle opinion sur la société romaine<br>Drawing the situation of the Imperial roman society, through a part of her population, the freedmen’s one, let us study a particular and real life of this period. Indeed, formers slaves become, by the manumissio, Roman citizens but a dichotomy clearly emerge : freedmen not only endure the macula, this social inferiority due to their slavish origins, but a lot of them also were trying to overstep this fatality in order to raise themselves in the rank of the most influential citizens of the city. Nevertheless, by law, politics and intellect, the image of the freedmen in Rome was often devaluated. It is revealing as much in legal and official vocabulary used for define them as in portrays which Latin literature makes of them. Moreover, this inequality was considered by the freedmen like an obstruction to their individuality and so, they had to search, by their competences, their personal ambitions, sometimes their arrangements, to be visible for the free-born citizens. By the light of epigraphically sources, we want to see the different sectors, public or private, in which this presence has spread and how Rome has considered this population. Freedmen’s presence and effect on the moral and cultural traditions of Imperial period created thoughts matters, issued often from critical or mocking spirits but the beginning of a new thinking about the Roman society too

Cette thèse a pour objectif l’étude des parentes de chevaliers romains, dénommées matronae equestres, originaires des provinces d’Occident, entre les règnes d’Auguste et de Gallien. L’optique choisie est celle de l’approche prosopographique qui demeure la seule possible pour collecter suffisamment d’informations à leur propos. Après une analyse des différentes titulatures équestres, l’accent a été porté sur trois thématiques liées entre elles, telles que le mariage, les pratiques religieuses et les voyages, qui ont permis une réévaluation du rôle des femmes apparentées aux chevaliers. Le chapitre consacré aux alliances matrimoniales a mis au jour diverses stratégies auxquelles elles prirent part :mariages égaux, exogamie et remariages avec des personnages de toutes les catégories sociales. La section suivante a souligné leur degré d’implication parfois active à la vie religieuse de leur communauté entre sacerdoces, participation aux rites et vœux. Enfin, on a montré que ces dames se déplaçaient de manière pratiquement systématique avec leurs parents, dans tous les recoins de l’Empire, pacifiés ou non. Le catalogue prosopographique figure, quant à lui, dans le volume II, subdivisé en quatre tomes.<br>Doctorat en Histoire, art et archéologie<br>info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Bibliography: pages 287-298.<br>This study explores the relationship between political developments and the keeping of public records at Rome during a crucial time of transition in the inter-connected fields of constitutional law, politics, and administrative practices. The political value of control over records is illustrated in the Struggle of the Orders and remained a dominant issue. That knowledge is power was a reality implicitly recognised in the aristocratic constitution of the Republic, geared as it was to maintain popular political ignorance generally and so to perpetuate the dominance of a particular minority class. Throughout Republican history the question of exposure or repression of such knowledge was grounded in the socio-political tensions of a class-struggle. Translated into the changed setting of the early Principate, the same awareness of the value of control over access to state knowledge is exhibited by the emperor. Particularly relevant was the Augustan ban on the publication of senatorial proceedings, since the relationship between senate and emperor was an area where the increasingly autocratic nature of the emperor's position was most difficult to disguise.

Les musiciens professionnels romains ont longtemps été ignorés par l’historiographie. Seuls les grands artistes ont attiré l’attention des chercheurs, laissant de côté la majorité de ceux qui faisaient de la pratique musicale leur métier. L’épigraphie, principale source de cette étude, permet de changer de regard, en s’attachant à des hommes pour qui la musique pouvait être autre chose qu’une prestation artistique. En effet, des musiciens étaient quotidiennement appelés à participer au fonctionnement de la cité. Que ce soit pour appeler les citoyens aux rassemblements politiques ou aider aux rites de la religion publique, des hommes étaient, en tant que musiciens, au service de la cité. Les musiciens militaires, soldats et spécialistes à la carrière typée, ont fait l’objet d’une étude à part, pensée comme une contribution à l’histoire des postes inférieurs au centurionat.L’un des objectifs de cette enquête est de déterminer en quoi leur position de desservants mineurs de la cité avait des conséquences sociales pour les musiciens. Une approche prosopographique a permis de faire ressortir les caractéristiques sociales d’un groupe professionnel inséré dans la couche moyenne de la plèbe. Certains musiciens se détachent particulièrement de l’ensemble : les aenatores étaient, par excellence, des desservants sonores des cités. Le règne d’Auguste a marqué un temps fort pour la considération sociale de ces musiciens. Symboles de l’antiquité de Rome, ils étaient à même d’incarner une partie du discours augustéen<br>No general study had focused on roman professional musicians. Famous artists have been considered, but everyday musicians remained ignored, even if some of them were exercising their talent for the benefit of the State. Musicians were used to summon citizens for the political meetings, or were expected to assist with the execution of state religion’s rites. Those men were, thanks to their musical performance, minor civil servants. Epigraphy is the main resource for this research. The prosopographical methodology chosen for this work has made it possible to reach these humble citizens. It also enabled a contribution to the history of the posts ranking under centurionate : their career paths of the military musicians were distinctive.As minor civil servants, how were musicians considered among the population of the roman cities ? These men belonged to the « middle class » plebs, but a special attention must be cast on the aenatores. They were, par excellence, civic musicians. Their history highlights Augustus’ reign : they seem to have enjoyed a special attention during the first princeps’ years. As epitomes of the Roman city’s antiquity, those men were ideal instruments chosen to trumpet the imperial ideology

This study traces the genesis and development of the History of Constantine tapestries designed by Pietro da Cortona and woven on the looms established by Francesco Barberini shortly after his return from France in December 1625. The circumstances surrounding the creation of the series provide a foundation and a framework for exploring its meaning and purpose. Though inspired by an earlier Constantine suite of tapestries designed by Rubens, the "Cortona" panels should be read as an independent entity, the significance of which can only be fully appreciated within the context of the gran salone of the Palazzo Barberini, which I propose was their intended destination. This conclusion is supported by the many links between the tapestries and Barberini ideology, papal politics, the palace and the ceiling fresco in the Salone. Like the Divine Providence fresco, the "Cortona" series is a summa of the virtues and religious, political, intellectual and social initiatives of the family. The series emerges finally as a promotionally Italian endeavour, a showcase of Italian art and culture.

This thesis explores the life and reign of Julian the Apostate the man who ruled over the Roman Empire from A.D. 361-363. The study of Julian the Apostate’s reign has historically been eclipsed due to his clash with Christianity. After the murder of his family in 337 by his Christian cousin Constantius, Julian was sent into exile. These emotional experiences would impact his view of the Christian religion for the remainder of his life. Julian did have conflict with the Christians but his main goal in the end was the revival of ancient paganism and the restoration of the Empire back to her glory. The purpose of this study is to trace the education and experiences that Julian had undergone and the effects they it had on his reign. Julian was able to have both a Christian and pagan education that would have a lifelong influence on his reign. Julian’s career was a short but significant one. Julian restored the cities of the empire and made beneficial reforms to the legal, educational, political and religious institutions throughout the Empire. The pagan historians praised him for his public services to the empire while the Christians have focused on his apostasy and “persecution” of their faith. With his untimely death in Persia, Julian’s successor Jovian, reversed most of his previous reforms and as such left Julian as the last pagan emperor of the Roman Empire.