Constructing Autocracy: Aristocrats and Emperors in Julio-Claudian Rome.

Roller, Matthew B.:

ISBN 10: 069105021X / ISBN 13: 9780691050218

Published by Princeton University Press, 2001

About this Item

319 p. Aus der Bibliothek von Prof. Wolfgang Haase, langjährigem Herausgeber der ANRW und des International Journal of the Classical Tradition (IJCT) / From the library of Prof. Wolfgang Haase, long-time editor of ANRW and the International Journal of the Classical Tradition (IJCT). - Sehr guter Zustand / Very good condition. - Romes transition from a republican system of government to an imperial regime comprised more than a century of civil upheaval and rapid institutional change. Yet the establishment of a ruling dynasty, centered around a single leader, came as a cultural and political shock to Romes aristocracy, who had shared power in the previous political order. How did the imperial regime manage to establish itself and how did the Roman elites from the time of Julius Caesar to Nero make sense of it? In this compelling book, Matthew Roller reveals a dialogical process at work, in which writers and philosophers vigorously negotiated and contested the nature and scope of the emperors luthority, despite the consensus that he vas the ultimate authority figure in Loman society. Roller seeks evidence for this thinking out of the new order in a wide range of republican and imperial authors, with n emphasis on Lucan and Seneca the 'hunger. He shows how elites assessed he impact of the imperial system on tra- itional aristocratic ethics, and examines ow several longstanding authority rela- onships in Roman societythose of läster to slave, father to son, and gift- creditor to gift-debtorbecame competing models for how the emperor did or should relate to his aristocratic subjects. By revealing this ideological activity to be not merely reactive but also constitutive of the new order, Roller contributes to ongoing debates about the character of the Roman imperial system and about the politics of literature. ISBN 9780691050218 Sprache: Englisch Gewicht in Gramm: 701 Hardcover mit Schutzumschlag / with dust jacket.

Seller Inventory # 1193187

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Constructing Autocracy: Aristocrats and Emperors in Julio-Claudian Rome.
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 069105021X
• ISBN 13: 9780691050218
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Sehr gut
• Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included
• Weight: 701 grams
• Seller catalogs:
  • Altertumswissenschaft

About this title

Synopsis

Rome's transition from a republican system of government to an imperial regime comprised more than a century of civil upheaval and rapid institutional change. Yet the establishment of a ruling dynasty, centered around a single leader, came as a cultural and political shock to Rome's aristocracy, who had shared power in the previous political order. How did the imperial regime manage to establish itself and how did the Roman elites from the time of Julius Caesar to Nero make sense of it? In this compelling book, Matthew Roller reveals a "dialogical" process at work, in which writers and philosophers vigorously negotiated and contested the nature and scope of the emperor’s authority, despite the consensus that he was the ultimate authority figure in Roman society.

Roller seeks evidence for this "thinking out" of the new order in a wide range of republican and imperial authors, with an emphasis on Lucan and Seneca the Younger. He shows how elites assessed the impact of the imperial system on traditional aristocratic ethics and examines how several longstanding authority relationships in Roman society--those of master to slave, father to son, and gift-creditor to gift-debtor--became competing models for how the emperor did or should relate to his aristocratic subjects. By revealing this ideological activity to be not merely reactive but also constitutive of the new order, Roller contributes to ongoing debates about the character of the Roman imperial system and about the "politics" of literature.

About the Author

Matthew B. Roller is Associate Professor of Classics at The Johns Hopkins University. His work, which focuses on Rome, reflects wide-ranging interests in literature, history, culture, and ethics.