About this Item
402 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). - A very good copy. - Abstract: The coming of the Empire brought about significant changes for Roman senators and their religion: the emperor now took on a prime role in both political and religious representation. Based on a new prosopographical database of all senators attested from A.D. 69 to 235, this study analyzes evidence for senatorial religion under the Empire as an important element in senatorial self-representation. Although senators continued to participate in the traditional priestly colleges in Rome and called on Roman religious tradition as their own, their long-established leading roles in religious benefaction and sacrifice were now taken over by the emperor. In their new priesthoods in the city as in their offices in the provinces, senators actively promoted the imperial cult that in essence defined the symbolic structure of the Empire, and which for the non-ltalian, provincial elites, aspiring for senatorial rank, was a major avenue of self-promotion. This new role led to a mixed semiotic, in which the senatorial role of the interpreter, from the perspective of imperial religion, was complicated by their claim to maintain distinct, traditional religious values. Aiming at defining this position, senators shaped theological discussions about the divine world and the proper human attitude toward it Their criticism of mythology as an improper source of the religious related to its continued use to legitimale individual emperors, while divine benevolence could very efficiently serve the rhetorical arguments of senators in the face of the emperors who claimed a divine position. These findings correspond to the sociological thesis that elites prefer involvement in the statusgranting aspects of religion, such as religious knowledge, and organizational participation, which can be positively associated with control and status in religious organizations, but they are less likely to seek religious compensation for not reaching worldly rewards. Besides philosophical concerns, the maintenance of status and social control motivated even those religious practices, in which we would expect to find expressions of the personal beliefs and desires of senators, such as those related to health, illness and death. Sprache: Englisch Gewicht in Gramm: 550. Seller Inventory # 1164181
Contact seller
Report this item
