Emperor and Senators in the Reign of Constantius II: Maintaining Imperial Rule Between Rome and Constantinople in the Fourth Century AD (Cambridge Classical Studies)

In this book, Muriel Moser investigates the relationship between the emperors Constantine I and his son Constantius II (AD 312-361) and the senators of Constantinople and Rome. She examines and contextualizes the integration of the social elites of Rome and the Eastern provinces into the imperial system and demonstrates their increased importance for the maintenance of imperial rule in response to political fragility and fragmentation. An in-depth analysis of senatorial careers and imperial legislation is combined with a detailed assessment of the political context - shared rule, the suppression of usurpations, Constantius' use of Constantine's memory. Using a wide range of literary, epigraphic, numismatic, and legal sources, some of which are as yet unpublished, this volume produces significant new readings of the history of the senates in Rome and Constantinople, of the construction of imperial rule and of historical change in Late Antiquity. Read more... Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series information 5 Title page 7 Copyright information 8 Table of contents 9 List of Figures 11 Acknowledgments 13 List of Abbreviations 17 Introduction 21 Part I A Unified Roman Empire (ad 312–337) 31 Chapter 1 Constantine and the Senate of Rome 33 Roman Senators in a Reunited Empire 35 Forging Political Alliances 48 Late Tokens of Favour 56 Conclusion 63 Chapter 2 Constantine’s Eastern Roman Empire 65 Recruiting Local Support in the East 67 A Constantinian Senate in Constantinople? 77 A New Imperial Hierarchy? The Comites 93 Constantine’s Eastern Roman Empire 97 Conclusion 101 Part II Ruling the East (ad 337–350) 103 Chapter 3 The Senatorial Officials of Constantius II 105 A Separated Empire? 106 The Senatorial Officials of Constantius II: 337 to 350 111 Harnessing Roman Senators 127 Imperial Competition over Rome? 133 Conclusion 137 Chapter 4 Remembering Constantine in Antioch and Constantinople 139 Antioch 141 Promoting Constantinople 151 Praetorships in Constantinople 161 Rewriting Imperial Funerals 168 Good Son and Senior Augustus 176 Conclusion 186 Part III Ruler of Rome and Constantinople (ad 350–361) 189 Chapter 5 Crisis and Innovation 191 Usurpations in the West 193 The Eastern Guard 200 A Senate in Constantinople 209 Statues of Loyalty 217 Defender of the Constantinian Heritage 227 Conclusion 231 Chapter 6 Romanizing Constantinople 234 The Emergence of an Eastern Cursus Honorum 236 Expansion and Division of the Senatorial Order 241 Praetorships 254 A New Traditional Senatorial Aristocracy 267 A Second Roman Senate in Constantinople 275 Urban Investments 279 Legitimizing Revolution 287 Conclusion 295 Chapter 7 A Roman Triumph 297 Senatorial Policies 298 Celebrating Constantius in Rome 307 Roman Religions 312 Reassurances in Rome 318 Surpassing Constantine in Rome 323 Conclusion 331 Conclusion 333 Appendix A: Roman Senators in Office in Asia and Syria, 275–305 353 Appendix B: Senatorial Posts in the Eastern Administration (Oriens) under Constantine, 324–337 357 Appendix C: The Higher Ranking Senatorial Administration, 337–349 365 Appendix D: The Higher Ranking Eastern Senatorial Administration in the East (Illyricum and Oriens), 350–361 369 Appendix E: The Expanded Lower Ranking Senatorial Administration in the East (Illyricum and Oriens), 350–361 374 Appendix F: Notes on the Praetorships of 361 377 Bibliography 381 I Primary Sources 381 II Secondary Sources 386 Index 427 Machine generated contents note: --;In late 324 the emperor Constantine celebrated his final victory over Licinius, and his consequent rise to sole power, by founding a new city which he named after himself, Constantinople. He now needed to win acceptance among the eastern population whose emperor he had just defeated. The engagement of the provincial elite with the imperial regime was a crucial component in maintaining imperial rule, and was traditionally facilitated by grants of privileges, high rank and honours" "In late 324 the emperor Constantine celebrated his final victory over Licinius, and his consequent rise to sole power, by founding a new city which he named after himself, Constantinople. He now needed to win acceptance among the eastern population whose emperor he had just defeated. The engagement of the provincial elite with the imperial regime was a crucial component in maintaining imperial rule, and was traditionally facilitated by grants of privileges, high rank and honours"-- Provided by publisher Machine generated contents note: -- A Unified Roman Empire (ad 312 -- 337) -- Constantine and the Senate of Rome -- Constantine's Eastern Roman Empire -- Ruling the East (ad 337 -- 350) -- The Senatorial Officials of Constantius II -- Remembering Constantine in Antioch and Constantinople -- Ruler of Rome and Constantinople (ad 350 -- 361) -- Crisis and Innovation: Between Magnentius and Gall us -- Romanizing Constantinople: The Creation of a Second Senate -- A Roman Triumph: Constantius II in Rome Sheds new light on the relationship between the emperor and his senators in the later Roman Empire, focusing on Constantius II, son of Constantine the Great. Provides new insights into imperial relations to the senates in Constantinople and Rome and the construction of late antique imperial rule and ideology.