Roman political culture : seven studies of the Senate and the City Councils of Italy from the first to the sixth century A.D

This volume offers an innovative analysis of Roman political culture in Italy from the first to the sixth century AD on the basis of seven case studies. Its main contention is that, during the period in which Italy was subject to single rule, political culture took on a specific form, being the product of the continued existence of two traditional political institutions: the senate in the city of Rome and the local city councils in the rest of Italy. Under single rule, the position of both institutions was increasingly weakened and they became part of a much wider institutional landscape, although the fact that they continued to function until the end of the sixth century AD must imply that they retained meaning for their members, even while society as a whole was undergoing radical changes. As their powers and prerogatives shrank considerably, their significance became social rather than political as they allowed elites to enact and negotiate their own position in society. However, the tension between the participatory nature of these institutions and the restriction of their power generated complex social dynamics: on the one hand, participants became locked in mutual expectations about each other's behaviour and were compelled to enact particular social roles, while on the other hand they retained a degree of agency. They were encapsulated in an honorific language and in a set of conventions that regulated their behaviour, but that at the same time offered them room for manoeuvre: this degree of autonomy provides a compelling basis on which to challenge the prevailing view among historians that deliberative and participatory politics effectively ended with the institution of the Roman monarchy under Augustus. Cover Roman Political Culture: Seven Studies of the Senate and City Councils of Italy from the First to the Sixth Century ad Copyright Dedication Preface Contents List of Tables Introduction 1. The End of Politics 2. Beyond Politics 3. The Hole at the Centre 4. The Concept of Political Culture 5. Researching Roman Political Culture 6. Seven Major Characteristics 1: Debating Space 1. The View from Heaven 2. Divus Claudius 3. Undeifying Claudius 4. ‘To See Everyone in Toga’ 5. Claudius the Stranger 6. Debating Debates 2: The Constraints of Patronage 1. Beyond Democracy 2. The Programmata 3. The Rules of the Game 4. The Supporters 5. The Candidates 6. Inscribing Competition 3: Making Fun of Elections 1. Election Jokes 2. Canvassing in Pliny 3. Locating the Present in the Ciceronian Past 4. Voting, Past and Present 5. The Emperor in the Curia 6. Texts with a Straight Face 4: Shouting down the Dead 1. Speaking in Capitals 2. Claiming Authenticity 3. Commodus the Madman 4. Battle Stories 5. Acclaiming Anomy 6. The Dynamics of Damnatio 5: The Economy of Favours 1. Constantine’s Rescript to Hispellum 2. Petition and Response 3. Defining the City 4. Urban Hierarchies 5. Social Expectations 6: Draining Resources 1. Draining the Pontine Marshes 2. Cassiodorus’ Variae 3. Cassiodorus and Theoderic 4. Senate and Ruler 5. Inscriptions from the Via Appia 6. Change and Transformation 7: Scripting Politics 1. A Council Meeting in Reate 2. Documentary Practices 3. The Dynamics of Wealth 4. Elite Formation 5. Participatory Ritual 6. The End of Roman Political Culture Conclusion 1. Intersections 2. Tracking Change 3. Outer Boundaries 4. Pervasiveness 5. Alternative Discourses 6. Explaining Institutional Longevity Bibliography Index of Sources General Index This book offers an analysis of Roman political culture in Italy from the first to the sixth century AD on the basis of seven case studies. Its main contention is that, during the period in which Italy was subject to single rule, Italy's political culture had a specific form. It was the product of the continued existence of two traditional political institutions: the senate in the city of Rome and the local city councils in the rest of Italy. Under single rule, the position of both institutions was increasingly weakened and they became part of a much wider institutional landscape. Nevertheless, they continued functioning until the end of the sixth century AD. Their longevity must imply that they retained meaning for their members, even when society was undergoing significant changes. As their powers and prerogatives shrank considerably, their significance became social rather than political: they allowed elites to enact and negotiate their own position in society. The tension between the fact that the institutions were at heart participatory in nature, but that their power was restricted, generated complex social dynamics. On the one hand, participants became locked in mutual expectations about each other's behaviour and were enacting social roles, while on the other hand they retained a degree of agency. They were encapsulated in an honorific language and in a set of conventions that regulated their behaviour, but that at the same time offered them some room for manoeuvre This volume offers an original and innovative analysis of Roman political culture in Italy from the first to the sixth century AD, drawing on seven case studies to argue against the prevailing view among historians that deliberative and participatory politics effectively ended with the institution of the Roman monarchy under Augustus.