In search of Auctoritas et Maiestas – the Flavian Dynasty and Religions
Vespasian and his sons were forced to create their own style of politics, and, in search of auctoritas and maiestas, they could not neglect the realm of religion. We should bear in mind that in the Roman world, religion was an integral and indispensable component of social and po- litical life. For these reasons, these representatives of the Roman Imperial Dynasty, just like their predecessors and successors, successfully used different forms of activity surpassing the narrow interpretation of the domain of religio, including massive building programmes, monetary policy or even poetry, to express devotion and respect for mores maiorum as well as to confi rm the legal- ity of their power by presenting the divine approval of their political strength. It seems legitimate to acknowledge that the Flavian era did not bring revolutionary changes in traditional religion. This clearly shows that the new dynasty was perfectly aware that one of the aspects of a well-functioning Rome was preservation of the ancestors' customs and a belief in divine protection which could ensure safety, strength and belief in the unity of the Empire.
Three Historical Puzzles in Histories 3
The present paper proposes to discuss three passages in Tacitus, Histories 3 where current interpretations have led to difficulties which can be shown to be baseless so soon as it is realized that Tacitus is willing on occasion to sacrifice truth and clarity to stylistic effect. In each of these passages the same literary device lies at the root of the matter, a device which (for want of a better term) may be labelled ‘die grouping of participles’: the juxtaposition of participles in a sentence to die detriment of strict chronological order.
Private Lives, Imperial Virtues: The Frieze of the Forum Transitorium in Rome.
The depiction of the myth of Arachne, a woman punished for defiantly challenging Minerva to a weaving contest, is a subject without parallel for the frieze of a state monument such as Rome's Forum Transitorium, built by Domitian in the first century A.D. In this new interpretation of the frieze, Eve D'Ambra examines how art depicting mythological themes served as an instrument of social policy in the Roman Empire. She proposes that the portrayal of Arachne flanked by obedient women who spin and weave is presented as a moralizing "exemplum" rather than unfolding in a continuous narrative, the myth is reduced to a series of emblems that provide both a cautionary tale and inspirational models of domestic virtue.D'Ambra shows how the representation of weaving as a sign of the matron's traditional values reinforced Domitian's measures for moral reform, which included laws concerning marriage and adultery. She considers the equation of weaving and chastity in the cults revived by Domitian and, in the context of the founding myths depicted in Augustan art and literature, she explores the narratives of heroines and transgressors that blur the boundaries between private and public life: weaving not only served to initiate girls into the household economy but it also provided metaphors for statesmanship, civilization, and powers of life and death.