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how a Roman emperor crowned? - Jordanicus - 05-01-2013

I'm from the Netherlands, yesterday we got a new king, I was wondering how did the romans crown their emperors, were there traditions or protocols of any kind.
Kind regards,

Maurits


how a Roman emperor crowned? - Flavivs Aetivs - 05-01-2013

I believe the Codex Theodosianus has a section about coronation of emperors.

I'll link you to it later.


how a Roman emperor crowned? - AMELIANVS - 05-01-2013

Hello Confusedmile:
The most significant part of every such a imperial ceremony was that pretender had to undergo traditional fight with giant indian elephant.elephant usually won :evil:

Now seriously(as much Im able of):You must specified it more,because it greatly varied towards time frame of 27-1453(or,if you want 27-476).But,yes,there vere traditions and in later time also very complicated protocols.


how a Roman emperor crowned? - Flavivs Aetivs - 05-01-2013

http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/latinlibrary/theod.html

I hope you can read latin. This is basically every law passed after 313, a few of them regard Coronation I think.


how a Roman emperor crowned? - Jordanicus - 05-02-2013

I'm most interested in the time of Hadrian and his successors to Commodus


how a Roman emperor crowned? - Flavivs Aetivs - 05-02-2013

one of the links under the main page links to a text from the principate

http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/latinlibrary/gaius.html


how a Roman emperor crowned? - john m roberts - 05-02-2013

While on this subject: For how long did the Romans keep up the pretense that the emperor was not a monarch, but just a very senior senator? I know that the word "Rex" was taboo for many centuries.


how a Roman emperor crowned? - M. Demetrius - 05-02-2013

I don't think they ever returned to calling the Imperator (commander, or the one who issues commands) or Dictator (lit. speaker, but figuratively "the one who says what will happen" in practice--a Republic office put on a Consul for a finite period of time) "King".

Dictator for Life was the last title that J. Caesar held. Didn't do him much good, though. They really didn't want a king any more. That was in their DNA almost.


how a Roman emperor crowned? - Flavivs Aetivs - 05-02-2013

I've only seen the Emperor referred to as "Augustus" historically.


how a Roman emperor crowned? - Timianus - 05-02-2013

Didn't Domitian demand to be called "dominus et deus"? It was my understanding that historians generally view this as a demarcation between the "principate" and "dominate" phases of the empire. I think by the time of Diocletian (probably much earlier), they had given up any pretense of the imperator as simply "first citizen"


how a Roman emperor crowned? - Flavivs Aetivs - 05-02-2013

We discussed that at length on FAR, and determined the dominate is practically marked by the Reign of Septimus Severus as by then Emperors were no longer "appointed" by the senate.


how a Roman emperor crowned? - FlaviusCrispus - 05-02-2013

The idea of the Emperor being some kind of "super civilian magistrate" was always, from Augustus on, a "pleasant fiction." His power always rested on the legions, first and foremost, though many rulers had little or no military experience before ascending the throne (Caligula and Nero come to mind). Septimius Severus wasn't really any more of a "dominate" ruler than, say, Vespasian; in fact they had very similar careers and pathways to the throne (and they were each succeeded by their two sons). All emperors from Augustus to Macrinus were Senators first and had held some senior magistracy like the Consulship before becoming emperor, so this preserved the fiction of civilian supremacy. The age of the "Soldier Emperors" really commences with Maximinus I Thrax (AD 235-238), and even then proceeds in fits and starts until the later 3rd century, with the Great Anarchy (AD 238-268) and the advent of the Danubian clique under Claudius II Gothicus. Diocletian was a member of this cadre and formalized a lot of the traditions that had taken root since the onset of the Great Anarchy.


how a Roman emperor crowned? - Epictetus - 05-02-2013

Quote:While on this subject: For how long did the Romans keep up the pretense that the emperor was not a monarch, but just a very senior senator? I know that the word "Rex" was taboo for many centuries.

We talked about emperors being called 'king' in Latin here: Roman Emperors and the 'king' title.


how a Roman emperor crowned? - Jordanicus - 05-02-2013

that would be strange because Augustus tried his best not to become what populace feared.
It cloud have happened later but title of Rex would have alarmed the populace in the early empire, in the later stages it Cloud be that they were called Rex.


how a Roman emperor crowned? - C Crastinus - 05-03-2013

Quote:Didn't Domitian demand to be called "dominus et deus"?

Whether or not he actually demanded it is a matter of debate amongst scholars. Brian Jones argues that, while he didn't mind being addressed as such by flatterers, he didn't demand it of them, on the basis that there is no epigraphical evidence for it, except when he was addressed by his slaves, and the fact that he displayed great concern for observing the technicalities of the traditional religion.

Statius says that he rejected the title of Dominus. Suetonius, supported by Dio, says that he began a letter with 'Our Master and God orders' and that the habit developed from there. Only later writers (Aurelius Victor, Eutropius, and Orosius) claim that he commanded it. (Jones, 1992 pp 107-8 )