03-27-2006, 05:46 AM
Several possibilities in my opinion:
-the presence of the emperor should bolster an army's fighting spirit
("let's show him how good we are, and maybe we get a donative bonus"), and this was deperately needed at that time.
That the emperor is also the supreme religious authority and the mediator between mankind and the gods may also have played a role. With Roman confidence shaken by the plague and a number of military desasters, divine support came in handy. Remember the story where Marcus was praying to the gods for support before a battle and then (coincidence!) a war-machine of the enemy was suddenly struck by lightning. Everybody understood this as a result of the emperor's prayers.
-the coordination of long range supply lines and the installation of special commands and of administrative emergency solutions may work faster if the authorities in charge do not have to write a letter to the emperor before each difficult decision (legatus X: "legatus Y has ordered this and that, but that is an infringement of my powers - what should I do?")
-furthermore, there is one important example of emperors in the field still missing from Theodosius's list: M. Ulpius Traianus. He definitely spent a lot of time directly in the war zones (Dacia, Parthia). And although his successor Hadrian did not have to fight many wars (the revolt in Judaea being an exception), he spent a lot of time inspecting the border garrisons.
This behavior was not very popular in Rome, and Antoninus Pius reacted by staying there most of his reign. Maybe rather Antoninus was the exception than Marcus.
Just my two cent
-the presence of the emperor should bolster an army's fighting spirit
("let's show him how good we are, and maybe we get a donative bonus"), and this was deperately needed at that time.
That the emperor is also the supreme religious authority and the mediator between mankind and the gods may also have played a role. With Roman confidence shaken by the plague and a number of military desasters, divine support came in handy. Remember the story where Marcus was praying to the gods for support before a battle and then (coincidence!) a war-machine of the enemy was suddenly struck by lightning. Everybody understood this as a result of the emperor's prayers.
-the coordination of long range supply lines and the installation of special commands and of administrative emergency solutions may work faster if the authorities in charge do not have to write a letter to the emperor before each difficult decision (legatus X: "legatus Y has ordered this and that, but that is an infringement of my powers - what should I do?")
-furthermore, there is one important example of emperors in the field still missing from Theodosius's list: M. Ulpius Traianus. He definitely spent a lot of time directly in the war zones (Dacia, Parthia). And although his successor Hadrian did not have to fight many wars (the revolt in Judaea being an exception), he spent a lot of time inspecting the border garrisons.
This behavior was not very popular in Rome, and Antoninus Pius reacted by staying there most of his reign. Maybe rather Antoninus was the exception than Marcus.
Just my two cent
Florian Himmler (not related!)
