07-19-2011, 05:53 PM
I can only find a restriction on the wearing of military dress within the pomerium - except in times of crisis - not the carrying of all weapons. This was probably a religious taboo as much as a practical means of avoiding civil violence: see, for example, the taboo on the Flamen Dialis seeing a soldier in uniform.
Bear in mind that the senate met wherever the presiding magistrate called it to meet, and so a ban on weapons within the pomerium wouldn't have been a terribly effective way of ensuring the safety of senatorial meetings (picking an easily-defended temple was probably the best way of doing that, c.f. Cicero, in Cat. 1.1). In the 50sBC, with Pompeius unable to enter the pomerium for most of the decade, an awful lot of senatorial meetings happened outside it. The comitia centuriata, by definition, had to meet outside the pomerium - which means that the election of the most senior magistrates would not be protected either.
In addition, a lot of the pomerium rules regarding imperium and power were broken under Augustus. The tribunician power was used outside of the city, while Augustus did not have to lay aside his imperium when he entered it. It's likely that the wearing of military dress, at least by the imperial house, also went by the board. In addition, I can't imagine that Augustus' bodyguard wore togas - although perhaps as Germans they were immune from the taboo! In short, I think you could probably get away with wearing military uniform within the Trajanic pomerium (wasn't the discussion about Trajan's column?).
blue skies
Tom
Bear in mind that the senate met wherever the presiding magistrate called it to meet, and so a ban on weapons within the pomerium wouldn't have been a terribly effective way of ensuring the safety of senatorial meetings (picking an easily-defended temple was probably the best way of doing that, c.f. Cicero, in Cat. 1.1). In the 50sBC, with Pompeius unable to enter the pomerium for most of the decade, an awful lot of senatorial meetings happened outside it. The comitia centuriata, by definition, had to meet outside the pomerium - which means that the election of the most senior magistrates would not be protected either.
In addition, a lot of the pomerium rules regarding imperium and power were broken under Augustus. The tribunician power was used outside of the city, while Augustus did not have to lay aside his imperium when he entered it. It's likely that the wearing of military dress, at least by the imperial house, also went by the board. In addition, I can't imagine that Augustus' bodyguard wore togas - although perhaps as Germans they were immune from the taboo! In short, I think you could probably get away with wearing military uniform within the Trajanic pomerium (wasn't the discussion about Trajan's column?).
blue skies
Tom
Tom Wrobel
email = [email protected]
email = [email protected]
