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Raising Emperors on Shields
#16
Quote:I had a quick look through the inscriptions that mention Maurus as a name though, and the vast majority of them come from North Africa, Numidia and Hispania Baetica, with a few in Rome that look like freed slaves.

This is what I expected (I was going by the literary evidence in my statements on Maurus before), since it seems it was a common Roman practice, especially for slaves, to name people after their origin. Funny anecdote: My Latin textbook in school back then had a main character called Lydia, a female slave from - Lydia. :cheer:


As for Machamaeus, or Makamaios as he appears in the Greek text of Zosimus, his name may be more unusual, he is the only one with that name in the PLRE e.g.
But actually, I don't see much Barbarian in his name, at least it almost certainly is not of Germanic origin...
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[Image: regnumhesperium.png]
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#17
Quote:
ValentinianVictrix post=327548 Wrote:Might I suggest that raising an 'Emperor' on a shield was possibly only performed on those who were taking the purple by means other than legitimate succession, and with the implicite support of the army?
The lack of legitimacy of many of the pretenders raised on a shield has been noted already. It is not a rule though, as some were legal and clear in the line to become Emperor (as clear as it could get, that is): Valentinian, Anastasius, Justin I and II e.g.
There may be a developement though, as the ritual seems to have become a regular part of imperial inaugurations by the 5th century.
The lack of legitimacy is of course one point, but I would like to stress to strct military nature of this ceremony. One does not raise a new emperor on a shield to wave to the amassed citizens, but to the army. Therefore, I guess we a re looking for purely military ceremony (but one which may not signify illegitimacy!) and which may have been practised not only when a new emperor was created by the army 9which of course was not legitimate), but may also have been part of a ceremony in which a legal sucession had taken place?

This ceremony may indeed have been Germanic in origin but may have spread, like the barritus, the draco, the fulcum and so many other Northern influences, to the Roman army.
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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