The Meaning of Pax

This chapter examines the semantic range of the concept of pax, considering its place in the Roman imaginary alongside ‘associated concepts’ (particularly concordia , otium , bellum , and victoria ). The traditional Republican meaning and uses of the term pax are examined in a variety of contexts (contemporary prose, poetry, historical writings, numismatics, and religious dimensions) in order to establish more precisely the conceptualization and meaning of pax within the conventional political language of the Republic. Whilst pax was used to describe a usually unequal relationship of power with either the gods or other civic entities, as well as interpersonal relations, it did not conventionally have a strong political presence in Roman thought prior to the first century BC.

Art · Conceptualization · Epistemology · Linguistics · Literature · Meaning (existential) · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Classical Antiquity Studies · History · Organic Chemistry Synthesis Methods · Philosophy