Imperial Justice? The Absence of Images of Roman Emperors in a Legal Role

Bibliographic Data

ID9307969
AuthorsOlivier Hekster (Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume70
Issue1
Pages247-260
Publication date2020-04-30
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Classical Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0009-8388 • E-ISSN: 1471-6844
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0009838820000312
OpenAlexW3022526739
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited30

Roman emperors were at the pinnacle of society. They were supreme commanders of the armies, the highest priests and the ultimate source of law and justice. These three roles were made clear to the inhabitants of the empire from the reign of Augustus onwards through a variety of media. Public ceremonies showed emperors leaving the city for campaigns, and returning in triumph, at sacrifice, or sitting in judgement. Inscriptions likewise indicated the main roles of emperors through titulature or narrative. The military and the religious leadership of emperors were also made abundantly clear through public monuments and on centrally issued coinage. Yet, throughout Roman imperial history these last two types of source material are surprisingly silent on the emperors’ legal role

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Economic Justice · Empire · Judgement · Literature · Narrative · Political science · Politics · Reign · Roman Empire · Sacrifice · Supreme court · Classical Antiquity Studies · History · Law