Ceremony And Power: Performing Politics In Rome Between Republic And Empire

Synopsis

The Author Is Concerned With The Relationship Between Political Power And Public Ceremonial In The Roman Republic, With Particular Focus On The Critical Months Following Caesar's Assassination And Later As Augustus Became The First Emperor Of Rome. The Book Traces The Use Of A Variety Of Public Ceremonies, Including Assemblies Of The People, Triumphs, Funerals, And Games, As Tools For Politicians In This Period Of Instability And Transition To Shape Their Public Images And Consolidate Their Power And Prestige. Ultimately, The Author Shows That The Will Of The People, Whether They Were The Electorate Assembled At The Comitia, The Citizen Body At The Contio, The Spectators At The Theater, The Crowd At The Triumph, Or Mourners At A Funeral, Strongly Influenced The Decisions And Actions Of Roman Aristocrats. Acknowledgments -- List Of Abbreviations. Introduction: Ceremonial Politics -- Consensus And Conflict: A Typology Of Roman Republican Ceremonial -- Dictator Perpetuo: Public Ceremonial Under Caesar's Dictatorship -- Standing In Caesar's Shadow: The Ides Of March And The Performance Of Public Oratory -- Caesar Ex Machina: Ceremony And Caesar's Memory -- The Arrival Of Octavian And The Ascendancy Of Antonius -- Politics And Public Entertainment (july 44 Bc) -- Rivalry And Reconciliation: Ceremony And Politics From Autumn 44 To The Formation Of The Second Triumvirate -- The Performance Of Politics In The Triumviral Period -- The Princeps As Performer: Creating Court Ceremony -- Conclusion. Notes -- References -- Index -- Plates. Geoffrey S. Sumi. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 329-345) And Index.