Book contents
- The Roman Emperor and His Court c. 30 BC–c. AD 300
- The Roman Emperor and His Court c. 30 BC–c. AD 300
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations and Conventions
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Hellenistic Influences on Roman Court Culture
- 3 Republican Precursors
- 4 The Imperial Family
- 5 The Roman Aristocracy at Court
- 6 Administration, Finances, and the Court
- 7 Foreign Royals at the Imperial Court
- 8 Domestic Servants in the Imperial Court
- 9 The Imperial Palaces on the Palatine Hill: Architecture as a Reflection of Social Practices and Imperial Authority
- 10 Imperial Villas
- 11 Imperial Journeys
- 12 The Court and Ceremonial
- 13 Dining and Hunting as Courtly Activities in the Roman Empire
- 14 Sexuality and the Court
- 15 Violence and Security at Court
- 16 Religion and Divination at Court
- 17 Performance and Performers at Court
- 18 Literary Patronage and the Roman Imperial Court from Augustus to the Severan Dynasty
- 19 Dress, Adornment, and Self-Presentation
- 20 Epilogue: Continuity and Change at the Roman Imperial Court
- Bibliography
- Index of Personal Names
- General Index
4 - The Imperial Family
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 September 2022
- The Roman Emperor and His Court c. 30 BC–c. AD 300
- The Roman Emperor and His Court c. 30 BC–c. AD 300
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations and Conventions
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Hellenistic Influences on Roman Court Culture
- 3 Republican Precursors
- 4 The Imperial Family
- 5 The Roman Aristocracy at Court
- 6 Administration, Finances, and the Court
- 7 Foreign Royals at the Imperial Court
- 8 Domestic Servants in the Imperial Court
- 9 The Imperial Palaces on the Palatine Hill: Architecture as a Reflection of Social Practices and Imperial Authority
- 10 Imperial Villas
- 11 Imperial Journeys
- 12 The Court and Ceremonial
- 13 Dining and Hunting as Courtly Activities in the Roman Empire
- 14 Sexuality and the Court
- 15 Violence and Security at Court
- 16 Religion and Divination at Court
- 17 Performance and Performers at Court
- 18 Literary Patronage and the Roman Imperial Court from Augustus to the Severan Dynasty
- 19 Dress, Adornment, and Self-Presentation
- 20 Epilogue: Continuity and Change at the Roman Imperial Court
- Bibliography
- Index of Personal Names
- General Index
Summary
Close relatives of the emperor were assumed to be members of his court, unless he took conscious steps to exclude or expel them. A male relative’s position at court could be bolstered with traditional markers of authority including magistracies; female relatives relied on their access to, and relationship with, the emperor to build influence. The scandalous accounts of imperial women in the literary sources attest to the resentment their high status provoked, at least among the elite men who produced such narratives. For the emperor, his relatives were both living symbols of his rule and valuable aides in governing the empire. To wider court circles, Roman society as a whole, and even Rome’s foreign neighbours, members of the imperial family were intermediaries between ruler and subject, sources of patronage and protection, but also active participants in court intrigue. They could secure the dynasty – but they could also destroy it.
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- The Roman Emperor and his Court c. 30 BC–c. AD 300 , pp. 60 - 84Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022
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