The ludi saeculares of Septimius Severus : the ideologies of a new Roman Empire /
This is the first monograph to examine in detail the ludi saeculares (secular games) of Septimius Severus and argues that the games represented a radical shift from Antonine imperial ideology. To garner popular support and to legitimize his power, Severus conducted an intensive propaganda campaign b...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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London ; New York :
Routledge,
[2017]
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| Summary: | This is the first monograph to examine in detail the ludi saeculares (secular games) of Septimius Severus and argues that the games represented a radical shift from Antonine imperial ideology. To garner popular support and to legitimize his power, Severus conducted an intensive propaganda campaign but how did he use the ludi to strengthen his power, and what were the messages he conveyed through them? The central theme is ritual, and the idea of ritual as a process that builds collective identity. The games symbolized the new Severan political and social vision and they embodied the idea of Roman identity and the image of Roman society which the emperor wished to promote. The program of the games was recorded in a stone inscription and this text is analyzed in detail, translated into English and contextualized in the socio-political aims of Septimius Severus. Jussi Rantala is a researcher at the University of Tampere, Finland. His main research interests include questions of religion, ritual, representation, identity and historiography in the Roman Empire. |
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| Physical Description: | xiv, 205 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781138290143 1138290149 |