The Roman Emperor and his Court c. 30 BC–c. AD 300
Historical Essays and A Sourcebook

A thorough history of the Roman imperial court and a collection of the ancient sources central to its study.

Benjamin Kelly (Edited by), Angela Hug (Edited by)

9781108423618, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 October 2022

860 pages
25.1 x 17.5 x 5.6 cm, 2.12 kg

At the centre of the Roman empire stood the emperor and the court surrounding him. The systematic investigation of this court in its own right, however, has been a relatively late development in the field of Roman history, and previous studies have focused on narrowly defined aspects or on particular periods of Roman history. This book makes a major contribution to understanding the history of the Roman imperial court. The first volume presents nineteen original essays covering all the major dimensions of the court from the age of Augustus to the threshold of Late Antiquity. The second volume is a collection of the ancient sources that are central to studying that court. The collection includes: translations of literary sources, inscriptions, and papyri; plans and computer visualizations of archaeological remains; and photographs of archaeologic sites and artworks depicting the emperor and his court.

Volume I: 1. Introduction Benjamin Kelly
2. Hellenistic influences on Roman court culture Rolf Strootman
3. Republican Precursors Jaclyn Neel
4. The Imperial family Angela Hug
5. The Roman aristocracy at court Ryan Wei and Benjamin Kelly
6. Administration, finances, and the court Caillan Davenport and Benjamin Kelly
7. Foreign royals at the Imperial Court Dennis Jussen
8. Domestic servants in the Imperial Court Jonathan Edmondson
9. The Imperial Palaces on the Palatine Hill: Architecture as a reflection of social practices and imperial authority Jens Pflug and Ulrike Wulf Rheidt
10. Imperial villas Michele George
11. Imperial journeys Helmut Halfmann
12. The court and ceremonial Caillan Davenport
13. Dining and hunting as courtly activities in the Roman Empire Matthew B. Roller
14. Sexuality and the court E. Del Chrol and Sarah H. Blake
15. Violence and security at court Benjamin Kelly
16. Religion and divination at court Fanny Dolansky
17. Performance and performers at court Sarah H. Blake
18. Literary patronage and the Roman Imperial Court from Augustus to the Severan Dynasty Neil W. Bernstein
19. Dress, adornment, and self-presentation Kelly Olson
20. Epilogue: Continuity and change at the Roman Imperial Court Olivier Hekster
Volume II: 1. Conceptualizing the Roman court Benjamin Kelly
2. Court spaces Benjamin Kelly and Michele George
3. Relationships Angela Hug, Benjamin Kelly and Neil W. Bernstein
4. Rituals and ceremonial Caillan Davenport, Matthew B. Roller and Fanny Dolansky
5. Picturing the court Olivier Hekster, Kelly Olson, Angela Hug and Robyn Gillam
6. Narratives of court crises Angela Hug and Benjamin Kelly.

Subject Areas: Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA]