Under Divine Auspices
Divine Ideology and the Visualisation of Imperial Power in the Severan Period

Exploration of the role played by deities in the negotiation of imperial power under the Severan dynasty (AD 193–235).

Clare Rowan (Author)

9781107020122, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 3 January 2013

317 pages, 98 b/w illus.
25.4 x 18 x 2 cm, 0.8 kg

'One of the strengths of [this] book is the way that coinage is interpreted within the broader cultural and visual context. It is a fluent and convincing book with a plethora of hard facts and statistics, and it is hoped that similar detailed numismatic studies of other reigns will be forthcoming. Rowan's [volume] will be very useful to scholars of the Severan period, those engaging with imperial ideology and numismatics more generally.' Alexia Petsalis-Diomidis, The Journal of Roman Studies

This book explores how deities were used to communicate and negotiate imperial power under the Severan dynasty (AD 193–235). Septimius Severus connected his reign to the divine support of Liber Pater and Hercules, while Caracalla placed a particular emphasis on the gods Apollo, Aesculapius and Sarapis. Elagabalus' reign was characterised by the worship of the Emesene deity Elagabal, which resulted in a renewed emphasis on the cult of Jupiter under Severus Alexander. Numismatic evidence is reintegrated into the wider material culture of the Severan period in order to bring new insights into the use of the divine in this period, as well as the role played by the provinces in the formation and reception of this ideology. By taking a dynastic approach, this book demonstrates the dynamic nature of the imperial public image and the complex dialogue that existed between Rome and the wider Empire in this period.

1. Introduction
2. Contextualising a 'foreign' dynasty
3. Septimius Severus, Liber Pater and Hercules
4. Medical tourism and iconographic dialogues in the reign of Caracalla
5. Elagabalus, Summus Sacerdos Elagabali
6. Severus Alexander and the re-founding of Rome
Conclusion: divine ideology in the Severan dynasty
Appendix 1. Silver reverse types from Trajan to Severus Alexander
Appendix 2. Reverse silver dies of the 'stone on quadriga' type of Elagabalus
Appendix 3. List of hoards used.

Subject Areas: Classical Greek & Roman archaeology [HDDK], Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA], History of art: ancient & classical art,BCE to c 500 CE [ACG]