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Der römische Triumph und das Christentum

Überlegungen zur Eigenart eines öffentlichen Rituals
  • Rene Pfeilschifter
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Der römische Triumph in Prinzipat und Spätantike
This chapter is in the book Der römische Triumph in Prinzipat und Spätantike

Abstract

In modern literature and sometimes in the sources the term triumph is used in a loose sense. But not all victory celebrations were triumphs. A triumph proper was the victorious procession of the home-coming general and army through the streets and the jubilant crowds of the capital. The sacrifice to Iuppiter was not at the core of the ritual, and thus Constantine’s omission of the ascension to the Capitol was not the end. The triumph was performed in a secularized form throughout Late Antiquity. Against the scholarly consensus, a christianization of the triumph did not take place. The central elements of abasement of the defeated and of delight at the material gains of the campaign contradicted Christian doctrine. Amounts of booty and rows of captives did not conform to a pious culmination in church, and the humility of an emperor could not find expression in the humiliation of his (mostly Christian) enemies. Other imperial rituals as liturgical processions, ceremonial entries in a city (adventus) and victory celebrations in the hippodrome became more popular. This was not only because of the lacking christianization of the triumph - there was no more Christianity in the spectacles of the hippodrome -, but also for two other reasons: victories became a rare event in the turmoils of the era, and the emperors preferred to stay in their capitals instead of fighting wars in person. Nevertheless, triumphs continued to be celebrated until far into the Middle Byzantine period. It was perhaps Constantine V in the late eighth century who performed the last triumph in the traditional sense. Only in the following century the triumph became obsolete when emperors succeeded in combining their victories with a Christian form of adventus.

Abstract

In modern literature and sometimes in the sources the term triumph is used in a loose sense. But not all victory celebrations were triumphs. A triumph proper was the victorious procession of the home-coming general and army through the streets and the jubilant crowds of the capital. The sacrifice to Iuppiter was not at the core of the ritual, and thus Constantine’s omission of the ascension to the Capitol was not the end. The triumph was performed in a secularized form throughout Late Antiquity. Against the scholarly consensus, a christianization of the triumph did not take place. The central elements of abasement of the defeated and of delight at the material gains of the campaign contradicted Christian doctrine. Amounts of booty and rows of captives did not conform to a pious culmination in church, and the humility of an emperor could not find expression in the humiliation of his (mostly Christian) enemies. Other imperial rituals as liturgical processions, ceremonial entries in a city (adventus) and victory celebrations in the hippodrome became more popular. This was not only because of the lacking christianization of the triumph - there was no more Christianity in the spectacles of the hippodrome -, but also for two other reasons: victories became a rare event in the turmoils of the era, and the emperors preferred to stay in their capitals instead of fighting wars in person. Nevertheless, triumphs continued to be celebrated until far into the Middle Byzantine period. It was perhaps Constantine V in the late eighth century who performed the last triumph in the traditional sense. Only in the following century the triumph became obsolete when emperors succeeded in combining their victories with a Christian form of adventus.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Inhalt IX
  3. Abkürzungen XI
  4. Verzeichnis der Karten XII
  5. Der römische Triumph in Prinzipat und Spätantike 1
  6. Teil 1: Der römische Triumph im frühen Prinzipat
  7. The Late Republican Triumph 29
  8. Die Transformation des Triumphes in augusteischer Zeit 59
  9. Tracht, Insignien und Performanz des Triumphators zwischen später Republik und früher Kaiserzeit 83
  10. Die Triumphe der julisch-claudischen Zeit 103
  11. Teil 2: Der römische Triumph in der hohen Kaiserzeit
  12. Josephus’ Portrait of the Flavian Triumph in Historical and Literary Context 125
  13. Die Dynamik von Herrschaftsdarstellung und Triumphideologie im ausgehenden 1. und frühen 2. Jh. 177
  14. Sieg und Triumph in der Zeit von Antoninus Pius bis Commodus 215
  15. Der Triumph im Dienste dynastischer Politik 255
  16. Die Stadt Rom als triumphaler Raum und ideologischer Rahmen in der Kaiserzeit 283
  17. Turning Victory into Defeat 317
  18. Teil 3: Der römische Triumph im dezentralisierten Imperium
  19. Two Third-Century Triumphal Decennalia (ad 202 and 262) 337
  20. Zwischen Severus Alexanders Triumph über die Sāsāniden im Jahre 233 und den Triumphfeierlichkeiten Diocletians und Maximians im Jahre 303 357
  21. Triumph in the Decentralized Empire 397
  22. Die Triumphatordarstellung auf Münzen und Medaillons in Prinzipat und Spätantike 419
  23. Teil 4: Der römische Triumph in der Spätantike
  24. Der römische Triumph und das Christentum 455
  25. Roma tardoantica come spazio della rappresentazione trionfale 487
  26. The Topography of Triumph in Late-Antique Constantinople 511
  27. The Decline and Fall of the Ancient Triumph 555
  28. Indizes (Namen, Orte, Begriffe, triumphale Inszenierungen) 569
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110448009-018

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Inhalt IX
  3. Abkürzungen XI
  4. Verzeichnis der Karten XII
  5. Der römische Triumph in Prinzipat und Spätantike 1
  6. Teil 1: Der römische Triumph im frühen Prinzipat
  7. The Late Republican Triumph 29
  8. Die Transformation des Triumphes in augusteischer Zeit 59
  9. Tracht, Insignien und Performanz des Triumphators zwischen später Republik und früher Kaiserzeit 83
  10. Die Triumphe der julisch-claudischen Zeit 103
  11. Teil 2: Der römische Triumph in der hohen Kaiserzeit
  12. Josephus’ Portrait of the Flavian Triumph in Historical and Literary Context 125
  13. Die Dynamik von Herrschaftsdarstellung und Triumphideologie im ausgehenden 1. und frühen 2. Jh. 177
  14. Sieg und Triumph in der Zeit von Antoninus Pius bis Commodus 215
  15. Der Triumph im Dienste dynastischer Politik 255
  16. Die Stadt Rom als triumphaler Raum und ideologischer Rahmen in der Kaiserzeit 283
  17. Turning Victory into Defeat 317
  18. Teil 3: Der römische Triumph im dezentralisierten Imperium
  19. Two Third-Century Triumphal Decennalia (ad 202 and 262) 337
  20. Zwischen Severus Alexanders Triumph über die Sāsāniden im Jahre 233 und den Triumphfeierlichkeiten Diocletians und Maximians im Jahre 303 357
  21. Triumph in the Decentralized Empire 397
  22. Die Triumphatordarstellung auf Münzen und Medaillons in Prinzipat und Spätantike 419
  23. Teil 4: Der römische Triumph in der Spätantike
  24. Der römische Triumph und das Christentum 455
  25. Roma tardoantica come spazio della rappresentazione trionfale 487
  26. The Topography of Triumph in Late-Antique Constantinople 511
  27. The Decline and Fall of the Ancient Triumph 555
  28. Indizes (Namen, Orte, Begriffe, triumphale Inszenierungen) 569
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