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Bad Emperors on the Rise: Negative assessments of imperial investitures, AD 284–395

Published/Copyright: November 26, 2012
Klio
From the journal Klio Volume 94 Issue 2

Abstract

In this article, the author examines how imperial investiture rituals, which normally served to boost the prestige of aspiring rulers, could be turned against them by hostile authors. In their descriptions, these authors deviated from the ideal patterns to make imperial candidates look bad or ridiculous. The focus is on the period AD 284–395. Three cases are analyzed in detail, namely those of Maximinus Daia (AD 305), Jovian (AD 363) and Procopius (AD 365), followed by an analysis of negative descriptions of investitures in late antiquity in general. Contrary to accounts from the principate, when criticism focussed on a candidate’s immoral behaviour during his investiture, negative descriptions from the late third and fourth centuries also put great emphasis on uninspired acclamations and the use of improper attributes to signal that someone was/would be a bad ruler. Thus authors not only questioned a candidate’s morality, but his legitimacy as well.

Keywords: Investitur; Usurpation; Historiographie
Published Online: 2012-11-26
Published in Print: 2012-11

© by Akademie Verlag, Berlin, Germany

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Auf unsicherem Boden: Zur epigraphischen Evidenz von Erdbeben
  2. La vittoria di Serse in Grecia. Problemi, testimonianze, ipotesi
  3. De anfiarao el adivino a Filipo el Médico: mántica y medicina en Acarnania
  4. Demetrio, un antico autore di Argolika: a proposito dello xoanon di Era a Tirinto
  5. Persia, Alexander the Great and the Kingdom of Asia
  6. The Aftermath of the Apamean Settlement: Early Challenges to the new Order in Asia Minor
  7. Los herederos de Artabazo. La satrapía de Dascilio en la tradición de la dinastía Mitridátida
  8. Im Gewebe der Geschichte(n). Memoria, Monumente und ihre mythhistorische Vernetzung
  9. Hänge ihn an den Baum des Unheils (Liv. 1,26,11) – das Kreuz in römischen Hochverrats-Prozessen
  10. Tribunus legionis IIII (Italicae)? – Zu einer Notiz in der Historia Augusta und zur Vita des Maximinus Thrax vor seiner Kaisererhebung
  11. Bad Emperors on the Rise: Negative assessments of imperial investitures, AD 284–395
  12. Elvio Vindiciano: aspetti storici
  13. Literaturkritik
https://doi.org/10.1524/klio.2012.0023
Keywords for this article
Investitur; Usurpation; Historiographie

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Auf unsicherem Boden: Zur epigraphischen Evidenz von Erdbeben
  2. La vittoria di Serse in Grecia. Problemi, testimonianze, ipotesi
  3. De anfiarao el adivino a Filipo el Médico: mántica y medicina en Acarnania
  4. Demetrio, un antico autore di Argolika: a proposito dello xoanon di Era a Tirinto
  5. Persia, Alexander the Great and the Kingdom of Asia
  6. The Aftermath of the Apamean Settlement: Early Challenges to the new Order in Asia Minor
  7. Los herederos de Artabazo. La satrapía de Dascilio en la tradición de la dinastía Mitridátida
  8. Im Gewebe der Geschichte(n). Memoria, Monumente und ihre mythhistorische Vernetzung
  9. Hänge ihn an den Baum des Unheils (Liv. 1,26,11) – das Kreuz in römischen Hochverrats-Prozessen
  10. Tribunus legionis IIII (Italicae)? – Zu einer Notiz in der Historia Augusta und zur Vita des Maximinus Thrax vor seiner Kaisererhebung
  11. Bad Emperors on the Rise: Negative assessments of imperial investitures, AD 284–395
  12. Elvio Vindiciano: aspetti storici
  13. Literaturkritik
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