Maternal Megalomania

Julia Domna and the Imperial Politics of Motherhood

Inbunden, Engelska, 2013

AvJulie Langford,Julie (University of South Florida) Langford

859 kr

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Ancient authors emphasize dramatic moments in the life of Julia Domna, wife of Roman emperor Septimius Severus (193-211). They accuse her of ambition unforgivable in a woman, of instigating civil war to place her sons on the throne, and of resorting to incest to maintain her hold on power. In imperial propaganda, however, Julia Domna was honored with unprecedented titles that celebrated her maternity, whether it was in the role of mother to her two sons (both future emperors) or as the metaphorical mother to the empire. Imperial propaganda even equated her to the great mother goddess, Cybele, endowing her with a public prominence well beyond that of earlier imperial women. Her visage could be found gracing everything from state-commissioned art to privately owned ivory dolls. In Maternal Megalomania, Julie Langford unmasks the maternal titles and honors of Julia Domna as a campaign on the part of the administration to garner support for Severus and his sons. Langford looks to numismatic, literary, and archaeological evidence to reconstruct the propaganda surrounding the empress.She explores how her image was tailored toward different populations, including the military, the Senate, and the people of Rome, and how these populations responded to propaganda about the empress. She employs Julia Domna as a case study to explore the creation of ideology between the emperor and its subjects.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2013-09-18
Mått152 x 229 x 21 mm
Vikt454 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor232
FörlagJohns Hopkins University Press
ISBN9781421408477

Tillhör följande kategorier

Romarna inom Historia och arkeologi
Europas historia inom Historia och arkeologi
Forntidens historia inom Historia och arkeologi
Biografi: historia, politik och försvar inom Biografier
Relationer inom Halsa och familj

PrefaceIntroductionJulia Domna Who?Carving Out a NicheSeveran Dynastic Propaganda and Julia Domna1. Not Your MommaProblematizing Julia Domna as the Mater CastrorumWomen and the MilitaryFaustina the Younger: The Mother of All Mothers of the CampThe Military and the Domus Augusta: All in the Family?Severus and the Mater Castrorum TitleSeverus, the Military, and Julia DomnaAbout Face!Conclusion2. Romancing the RomansJulia Domna and the Populus RomanusThe Nature of the SourcesThe Princeps and the PlebsThe Roman Populace, Public Demonstrations, and Divine InspirationSeveran Propaganda and the Urban PlebsRoman Matrona, Mother, and ProtectressSeverus, the Populus Romanus, and the CollegiaAnd Julia Domna?But What Does It All Mean?3. Mater Senatus, Mater PatriaeJulia Domna as Senatorial SaviorNatural Rivals: Imperial Women and the SenateSeverus's SenateCreating Consensus in the Senate: Wooing, Marginalizing, and ExterminatingNegotiating Dynasty: Maternal Megalomania and Senatorial SubversionsJulia Domna in Cassius DioModerating Maternal MegalomaniaConclusionIdeological CrisisOn the Dangers of Taking Ideology Too SeriouslyAppendix A: Hoard Details of the Severan Hoard Analysis Database by Clare RowanAppendix B: Frequency of Julia Domna Coin Types in Hoards around the MediterraneanAppendix C: Dating the Mater Senatus, Mater Patriae TitlesNotesBibliographyIndex

Using contemporary and later literary sources and artifacts such as imperial coins and monument inscriptions produced during the Severan dynasty, Langford questions Empress Julia Domna's power and influence in Severan politics. Choice Provocative and original... Langford's conclusions are daring and... mark out significant new territory in the study of the political culture of the High Empire. -- Adam Kemezis Bryn Mawr Classical Review In just 123 pages, Langford adds a new dimension to the proliferation of texts about Rome's first third-century empress. -- Ryan Ricciardi New England Classical Journal