Book contents
- The Roman Emperor and His Court c. 30 BC–c. AD 300
- The Roman Emperor and His Court c. 30 BC–c. AD 300
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations and Conventions
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Hellenistic Influences on Roman Court Culture
- 3 Republican Precursors
- 4 The Imperial Family
- 5 The Roman Aristocracy at Court
- 6 Administration, Finances, and the Court
- 7 Foreign Royals at the Imperial Court
- 8 Domestic Servants in the Imperial Court
- 9 The Imperial Palaces on the Palatine Hill: Architecture as a Reflection of Social Practices and Imperial Authority
- 10 Imperial Villas
- 11 Imperial Journeys
- 12 The Court and Ceremonial
- 13 Dining and Hunting as Courtly Activities in the Roman Empire
- 14 Sexuality and the Court
- 15 Violence and Security at Court
- 16 Religion and Divination at Court
- 17 Performance and Performers at Court
- 18 Literary Patronage and the Roman Imperial Court from Augustus to the Severan Dynasty
- 19 Dress, Adornment, and Self-Presentation
- 20 Epilogue: Continuity and Change at the Roman Imperial Court
- Bibliography
- Index of Personal Names
- General Index
2 - Hellenistic Influences on Roman Court Culture
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 September 2022
- The Roman Emperor and His Court c. 30 BC–c. AD 300
- The Roman Emperor and His Court c. 30 BC–c. AD 300
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface and Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations and Conventions
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Hellenistic Influences on Roman Court Culture
- 3 Republican Precursors
- 4 The Imperial Family
- 5 The Roman Aristocracy at Court
- 6 Administration, Finances, and the Court
- 7 Foreign Royals at the Imperial Court
- 8 Domestic Servants in the Imperial Court
- 9 The Imperial Palaces on the Palatine Hill: Architecture as a Reflection of Social Practices and Imperial Authority
- 10 Imperial Villas
- 11 Imperial Journeys
- 12 The Court and Ceremonial
- 13 Dining and Hunting as Courtly Activities in the Roman Empire
- 14 Sexuality and the Court
- 15 Violence and Security at Court
- 16 Religion and Divination at Court
- 17 Performance and Performers at Court
- 18 Literary Patronage and the Roman Imperial Court from Augustus to the Severan Dynasty
- 19 Dress, Adornment, and Self-Presentation
- 20 Epilogue: Continuity and Change at the Roman Imperial Court
- Bibliography
- Index of Personal Names
- General Index
Summary
Historians have voiced quite different opinions about the influence that the royal courts of the Hellenistic east had on the development of the Roman imperial court. This chapter considers this question, emphasizing the methodological challenges involved in identifying when one court has influenced another. After an outline of the major characteristics of the Hellenistic empires and the courts at their hearts, the focus is on the similarity of the problems faced by Hellenistic and Roman imperial leaders in the eastern Mediterranean, and on the two functions of the court that developed in response to this diversity: the court as a centre for the production of imperial, ‘cosmopolitan’ culture and as an instrument of elite integration. The chapter argues that Hellenistic influence on Roman court culture should be seen primarily in the Roman adoption of Hellenistic forms of court ritual and ideology.
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- The Roman Emperor and his Court c. 30 BC–c. AD 300 , pp. 16 - 34Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022