Enemies of the Roman Order: Treason, Unrest and Alienation in the Empire - Softcover

MacMullen, Ramsay

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0415086213 ISBN 13: 9780415086219

Publisher: Routledge, 1992

Synopsis

The Roman empire was a success story. The achievement of such success required a broad consensus in social norms, in ethics and aesthetics to strengthen a distinct way of life. At the same time, however, there were necessarily deviants and deviations from the norm: enemies of the Roman order. Dissidents emerged across societal groupings - from philosophers to the nobility to magicians. Their activities involved active treason, latent disaffection, brigandage, organized protest and cultural deviation. To the extent that these took on a pattern, influenced many lives and occupied the attention of the government itself, they deserve serious examination. Deviants and deviations throw into relief the Empire's success in the face of alternatives and explain how the Roman way of life slowly changed in its central manifestations. Most prominent in the empire's beginnings were the opponents of its new form of government: monarchy. In addition to persons desiring a different, less oppressive government, there were philosophers and preachers proclaiming old wisdom that would serve the purpose of disaffection, even of revolution.

About this title

Product Description

First published in 1966 by Harvard University Press, this is the 1992 Routledge reprint, in paperback, 370pp, ISBN 0415086213. Contents: How did 'non-conformists' within the Roman Empire protest? What made a person 'Roman' or 'un-Roman'? This book presents a comprehensive treatment of the patterns of deviation from views accepted among the dominant groups and classes of the first four centuries of the Empire. These deviations range over a very wide spectrum, from demonstrations in time of famine, among the urban masses, to anti-imperial philosophizing among the most educated elite. Chapters: 1. Cato, Brutus, and Their Succession; 2. Philosophers; 3. Magicians; 4. Astrologers, Diviners, and Prophets; 5. Urban Unrest; 6. The Outsiders; 7. Conclusion; Appendix A: Famines; Appendix B: Brigandage; Bibliography; Abbreviations; Notes; Index

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415086213
• ISBN 13: 9780415086219
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 384