The Tetrarchy as Ideology

The 'Tetrarchy', the modern name assigned to the period of Roman history that started with the emperor Diocletian and ended with Constantine I, has been a much-studied and much-debated field of the Roman Empire. Debate, however, has focused primarily on whether it was a true 'system' of government, or rather a collection of ad-hoc measures undertaken to stabilise the empire after the troubled period of the 3rd century CE. The papers collected here aim to go beyond this question and to present an innovative approach to a fascinating period of Roman history by understanding the Tetrarchy not as a system of government, but primarily as a political language. Their focus thus lies on the language and ideology of the imperial college and court, on the performance of power in imperial ceremonies, the representation of the emperors and their enemies in the provinces of the Roman world, as well as on the afterlife of Tetrarchic power in the Constantinian period.

Autorentext
Filippo Carlà-Uhink is Professor for Ancient History at the University of Potsdam and a specialist in Roman history (especially 3rd-4th c. CE), cultural history of the ancient world, and classical reception studies. Christian Rollinger is Reader for Ancient History at the University of Trier, and specialises in the social and cultural history of the Roman republic, the history of ancient monarchies (especially hellenistic and late Roman), and classical reception studies.

Klappentext

The 'Tetrarchy', the modern name assigned to the period of Roman history that started with the emperor Diocletian and ended with Constantine I, has been a much-studied and much-debated field of the Roman Empire. Debate, however, has focused primarily on whether it was a true 'system' of government, or rather a collection of ad-hoc measures undertaken to stabilise the empire after the troubled period of the 3rd century CE. The papers collected here aim to go beyond this question and to present an innovative approach to a fascinating period of Roman history by understanding the Tetrarchy not as a system of government, but primarily as a political language. Their focus thus lies on the language and ideology of the imperial college and court, on the performance of power in imperial ceremonies, the representation of the emperors and their enemies in the provinces of the Roman world, as well as on the afterlife of Tetrarchic power in the Constantinian period.

Zusammenfassung
"This rich and bold volume offers a fresh perspective on Tetrarchic studies. [...] In conclusion, Carlà-Uhink and Rollinger have produced a remarkable work collecting papers of particularly high quality." Lea Niccolai Bollettino di Studi Latini 53, 2023 20230701