Becoming king(s) in the Mediterranean: maiestas-ideology and the process of Roman 'imperialism' in the late-3rd/early-2nd centuries BCE

Thesis

This thesis analyses the expansion of Roman imperial power in the mid-Republic (c. 264-146 BCE), specifically Roman expansion in the eastern Mediterranean from c. 206. It seeks to present an alternative framework to the aggressive vs defensive polarity that has dominated scholarship by taking an ideological approach. It suggests that the Roman aristocracy by the end of the 3rd century became obsessed with maiestas-ideology: a belief in the superiority of the populus Romanus and desire to have all accept this across the Mediterranean. Ultimately it argues that from c. 206 Roman imperialism within the eastern Mediterranean should be primarily understood as the utilisation of warfare, rhetoric, symbols, historical narratives, religion, and imperial policy to craft, perpetuate, reinforce, and preserve an image of Roman supremacy that was accepted by all. And it resulted in a set of decisions taken by the Roman elite: the bringing of Magna Mater to Rome in 204, the granting of ἐλευθερία to the Greeks in 196 and, critically, the renewal of war with Philip V in 200 by the Roman senate against the will of the broader Roman populus. For it is ultimately argued that the Second Macedonian War has to be seen fundamentally as a manifestation of Roman maiestas-ideology.

Authors: Beattie, C

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-ngzkarg9z
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English