Power and privilege in Roman society / Richard Duncan-Jones Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Duncan-Jones, Richard, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Rome. Senate--History.

Rome.

Rome. Senate.

Armies.

Cavalry.

History.

Rome--History--Empire, 30 B.C.-284 A.D.

Rome (Empire).

Rome--Politics and government--30 B.C.-284 A.D.

Politics and government.

Rome--Social conditions.

Social conditions.

Rome--Army--Cavalry--History.

Enslaved persons--Rome--History.

Enslaved persons.

Power (Social sciences)--Rome--History.

Power (Social sciences).

Social status--Rome--History.

Social status.

Career development--Rome--History.

Career development.

Local Subjects:

Rome. Senate.

Physical Description:

xii, 229 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, New York : Cambridge University Press, 2016.

Summary:

"How far were appointments in the Roman Empire based on merit? Did experience matter? What difference did social rank make? This innovative study of the Principate examines the career outcomes of senators and knights by social category. Contrasting patterns emerge from a new database of senatorial careers. Although the highest appointments could reflect experience, a clear preference for the more aristocratic senators is also seen. Bias is visible even in the major army commands and in the most senior civilian posts nominally filled by ballot. In equestrian appointments, successes by the less experienced again suggest the power of social advantage. Senatorial recruitment gradually opened up to include many provincials but Italians still kept their hold on the higher social groupings. The book also considers the senatorial career more widely, while a final section examines slave careers and the phenomenon of voluntary slavery"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Part I. Social Status and Senatorial Success

1. Introduction: The senator

2. Social standing and its impact on careers

3. The career ladder at Rome

4. Service overseas

5. Defenders of the empire

6. Influx from the provinces

7. The chronology of the senatorial evidence

8. Career inscriptions and what they leave out

Part II. Equestrian Perspectives

9. Defining the equites

10. The public employment of equites

11. The economic involvements of equites

12. The devaluation of equestrian rank

Part III. The Unprivileged

13. Slavery : the background

14. Slavery as a career

Appendix 1: Scoring systems for senators

Appendix 2: Non-vigintiviri and additional senators

Appendix 3: The duration of army posts

Appendix 4: Details of vigintiviri

Appendix 5: Some senatorial careers

Appendix 6: Early and late priesthoods

Appendix 7: Inventory of senators in the database.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 200-209) and index.

ISBN:

9781107149793

1107149797

OCLC:

948548295