Enemies of the Roman Order : Treason, Unrest, and Alienation in the Empire / Ramsay MacMullen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

MacMullen, Ramsay, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Government, Resistance to--Rome.

Government, Resistance to.

Dissenters--Rome.

Dissenters.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (380 p.): 1 Frontispiz

Edition:

2nd printing 1975. Reprint 2014

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, MA : Harvard University Press, [2014]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Preface

Contents

Illustrations

I. Cato, Brutus, and Their Succession

II. Philosophers

III. Magicians

IV. Astrologers, Diviners, and Prophets

V. Urban Unrest

VI. The Outsiders

VII. Conclusion

Appendix A. Famines

Appendix B. Brigandage

Bibliography

Abbreviations

Notes

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

0-674-86496-4

OCLC:

979954099