A New Perspective on the Early Roman Dictatorship, 501-300 B.C.

According to sources writing during the late Republic, Roman dictators exercised supreme authority over all other magistrates in the Roman polity for the duration of their term. Modern scholars have followed this traditional paradigm. A close reading of narratives describing early dictatorships and an analysis of ancient epigraphic evidence, however, reveal inconsistencies in the traditional model. The purpose of this thesis is to introduce a new model of the early Roman dictatorship that is based upon a reexamination of the evidence for the nature of dictatorial imperium and the relationship between consuls and dictators in the period 501-300 BC. Originally, dictators functioned as ad hoc magistrates, were equipped with standard consular imperium, and, above all, were intended to supplement consuls. Furthermore, I demonstrate that Sulla's dictatorship, a new and genuinely absolute form of the office introduced in the 80s BC, inspired subsequent late Republican perceptions of an autocratic dictatorship.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Kansas

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Easton, Jeffrey Adam

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Corbeill, Anthony

• Classical studies
• Ancient history
• Ancient languages
• Roman administration
• Roman dictatorship
• Roman magistracy
• Roman republic

Statement dc:rights

• This item is protected by copyright and unless otherwise specified the copyright of this thesis/dissertation is held by the author.

Language dc:language.iso

EN

Dc Identifier Other

http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:10907

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/6422