Early Roman Empire Essay Sample

Early Roman Life
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Since time immemorial, the written word has not only been used as an art form but also as a means of expression. ‘Roman Inscriptions’ as employed in the modern sense refers to texts engraved on different materials which have subsisted since ancient times. The media used for inscriptions differed greatly and included wood, pottery, glass, papyrus, fresco, stone, wood, metal, fresco, and etcetera. While many roman inscriptions were written in Latin, which was the chief language in Italy and the western provinces, quite a number were inscribed in Greek. This is because Greek was the official language in the regions south and east of the Adriatic as well as much of the eastern Mediterranean world. Comparatively few inscriptions from the Roman Republic exist: the bulk of roman inscriptions belong to the imperial era between Augustus’s reign and the third century. Roman inscriptions can be divided into two groups: formal inscriptions and casual inscription: the first group comprises of dedications to emperors or gods, publications of state deeds, and military diplomas while the latter ranges from private correspondences to graffiti to mundane shopping lists. While few inscriptions from the late Roman period have survived, fewer even exist in the succeeding early medieval period. Inscriptions of the Roman world provide useful details and contribute to our understanding of imperial power in the Roman Empire. They are a welcome supplement to the often meagre literary sources available because they provide particulars of events that have never been recorded by surviving Roman historians. Roman inscriptions attest to the occupations and actions of officials previously unknown and are a valuable resource in the reconstruction of Roman administrative hierarchies and campaigns. Above all, they offer vast amounts of incidental information on the Roman Empire’s organization and political orientation as well as the organization of its army machine.[Natarajan, R, and Rama Reddy. "Social History through Inscriptions: Imprecations of Cuddapah District." Indian Historical Review, 2011.] [Vout, Caroline, and Robin Osborne. "A Revolution in Roman History?" Journal of Roman] [Vasunia, Phiroze. "The Comparative Study of Empires." The Journal of Roman Studies, 2011.] [Cooley, Alison, Stephen Mitchell, and Benet Salway. "Roman Inscriptions 2001–2005." Journal of Roman Studies, 2010.]
A majority of Roman inscriptions contain the abbreviations of the names and titles of Roman Emperors dating from the late first century. Most of these datable inscriptions have contributed greatly to our understanding of imperial power in the Roman Empire by revealing previous unknown facts about the Roman administrative hierarchy and the nomenclature established round the titles of the first emperors. For instance, inscribed coins from the first century reveal that Julius Caesar was the first to adopt the title imperator, a label that was originally awarded to a field magistrate under the Roman Republic to mark success in a battle. Julius Ceasar assumed the label as part of his official title, even positioning it in front of his own name instead of a praenomen. Roman inscriptions show that Augustus followed suit after ascending to office to signify his enduring military power and sovereignty. Augustus also assumed the name Caesar, the Julian family’s surname, by testamentary adoption thereby instituting as a title. The name Augustus was also conferred on or taken by the heirs of the first Augustus. Consequently, the names Caesar and Augustus were employed to legitimize the rule of succeeding emperors and were not to be assumed to refer to the original individuals. Roman inscriptions also show that some emperors took the family names of their forerunners after they had been formally adopted and placed them before their own.[Arnason, Johann. "The Roman Phenomenon: State, Empire, and Civilization." ResearchGate, 2011.] [Stevenson, Tom. "Roman Coins and Refusals of the Title "Pater Patriae"." The Numismatic Chronicle, 2007: 119-141.]
Besides assuming the names of their predecessors, emperors would also use a growing order of titular titles that commemorated significant victories in battle or provinces added to the Empire. This tendency to assume honorary titles began under the Republic by conquering generals and Emperors often made these designations the preserve of their families. For instance, Agustus’s son Drusus took the name Germanicus to celebrate his victory over the Germans. His sons, including the emperor Claudius inherited the title. The latter was even bestowed the title Britannicus after his successful campaign in Britain in AD 43 but he declined it and instead gave it to his infant son. Later engravings show that as the honorary titles became more prolific they lost their meaning as is evident from the titulature of later second century emperors. These honorary titles were also followed by several titles enumerating offices previously held by the incumbent emperor. One of the most familiar roman inscriptions demonstrating the Roman Empire’s desire to force through war other nations to submit to its rule is the arch of Titus which is situated on the line of the Via Sacra and adorned by Latin inscriptions. Unlike the abbreviated coins which have aided modern scholars understand the titles of the emperor and the terminology of victory and power, the inscriptions on the arch are quite easy to read. The arch was erected sometime after the death of the Emperor Titus and was placed on a route frequently passed by emperors and generals celebrating a victory. Inside the arch are curved scenes depicting Titus’s sacking of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and him carrying the spoils including the menorah. The inscriptions on the marble arch illustrate the imperial order and rule as well as the emperor’s determination to lay to w...