The Emperor and the Army in the Later Roman Empire, AD 235–395

257 Pages·2017·5.58 MB·English

by  Mark Hebblewhite

The Emperor and the Army in the
Later Roman Empire, AD 235–395
With The Emperor and the Army in the Later Roman Empire, AD 235–395 Mark
Hebblewhite offers the first study solely dedicated to examining the nature of the
relationship between the emperor and his army in the politically and militarily
volatile later Roman Empire. Bringing together a wide range of available liter-
ary, epigraphic and numismatic evidence, he demonstrates that emperors of the
period considered the army to be the key institution they had to mollify in order
to retain power, so they consequently employed a range of strategies to keep the
troops loyal to their cause. Key to these efforts were imperial attempts to project
the emperor as a worthy general (imperator) and a generous provider of military
pay and benefits. Also important were the honorific and symbolic gestures each
emperor made to the army in order to convince them that they and the empire
could prosper only under his rule.
Mark Hebblewhite completed his PhD at Macquarie University, Australia, in
2012 and has taught widely in the field of Ancient History. His research interests
centre on the ideology and politics of the later Roman Empire, with particular
reference to the role of the army. He is currently an Adjunct Associate Lecturer at
the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

The Emperor and the Army
in the Later Roman Empire,
AD 235–395
Mark Hebblewhite
First published 2017
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2017 Mark Hebblewhite
The right of Mark Hebblewhite to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-4724-5759-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-61601-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
List of figures vi
Preface x
Selected Roman emperors and usurpers, 235–395 xii
Abbreviations xiv
Introduction 1
1 Dawn of the warrior-emperor 8
2 Advertising military success 33
3 Praemia militiae 71
4 The emperor, the law and disciplina militaris 120
5 Rituals of identity 140
6 Symbols of power 180
Conclusion 215
Bibliography 219
Index 233
Figures
1.1 PHILIP II 13
(obv) M IVL PHILIPPVS CAES, bare-headed and draped,
bust right.
(rev) PRINCIPI IUVENT. S.C. Philip II, in military dress, stg.
R., holding transverse spear and globe. (RIC IV.iii.: n. 255a)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com.
1.2 PHILIP I and II 15
(obv) IMP PHILIPPVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed,
bust right.
(rev) VIRTUS AUGG Philip I and II on horses galloping
r., each raising r. hand, one holding a spear.
(RIC IV.iii.: n. 10)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com.
1.3 CONSTANTIUS II 17
(obv) FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C, laureate, draped and
cuirassed, bust left.
(rev) VIRTVS-CAESS, campgate, five layers, four turrets, open
doors with panels marked by transverse lines or dots. (RIC
VII: Arles, n. 297)
Credit: With permission of Wildwinds.com for deamoneta.com.
2.1 AURELIAN 35
(obv) IMP AURELIANUS AUG laureate, cuirassed, bust right.
(rev) VIRTUS AUG – Mars walking r., holding spear and
trophy. (RIC V.i.: n. 1)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com for Steve Santore.
2.2 GALLIENUS 36
(obv) GALLIENVS P F AVG, radiate, cuirassed, bust left,
holding spear over shoulder and shield on left arm.
(rev) VIRT GALLIENI AUG – Emp. walking r., treading down
enemy. (RIC V.i.: n. 54)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com.
Figures vii
2.3 FLORIANUS 37
(obv) IMP C M ANNIVS FLORIANVS AVG, radiate, draped
and cuirassed, bust right.
(rev) VICTORIA PERPET VA AVG, Victory standing right,
holding palm branch and handing wreath to Florianus
standing left, holding scepter.
Credit: Image courtesy of Classical Numismatic Group Inc.
(www.cngcoins.com).
2.4 GALLIENUS 38
(obv) GALLIENVS P F AVG, radiate and cuirassed,
bust right.
(rev) GERMANICUS MAX V – Trophy between two captives.
(RIC V.i.: n. 18)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com for Steve Santore.
2.5 AURELIAN 40
(obv) IMP C AURELIANUS AUG – Laureate, draped and
cuirassed, bust right.
(rev) PM T BP VII COS II PP, Mars advancing right, holding
spear and trophy. (RIC V.i.: n. 16)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com for Bank Leu AG.
2.6 PROBUS 41
(obv) VIRTUS PROBI AUG – Radiate, helmeted, cuirassed,
bust left, holding spear and shield.
(rev) VIRTVS AVG, Soldier standing left holding Victory and
spear, resting hand on shield. (RIC V.ii.: n. 437)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com for
deamoneta.com.
2.7 CONSTANTINE 45
(obv) CONSTANTI NVS P F AVG, laureate, bust right.
(rev) VICTOR OMNIUM GENTIUM – Emperor in military
dress, stg. l., holding standard, shield set on ground; in front
of him, two suppliants; behind, captive std. on ground. (RIC
VII: Trier, n. 27)
Source: Image courtesy of Classical Numismatic Group Inc.
(www.cngcoins.com).
2.8 MAGNENTIUS 47
(obv) IM CAE MAGN-ENTIVS AVG, bare-headed, draped and
cuirassed, bust right.
(rev) FEL TEMP-REPARATIO, emperor standing left on galley,
holding Victory and Labarum, Victory seated at the helm.
(RIC VIII: n. 260)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com for Roma
Numismatics.
viii Figures
2.9 VALENS 48
(obv) DN VALENS PERF AVG, diademed, draped and
cuirassed, bust right.
(rev) RESTITUTOR-REIPUBLICAE – Emperor stg. facing,
head r., holding Labarum and Victory with cross. (RIC IX:
Antioch, n. 2)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com for Numismatica
Ars Classica.
5.1 TACITUS 151
(obv) IMP C M CL TACITVS P F AVG, laureate, cuirassed, bust
left, with aegis, holding Victory with trophy and parazonium.
(rev) ADLOCVTIO TACITI AVG, Tacitus in military dress,
standing right on low dais, raising hand, being crowned by
Victory, standing behind him holding palm branch; before the
dais, an officer standing right, facing five soldiers standing
left, saluting the emperor; vexillum, legionary eagle and
standard in background. (Gnecchi II, 2)
Source: With permission of wildwinds.com for Numismatik
Lanz, Munich.
5.2 GALERIUS ADLOCUTIO SCENE – ARCH OF GALERIUS
(South pier, east face) 155
Credit: Image courtesy of Bill Leadbetter.
6.1 VALENTINIAN 1 188
(obv) DN VALENTINIANVS PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped
and cuirassed, bust right.
(rev) RESITITVTOR REIPVBLICAE, Emperor standing
facing, head right, holding Victory on globe and Labarum.
(RIC IX: Antioch, 2a)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com for Numismatica
Ars Classica.
6.2 GALLIENUS 194
(rev) LEG 1 ADI VI.P.VI.F (RIC V.I.: n. 315)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com.
6.3 GORDIAN III 198
(obv) IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, laureate, draped
and cuirassed, bust right.
(rev) FIDES MILITVM, S C across field, Fides standing left,
holding standard and sceptre. (RIC IV: 254a)
Credit: Image courtesy of Classical Numismatic Group Inc.
(www.cngcoins.com).
6.4 QUINTILLUS 199
(obv) IMP C M AVR QVINTILLVS AVG, laureate, draped and
cuirassed, bust right.
Figures ix
(rev) FIDES EXERCITI – Fides stg. l., holding two standards.
(Calico 3968)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com for Freeman and Sear.
6.5 DIOCLETIAN 203
(obv) DIOCLETIANVS AVG, laureate, bust right.
(rev) VIRTUS-MILITUM – Three-turreted camp-gate, open; no
doors. (RIC VI: Antioch, n. 37a)
Credit: With permission of wildwinds.com for Freeman and Sear.
6.6 CONSTANTINE 204
(obv) CONSTANTI NVS MAX AVG, laureate (with rosettes),
draped and cuirassed, bust right.
(rev) GLOR-IA EXERCITUS – GLORIA EXERCITVS, two
soldiers, each holding reversed spear and resting on shield,
flanking two standards. (RIC VII: Antioch, n. 86)
Credit: Image courtesy of Classical Numismatic Group Inc.
(www.cngcoins.com).