The Religious World of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
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The Religious World of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus ‘A thesis submitted to the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy’ 2016 Jillian Mitchell For Michael – and in memory of my father Kenneth who started it all Abstract for PhD Thesis in Classics The Religious World of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus This thesis explores the last decades of legal paganism in the Roman Empire of the second half of the fourth century CE through the eyes of Symmachus, orator, senator and one of the most prominent of the pagans of this period living in Rome. It is a religious biography of Symmachus himself, but it also considers him as a representative of the group of aristocratic pagans who still adhered to the traditional cults of Rome at a time when the influence of Christianity was becoming ever stronger, the court was firmly Christian and the aristocracy was converting in increasingly greater numbers. Symmachus, though long known as a representative of this group, has only very recently been investigated thoroughly. Traditionally he was regarded as a follower of the ancient cults only for show rather than because of genuine religious beliefs. I challenge this view and attempt in the thesis to establish what were his religious feelings. Symmachus has left us a tremendous primary resource of over nine hundred of his personal and official letters, most of which have never been translated into English. These letters are the core material for my work. I have translated into English some of his letters for the first time. The thesis is organised in the main thematically, looking at Symmachus’ religious language, pagan religious ritual, the changing religious topography of Rome itself – and the clash with the Christian establishment specifically with Bishop Ambrose of Milan over the Altar of Victory Affair. The last chapter, although still thematic, looks at Late Antique Paganism through a series of personal events in Symmachus’ life; but is also chronological in the sense that it covers the last seventeen years of it. There are six appendixes, tables and illustrations. ii DECLARATION This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed ...Jillian M Mitchell................................................................... (candidate) Date ....30th March 2017.................................................................... STATEMENT 1 This thesis is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. Where correction services have been used the extent and nature of the correction is clearly marked in a footnote(s). Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references. A bibliography is appended. Signed ..........Jillian M Mitchell........................................................... (candidate) Date ..........30th March 2017.............................................................. STATEMENT 2 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed .......Jillian M Mitchell.............................................................. (candidate) Date ......30th March 2017.................................................................. iii STATEMENT 3 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for deposit in the University’s digital repository. Signed ...Jillian M Mitchell.................................................................. (candidate) Date .....30th March 2017.................................................................. NB: Candidates on whose behalf a bar on access has been approved by the University, should use the following version of Statement 2: I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loans after expiry of a bar on access approved by the University of Wales on the special recommendation of the Member Institution concerned. Signed ..................................................................... (candidate) Date ........................................................................ iv Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisory team in the Classics Department of the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David for all the help and guidance they have given me in the creation and writing of this thesis since January 2009. They are Dr Magdalena Öhrman, my current Director of Studies, Doctor Kyle Erickson, Dr David Noy, my Director of Studies from January 2009 to July 2015; and between September 2010 and July 2013, Dr Marta Morcillo. I would also like to acknowledge the contribution to my thesis made at different times by the following academics: Professor Gerd Haverling, University of Uppsala; Dr Augustine Casiday, Dr Kathy Ehrensperger, Professor Mike Edwards, University of Wales, Trinity Saint David; Professor Carlo Pavolini, University of Viterbo; Professor Hugh Denard, Kings College, University of London; Professor Edward James, Emeritus Professor, National University of Ireland; Dr Jon Coulston, University of Newcastle; Dr Susan Fern., Oxford University Centre of Continuing Education. My husband Dr Michael Mitchell has taken many of the photographs and helped with various technical problems of layout. I would also like to acknowledge the help and support of the Library Staff both at Lampeter and especially at the Institute of Classical Studies Library, University of London; and also the many other people who have given me relevant information, advice and support at various times during the period of my thesis studies. v Table of Contents Chapter 1 The Religious World of Quintus Aurelius Symmachus 1 Chapter 2 Literature Review 15 Chapter 3 Symmachus’ Religious Language 30 Chapter 4 Symmachus’ Religious Landscape 72 Chapter 5 Symmachus’ Religious Ritual 126 Chapter 6 Symmachus’ Cult of amicitia 171 Chapter 7 Symmachus and the Religious Crisis 202 Chapter 8 Symmachus and the Twilight of the Gods 238 Chapter 9 Symmachus’ Religious Epitaph 290 Index Locorum 298 Appendixes 301 Bibliography 333 vi Abbreviations BMCR Bryn Mawr Classical Review C Th Codex Theodosianus CIL Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum CCEL Christian Classics Ethereal Library CCSL Corpus Christianorum Scriptorum Latinorum JDAI Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Berlin: De Gruyter JRA Journal of Roman Archaeology JRS Journal of Roman Studies LTUR Lexicon Topigraphicum Urbis Romae NS Not Seen OCD Oxford Classical Dictionary OLD Oxford Latin Dictionary PLRE Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire vii Table of Illustrations and Maps Figure Number Page 1 Stemma of the Symmachi 9 PLRE 1, p 1146 2 Statue Base with Symmachus’ cursus honorum 10 Aurea Roma: Dalla Citta Pagana Alla Citta Cristiana p 464 3 Head of a late fourth century magistrate 12 Photo author 4 Possible Head of Symmachus 13 On Erin Ferucci’s Blog: designsforliving.blogspot/2009_06_01_archive.html 5 Detail from the ‘Apotheosis Diptych’, British Museum 13 Alison Morton blog: alison-morton.com/2015/01/12.roman-cops/ 6 Map of Regions of Rome 73 B Lancon, Rome in Late Antiquity p 8 7 Detail of map of Caelian Hill with Roman streets superimposed 76 L Richardson, A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome p 62 8 Statue base with Virius Nicomachus Flavianus’ cursus honorum 78 Aurea Roma: Dalla Citta Pagana alla Citta Cristiana p 464 9 Inscribed plate with effigies of the Symmachi 80 L Spera, Characteristics of the Christianisation of Space in Late Antique Rome p 124 10 Plan of interior of Domus Symmachorum 81 Aurea Roma: Dalla Citta Pagana alla Citta Cristiana p 150 11 The triclinium of Symmachus’ mansion 84 Aurea Roma: Dalla Citta Pagana Alla Citta Cristiana p 151 12 Opus Sectile tiles from the Villa of the Quintili, Rome 84 Photo author 13 Detail of area of Caelian Hill from map of Rome 86 AA Publishing: City Map of Rome viii 14 Detail of Caelian Hill with Roman streets superimposed showing 88 Castra Peregrina L Richardson, A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome p 62 15 An external view of San Stephano Rotondo 89 Photo M Mitchell 16 A plan of the interior of San Stephano Rotondo with the location of the 89 underground mithraeum marked by M. A Claridge. Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide p345 17 Mithraic altar in San Clemente, Rome 92 Photo M Mitchell 18 Mithraic panel from the mithraeum in Santa Prisca 93 Photo author 19 The Christianisation of the Caelian Hill 94 M Webb, The Churches and Catacombs of Early Christian Rome p 86 20 The ancient arch of Dolabella 96 Photo author 21 The confessio in the Case Romane 98 Photo author 22 Eastern buttress wall of the Temple of Diuus Claudius in Via Claudia 100 Photo author 23 Digital reconstruction of the Colosseum and the Temple of Diuus Claudius 101 www.vroma.org 24 Aerial view of the remains of the Basilica Hilariana 105 www.archeoroma.beniculturi.it 25 View of the excavated Basilica Hilariana 106 Photo M Mitchell 26 The interior of the Basilica Hilariana 106 Photo M Mitchell 27 The pillars of the temple of Venus and Rome 111 www.GreatBuildings.com ix 28 View of the Sacra Via and Arch of Titus 112 Photo M Mitchell 29 Map of the Eastern end of the Roman Forum 113 www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/21511 30 The remains of the temple of Vesta 117 Photo M Mitchell 31 Reconstruction of the temple of Vesta c 400 CE 118 Digital Roman Forum Project 32 The carceres of the circus at Bovillae 135 Photo M