The Making of an Imperial Dynasty. Optatian's 'Carmina Figurata' and The
Originalveröffentlichung in: Giornale Italiano di Filologia 3, 2012, S. 225-265 THE MAKING OF AN IMPERIAL DYNASTY. OPTATIAN'S CARMINA FIGURATA AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONSTANTINIAN DOMUS DIVINA (317-326 AD) Optatian 's Panegyrical Pattern Poerns and the Constantinian Dynasty: The Problern Emperor Constantine I (AD. 306-337) decided surprisingly late 1 to share power with members of his own family • Not until March 1, 31 7, almost eleven years into his reign, did Constantine elevate his two oldest sons Crispus and Constantinus Iunior to the rank of Caesar. The two younger sons followed, Constantius on November 8, 324, and Constans on December 25, 333. On September 18, 335, Constantine also raised Dalmatius to the rank of Caesar, the oldest son of his half-brother Flavius Dalmatius. Important roles within the Constantinian dornus divina were assigned to further fam ily members also quite late. In particular, to his mother. Helena, his half-brothers Flavius Dalmatius and Iulius Constantms, and Hannibalianus, the second son of Flavius Dalmatius. Some of Con stantine's family members were able to assume e.minent p~sitions within the apparatus irnperii, even if they cannot, stnctly speakmg, be 2 described as part of the imperial college • Only the female mem- * I am gratdi.tl 1.o the Herzog August Bibliothck Wolfenbuu.el for permission to publish 1he illustration 1aken from CodR-x Augustar1eus 9 Guelferbytanus. Study of the manu s<.:i-ipts in Bern and Munich, as we ll as the rcproduc1ion, were made possible through 1he generous fin a1Kial support or 1.he Heidelberger Sonderforschung~bereich 619 (' lfou ~ ld y namik') and 933 (' Ma1c1·iale Tex1ku lLUrcn').
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