This Thesis Has Been Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for a Postgraduate Degree (E.G
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. THE ROLES OF IMPERIAL WOMEN IN THE LATER ROMAN EMPIRE (AD 306-455) Belinda Washington Doctorate of Philosophy The University of Edinburgh 2015 Signed Declaration I hereby declare that that this thesis is entirely my own composition and work. It contains no material previously submitted for the award of any other degree or professional degree. Belinda Washington 1 CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................. 7 MAIN TEXTS USED AND LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS AND TABLES ........................................................... 8 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 12 PART ONE CONTEXT .................................................................................................................. 19 CHAPTER ONE ROLE MODELS: EARLIER IMPERIAL WOMEN .............................................................. 20 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 20 1.1 NOMENCLATURE ............................................................................................................... 21 1.1.1 Honourable Women: Octavia and Livia .................................................................... 22 1.1.2 Augusta ................................................................................................................... 23 1.1.3 Other Honours ......................................................................................................... 27 1.1.4 Posthumous Honours .............................................................................................. 29 1.1.5 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 31 1.2 COINAGE ......................................................................................................................... 32 1.2.1 Numismatic Evidence .............................................................................................. 32 1.2.2 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 35 1.3 PATRONAGE ..................................................................................................................... 36 1.3.1 Acts of Building Patronage ...................................................................................... 37 1.3.2 Other Forms of Patronage ....................................................................................... 40 1.3.3 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 42 1.4 TRAVEL ........................................................................................................................... 43 1.4.1 Imperial Itineraries ................................................................................................... 43 1.4.2 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 46 1.5 LITERARY PORTRAITS ........................................................................................................ 47 1.5.1 Positive Portraits ..................................................................................................... 48 1.5.2 Negative Portraits .................................................................................................... 51 1.5.3 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 53 1.6 EXILES AND VIOLENT DEATHS ............................................................................................. 53 1.6.1 Loss of Imperial Protection ...................................................................................... 54 1.6.2 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 56 1.7 CHAPTER CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 56 CHAPTER TWO LATE ANTIQUE SURVEY ......................................................................................... 60 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 60 2 2.1 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW ...................................................................................................... 61 2.1.1 From Dyarchy to Tetrarchy to Dyarchy (284-324) ..................................................... 61 2.1.2 The Constantinian Dynasty and Jovian’s Reign ...................................................... 64 2.1.3 The Valentinianic Dynasty ....................................................................................... 69 2.1.4 The Valentinianic-Theodosian Dynasty ................................................................... 72 2.1.5 The Theodosian Dynasty and Immediate Successors .............................................. 76 2.1.6 Conclusion.............................................................................................................. 86 2.2 NOMENCLATURE ............................................................................................................... 87 2.2.1 Augusta .................................................................................................................. 87 2.2.2 Nobilissima Femina ................................................................................................. 91 2.2.3 Aelia ....................................................................................................................... 92 2.2.4 Literary Attestations: Augusta and Regina .............................................................. 93 2.2.5 Conclusion.............................................................................................................. 95 2.3 MATERIAL EVIDENCE: COINAGE AND EPIGRAPHY ................................................................... 96 2.3.1 Coinage .................................................................................................................. 97 2.3.2 Epigraphy ............................................................................................................. 101 2.3.3 Conclusion............................................................................................................ 103 2.4 PATRONAGE................................................................................................................... 104 2.4.1 Building Patronage ............................................................................................... 104 2.4.2 Other Forms of Patronage ..................................................................................... 113 2.4.3 Conclusion............................................................................................................ 115 2.5 LOCATIONS .................................................................................................................... 115 2.5.1 Constantinian Locations ....................................................................................... 116 2.5.2 Valentinianic Locations ......................................................................................... 117 2.5.3 Theodosian Locations ........................................................................................... 119 2.5.4 Burials .................................................................................................................. 121 2.5.5 Conclusion............................................................................................................ 123 2.6 CHAPTER CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 124 PART TWO CASE STUDIES ........................................................................................................ 126 CHAPTER THREE POSITIVE PORTRAITS OF IMPERIAL WOMEN .......................................................... 127 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 127 3.1 WOMEN IN PANEGYRICS ................................................................................................... 129 3.2 JULIAN’S PANEGYRIC TO EUSEBIA. ...................................................................................