REPRESENTING THE SEVERAN EMPRESSES Women as Rhetorical Devices in the Narratives of Roman Imperial Historiography Reinier Langerak Student number: 4163176 RMA Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies Utrecht University Supervisor: Dr. Saskia Stevens Second Reader: Dr. Rolf Strootman A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Arts September 2020 Abstract This thesis examines the narrative and rhetorical functions of the Severan empresses – Julia Domna, Julia Maesa, Julia Soaemias, and Julia Mamaea – in the historiographical works by Cassius Dio, Herodian, and in the Historia Augusta. These works have fundamentally shaped our perceptions of the Severan empresses and the Severan era at large. These depictions, however, should not be taken at face value and are, as this thesis aims to show, best understood as rhetorical devices. By placing the depictions of these women in the broader context of the aims of Roman imperial historiography as a genre and the Roman historiographers’ respective narratives and theses, this thesis argues that the characterisations of the Severan empresses were first and foremost determined by their rhetorical functions in the assessments of their male kin – particularly their imperial (grand)sons. The portrayals of the Severan empresses were furthermore formed by subverting the ideal of the Augusta and the official Severan representations of these women, by eastern stereotypes, and earlier historiographical depictions of other imperial women. “And I have met my destiny in quite a similar way, The history book on the shelf, Is always repeating itself” Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson, Waterloo Contents Abbreviations.................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Severan Family Tree .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Historiography .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Method ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1: Roman Historiography, its Machinations, and the Role of Women ..................... 14 1.1 The Development of Imperial Historiography ................................................................................... 14 1.2. History and Biography in Roman Imperial Historiography ........................................................ 15 1.3. Inner Workings, Exempla and Topoi ..................................................................................................... 17 1.4. Manliness as a Virtue ................................................................................................................................... 18 1.5. Concerning Emperors and their Female Kin ..................................................................................... 19 1.6. Going Public: Female Transgressions into the Public Sphere .................................................... 20 1.7. Imperial Women, Imperial Virtues ........................................................................................................ 21 1.8. Imperial Mothers........................................................................................................................................... 24 1.9. Oriental Influence ......................................................................................................................................... 26 1.10. Eastern Rulers and Allegations of Easternness in Roman Historiography ........................ 27 1.11. Gendering the East and its Corrupting Nature ............................................................................... 28 1.12. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 31 Chapter 2: Imperial and Historiographical Narratives ...................................................................... 32 2.1. Imperial Narratives regarding the Severan Empresses ................................................................ 33 2.2. Severan Narratives in Historiography ................................................................................................. 36 2.3. Cassius Dio: A Change in History and in Narrative ......................................................................... 38 2.4. Herodian: Conservative in Beliefs and Style ...................................................................................... 43 2.5. The Historia Augusta: A Narrative of Denominative Determinism .......................................... 46 2.6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 50 Chapter 3: Analysis of the Narrative and Rhetorical Functions of the Severan Empresses in Roman Historiography ................................................................................................................................... 51 3.1. Cassius Dio’s Julia Domna .......................................................................................................................... 51 3.1.1. Domna under Septimius Severus ................................................................................................... 52 3.1.2. Domna under Caracalla ...................................................................................................................... 53 3.1.3. Domna after Caracalla’s death ........................................................................................................ 57 3.2. Herodian’s Julia Domna .............................................................................................................................. 59 3.3. The Historia Augusta’s Julia Domna ...................................................................................................... 62 3.4. Conclusion Julia Domna .............................................................................................................................. 64 3.5. Cassius Dio’s Julia Maesa and Julia Soaemias .................................................................................... 66 3.6. Herodian’s Julia Maesa and Julia Soaemias ........................................................................................ 71 3.7. The Historia Augusta’s Julia Maesa and Julia Soaemias................................................................. 75 3.8. Conclusion Julia Maesa and Julia Soaemias ........................................................................................ 80 3.9. Cassius Dio’s Julia Mamaea ....................................................................................................................... 81 3.10. Herodian’s Julia Mamaea ......................................................................................................................... 82 3.11. The Historia Augusta’s Julia Mamaea ................................................................................................. 87 3.12. Conclusion Julia Mamaea ........................................................................................................................ 91 3.13. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 92 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................... 94 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................................. 97 Primary Sources ..................................................................................................................................................... 97 Literature .................................................................................................................................................................. 98 Pictures ................................................................................................................................................................... 105 ~ 2 ~ Abbreviations Amm. Marc. – Ammianus Marcellinus, History Arist. Eth. Nic. – Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics Aur. Vict. Caes. – Aurelius Victor, History Cass. Dio – Cassius Dio, Roman History Cic. Brut. – Cicero, Brutus Cic. De or. – Cicero, On the Orator Cic. Mil. – Cicero, Pro Milone Cic. Part. Or. – Cicero, A Dialogue Concerning Oratorical Partitions Diod. Sic. – Diodorus Siculus, Library of History Flor. Epit. – Florus, Epitome of Roman History Hdn. – Herodian, History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus Hdt. – Herodotus, Histories Juv. Sat. – Juvenal, Satires Lactant. Div. inst. – Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Livy