Victora Romana : The historiography of Roman victory during the Early Empire, from Augustus to Commodus

Sammanfattning

The essay examines the depictions of Roman victory, and the treatment of defeated foes, in Ancient historiography on the Principate, to determine the function served by such depictions. The victories are divided into several categories depending on the fate inflicted on the defeated, and using a theory inspired primarily by Christophe Bouton the examples are then classified according to which historiographical function the example serves, attempting to find a link between the type of victory and its depiction in the source material, and whether the historiographer simply described the events, explained them, or whether it prescribed – or proscribed – the actions of the Roman commander involved. The study further examines the potential impact of when the victory was achieved, by which commander, and against which enemy, and seeks to understand discrepancies between differing accounts of the same events, and what the effect of such differences are. The study finds that, contrary to earlier claims, Roman historiographers did sometimes find it necessary to explain – or even excuse – the harsh violence at times meted out to a defeated foe. It also identifies a change in how victories are depicted over the centuries, and finds a link – albeit faint – between the type of victory and the function served by its depictions. Additionally, it finds discrepancies between expected Roman mores and the promotion of acts contrary to Roman – and Mediterranean – law.