Book contents
- Emperors and Political Culture in Cassius Dio’s Roman History
- Emperors and Political Culture in Cassius Dio’s Roman History
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Contributors
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Introduction Cassius Dio
- I Imperial and Political Narratives
- Chapter 1 Vox populi, vox mea? Information, Evaluation and Public Opinion in Dio’s Account of the Principate
- Chapter 2 News, Rumour, and the Political Culture of the Roman Imperial Monarchy in the Roman History
- Chapter 3 Literary and Documentary Sources in Dio’s Narrative of the Roman Emperors
- Chapter 4 ‘Now Comes the Greatest Marvel of All!’ (79[78].8.2)
- II Emperors and Biographies
- III Political Groups and Political Culture
- IV Reception and Reflection
- Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 2 - News, Rumour, and the Political Culture of the Roman Imperial Monarchy in the Roman History
from I - Imperial and Political Narratives
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 July 2021
- Emperors and Political Culture in Cassius Dio’s Roman History
- Emperors and Political Culture in Cassius Dio’s Roman History
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Contributors
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- Introduction Cassius Dio
- I Imperial and Political Narratives
- Chapter 1 Vox populi, vox mea? Information, Evaluation and Public Opinion in Dio’s Account of the Principate
- Chapter 2 News, Rumour, and the Political Culture of the Roman Imperial Monarchy in the Roman History
- Chapter 3 Literary and Documentary Sources in Dio’s Narrative of the Roman Emperors
- Chapter 4 ‘Now Comes the Greatest Marvel of All!’ (79[78].8.2)
- II Emperors and Biographies
- III Political Groups and Political Culture
- IV Reception and Reflection
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
In 53.19, Dio discusses the impact that the transition of Rome’s system of government from a Republic to a monarchy under Augustus had for the flow of accurate political news and information. This programmatic section of the Roman History has often been discussed for the insight it provides into Dio’s historical methodology. This chapter takes a complementary perspective on 53.19, examining Dio’s view that the new monarchical government led to the rise of rumour, and the way that this theme plays out in the Roman History at large. It shows that the presence of rumour in Dio’s narrative increases the closer one comes to Octavian assuming sole power, especially during the triumviral period, which is marked by attempts to control channels of news. Dio’s emphasis on rumour in the imperial books, it is argued, reflects the uncertainty engendered by the concentration of political power in the hands of one man, whose real thoughts and intentions always remained inscrutable.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021
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