Power and Privilege in Roman Society [Hardcover]

Explores the impact of social standing on the careers of senators and knights in the Roman Empire.Were high appointments in the Roman Empire based on merit or on social standing? Some strong social biases emerge from this innovative study which uses a specially compiled database. There was considerable aristocratic preference in both army and civilian commands, and the higher equestrian posts suggest similar patterns.Were high appointments in the Roman Empire based on merit or on social standing? Some strong social biases emerge from this innovative study which uses a specially compiled database. There was considerable aristocratic preference in both army and civilian commands, and the higher equestrian posts suggest similar patterns.How far were appointments in the Roman Empire based on merit? Did experience matter? What difference did social rank make? This innovative study of the Principate examines the career outcomes of senators and knights by social category. Contrasting patterns emerge from a new database of senatorial careers. Although the highest appointments could reflect experience, a clear preference for the more aristocratic senators is also seen. Bias is visible even in the major army commands and in the most senior civilian posts nominally filled by ballot. In equestrian appointments, successes by the less experienced again suggest the power of social advantage. Senatorial recruitment gradually opened up to include many provincials but Italians still kept their hold on the higher social groupings. The book also considers the senatorial career more widely, while a final section examines slave careers and the phenomenon of voluntary slavery.Part I. Social Status and Senatorial Success: 1. Introduction: the senator; 2. Social standing and its impact on careers; 3. The career ladder at Rome; 4. Service overseas; 5. Defenders of the empire; 6. Influx from the provinces; 7. The chronology of the senatorial evidence; 8. Career inscriptions and what they leavlÍ