ABSTRACT

This is the first monograph to examine in detail the Ludi Saeculares (Secular Games) of Septimius Severus and argues that the games represented a radical shift from Antonine imperial ideology. To garner popular support and to legitimise his power, Severus conducted an intensive propaganda campaign, but how did he use the ludi to strengthen his power, and what were the messages he conveyed through them? The central theme is ritual, and the idea of ritual as a process that builds collective identity. The games symbolised the new Severan political and social vision and they embodied the idea of Roman identity and the image of Roman society which the emperor wished to promote. The programme of the games was recorded in a stone inscription and this text is analysed in detail, translated into English and contextualised in the socio-political aims of Septimius Severus.

chapter 1|26 pages

Introduction

chapter 3|22 pages

Organising the Ludi Saeculares

chapter 4|26 pages

The opening night and day

chapter 5|23 pages

Day two

Women take the stage

chapter 6|28 pages

The third night and day

The empire of the sun and the moon

chapter 7|25 pages

The closing acts

The Carmen Saeculare and the Trojan Games

chapter 8|7 pages

Conclusion