ABSTRACT

Now that the army demanded to be led by an active and successful imperator, the emperor was forced to ‘advertise’ his military virtues above all else. This chapter will assess the new message of military legitimacy the emperor used to try to persuade the army that he was a worthy imperator. This message was primarily conveyed by two mechanisms. The first was coinage, on which emperors could highlight martial qualities and link them to their ability to achieve victory (victoria). These messages were now conveyed more frequently and more expressively than ever before. The second mechanism was imperial titulature, a flexible medium that allowed an emperor to literally connect his name with military success. Both mechanisms highlighted actual victories and allowed the emperor to make aspirational claims of military prowess.