ABSTRACT
Sources of the ideological power of Roman emperors were first and foremost a permanent potential for victory, and also dynastic claims, divine associations, and acceptance by the military forces, the bureaucracy, and the higher orders in society. Imperial representation advertised the qualities and achievements of the emperors, by texts and images on the imperial coinage, buildings, inscriptions on monuments, and rescripts to petitioners. Contemporary authors considered the quality of the emperor quintessential for any monarchical government to be good. In imperial representation the five core virtues of equity, piety, courage/manly virtue, generosity, and forethought/care defined the ethical profile of a good Roman emperor. The Severan dynasty emphasized dynastic claims and divine associations next to military glory but after 235 a militarization of imperial representation was visible. From 238 to 284 the number of coins that emphasize the military virtus and victoria of the emperors rose steeply. At the same time aequitas (equity) was depicted less often. In the third century approximately every other coin showed the emperor as someone who would bring military glory and peace, and the image of the emperor in a cuirass became dominant on imperial coins. After 235 Roman imperial dynasties were short-lived – one or two generations. Nonetheless the emperors kept stressing dynastic continuity. In some cases dynastic claims were strong enough to get infant emperors on the throne. After 235 relations with the senate and people of Rome and traditional religious practices connected with the city of Rome became less important, and the emperors became less visible through rescripts and impressive civilian buildings, whereas acceptance by the military became the dominant factor in creating new emperors and keeping them on the throne. Divine associations and dynastic claims did not counterbalance this development. The emperors became completely dependent on the favor of the armies and on their own military success.
