ATHENA SPITS BLOOD AT ROME, VICTORIA FLEES FROM THE ENEMY: PORTENTA AND IDENTITY IN THE EARLY PRINCIPATE

Abstract

Despite early imperial portenta being largely ignored in secondary literature, the reports of such incidents demand increased scholarly attention. This paper contends that decoding reports of portents from the early empire can give us fundamental insights into key moments of identity negotiation in this period. This paper will primarily focus on two such reports, signs of divine displeasure reported in Athens and in Camulodunum. This paper contends that within such reports we can glimpse complex and contested issues of identity creation and redefinition at intra-local, trans-local, and global levels.