Representation of the Legitimacy of Imperial Power in the Roman Empire

Abstract

This article is devoted to the analysis of ideas about the legitimacy of imperial power in the Roman Empire. Particular attention is paid to the understanding of legitimacy in the imperial period of Roman history and, in particular, Late Antiquity. The conclusion is made about the "broad" and somewhat "blurred" idea of the legitimacy of the imperial power in the Roman Empire, about the discrepancy between the modern term "legitimacy" and the ancient understanding. The elements and components of legitimacy, its main sources, institutions and ways of giving legitimacy to the new emperor who ascended the throne are presented. It is shown how the image of the legitimate emperor was inscribed in the image of the empire. Of the institutions, special attention is paid to the army as one of the most significant institutions in the election and approval of the new emperor. Methods for recognizing imperial power by referring to the "divine" principle: pagan gods, and, subsequently, to Christianity, are also considered. The reasons for the process of loss of legitimacy by the rulers of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD are analyzed. The transfer of legitimacy from political institutions and the empire to a single emperor, characteristic of the Roman political consciousness, is shown.