Triumvirate and Principate
*Introduction
MorethanthirtyyearsafteritspublicationThe Roman Revolutionstillstands
unrivalled, not as the ‘‘definitive’’ account of the emergence of a monarch
fromtheruinsoftheRepublicbutassomethingfarmorethanthat,thedem-
onstration of a new method in the presentation of historical change.The
aspectofthismethodwhichhasfoundmostimitationis,ofcourse,proso-
pography;anditisindeedessentialtoit.Butfarmoreimportantistheuse
madeofcontemporaryliteraturetomirrorevents,andtoanalyseanddefine
theconceptsandthetermsinwhichtheeventswereseenbythosewholived
throughthem.
It is the common characteristic, perhaps even the definition, of great
worksofhistorythattheyinviteimitationandofferachallenge,notjustto
apply their methods and standards to otherareas, but to pursue theirown
conclusionsfurther.Thepresentchapterisgratefullyofferedasanattemptto
portraywithadifferentemphasissomeaspectsoftheestablishmentofOcta-
vianasamonarch,firstbydemonstratingtheextenttowhichtheinstitutions
*FirstpublishedinJRS():–.Anearlierversionofthischapterwasgiven
ataresearchseminarinBerkeleyintheautumnof,andpartofamorerecentversion
attheScuolaNormaleSuperioreatPisainJanuary.Itisofferedherefirstandfore-
mostasatributetoSirRonaldSyme;secondlyasanattempttomakesomepreliminary
remarksabouttheunpublishedTriumviraldocumentsfromtheexcavationsbyProfessor
KenanErimatAphrodisias,whichMissJ.M.Reynoldshasverykindlyallowedmetouse;
and thirdlyas the last of a series of preliminary studies towards a book to be calledThe
Emperor in the RomanWorld.Iammostgratefulforcriticalcomment(andgeneraldisagree-
ment)toProfessorsE.BadianandG.W.BowersockinHarvardandA.D.Momiglianoand
E.GabbainPisa,andtoMissReynoldsforgenerousadviceandassistance.[Thenotehas
beenleftasitstoodin.The Emperor in the Roman Worldwaspublishedin,andJ.M.
Reynolds,Aphrodisias and Romewaspublishedin.]