What was the role of the Roman Army in Imperial Politics? KB2010

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                     AH1011: Introduction to Roman History

What was the role of the Roman Army in Imperial Politics?

The Roman Army undertook major changes after the civil wars in the late Republic which saw the rise Augustus as Emperor. Augustus had set a new precedent; his power had been obtained due to the strength and support of his army.  It acted as a strong and ‘potent political force’ in unstable times and ‘was the backbone of military order’ which needed to be treated and fed well to maintain their loyalty (Garnsey and Saller, 1987, 16, 89). This led to the Roman Imperial Army having an involvement in imperial politics. The extent of this involvement was both a case of change and continuity. For example the Praetorian Guard took a very active role whilst legionaries did not get too involved. This is partially due to the legions being stationed on the frontiers, where by protecting the throne by protecting those frontiers (Southern and Dixon, 1996, 37) and not in Italy -until the second century A.D. at least (Campbell, B. 2002, 108) - where they would be spending twenty-fire years away from the life and activities in Rome. Even so the legions did ‘exercise political power in so far as [Augustus] would fall if they deserted him’ (Campbell, B. 2002, 107). The entire nature of the army’s role imperial politics is a complex issue which sees the role being both minor and yet in one way, the most important aspect in Imperial politics.

        The army’s most obvious involvement in politics comes in the form that the Emperor’s relied upon them to maintain power. Especially after the civil wars of AD 68-69 which showed that a general with the support of the army could seize power. Even if the newly proclaimed Emperor did not receive his titles officially until they were given to him by the Senate, he was still effectively Emperor as soon as his troops proclaimed him so. Most Emperors would receive an acclamation after his primary address to the Praetorian’s or legionnaires with him. This was the sign of military support that the Senate and the upper classes needed in order to then back the Emperor themselves. The man acclaimed was effectively Emperor from the moment that his troops proclaimed him and the Senate’s granting of power and title was just the ‘niceties’ (Campbell, J.D, 1984, 374-6, 381). Even after AD 69, however, the soldiers still remained in the same political standing as before. Despite it being the soldiers who had given him power, Vespasian did not reform the standing of the army in a political sense. They still did not have a direct there was ‘no direct channel of communication’ between the Emperor and the soldiers. (Campbell, B, 2002, 107, 115). ‘The army was not necessarily dominant in the thinking of all Emperors’ (Campbell, J.D, 1984, viii). The soldiers proclaimed the Emperor but then had no say in the running of the Empire. They were not the dominate force in the political life of Rome, they were merely the dominate force in the accession of a leader becoming the centre of the political life.

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The army has been to be the most important problem with which every Emperor had to deal with. He had to take on his full military responsibilities. (Campbell, J.D, 1984, 417) He was the ‘Imperator’, the commander-in-chief of the army and the successes and failures were all attributed to him. With this in mind we can see just why the Emperor’s would go themselves on campaign’s abroad. If they won, they showed that they were a great leader and worthy of being Emperor. If they lost then it would reflect badly, even if power had been delegated. Men might become ...

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