Clemency & Cruelty in the Roman WorldWhen the Roman democratic republic fell and the monarchical empire rose, a new vocabulary of power was needed to help balance the awesome abilities of the state to inflict harm and the need of its people for individual protection. In Clemency and Cruelty in the Roman World, Melissa Barden Dowling explores the formation of clemency as a human and social value in the Roman Empire, a topic that has been curiously neglected despite its obvious importance to our understanding of Roman society and the workings of the penal system. In this first thorough study of the origins of clemency, Dowling provides a vivid look at the ideology of clemency and new philosophies of mercy and cruelty in Western society, through an examination of ancient art, literature, historical documents, and archaeological artifacts. By illuminating the emergence of mercy and forgiveness as social concepts, and the mechanisms by which peoples are transformed in response to changes in power structures, Dowling makes an important contribution to the study of the ancient Roman world, as well as to modern Western culture. |
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Actium acts of clemency Aeneas Aeneid Antony Antony's Apollo appears Appian assassins Augus Augustan Augustus Augustus's clemency avenger barbarians begging behavior Boscoreale Brutus Caesar Cassius Dio celebrated Cicero citizens civil wars Claudius clemency clementia clementia Caesaris commemorated crime crudelitas cruel cruelty Danaids death defeated demonstrated depicted display elite emperor Empire enemy Ennius ethic execution exile extending clemency father Fronto gods Horace Horace's humanitas imagery imperial clemency interest justice Lepidus Lucius M. B. Dowling mercy Meroë Nero Octavian offered Ovid Ovid's Oxford pardon peace Perusia Photography by M. B. Piso Pliny poem poet political popular princeps propaganda proscriptions punishment Quintilian reign Republic Republican role Rome sarcophagus scene senate Seneca severitas Sextus Sextus Pompey slaves Sosius spared status story Suetonius suggests suppliant Tacitus temple Tiberius Tiberius's tion Trajan triumvirs Turnus Ultor University Press Valerius Valerius Maximus Vergil victory virtue vocabulary καὶ