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A Consequence of Legitimacy: Domitian's Conflict with the Senate, and the Imperial Cult's Conflict with Christianity Paperback – September 24, 2014

by Kevin W Rhodes (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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A Consequence of Legitimacy examines the political interaction between the Roman emperor Domitian, the Roman senate, the province of Asia, the imperial cult, the Jewish population, and the emerging Christian population at the end of the first century AD. Surveying the first century from various points of view, Rhodes offers a fresh perspective on the relationship of Domitian to a persecution of Christians during his reign, an historical perspective that has implications for the date of the New Testament book of Revelation. Historians agree that Domitian and the Senate were in conflict, but they fail to identify the reason why, outside of blaming Domitian's character. However, by considering the nature of this relationship and the political interaction it produced, one can construct a series of spiraling events that held consequences for the Senate, for Domitian, and, though almost wholly unconnected to them, for Christians as well. In the pages ahead, I hope to explain adequately how these events transpired to produce these unintended consequences. The Senate resented Domitian's ascension to the Principate and considered him an illegitimate emperor. Domitian first sought to combat this by establishing legitimacy in those areas where the Senate noted his deficiencies, but he eventually realized that even these efforts would not appease them. Therefore, he sought legitimacy in his own way in a manner that could bypass the Senate and in a way in which they could not compete by approving a new temple for the imperial cult. However, Domitian's answer to his conflict with the Senate created unintentional consequences elsewhere, particularly for Christians in the province of Asia. As a result of Domitian's own attention to the imperial cult, a zealous provincial administration, intent on proving loyalty during an era of distrust-and wanting very much to maintain the economy of the province-used the imperial cult in the manner consistent with that province's culture and in conjunction with the provincial elites to show enthusiastic support for the emperor. This revival and emphasis on ruler cult created a crisis for Christians in Asia. Their lifestyle appeared "Jewish" to Romans, yet they did not have the same religious protections that Jews had historically enjoyed. This allowed the enemies of Christianity, most of whom were Jewish, the opportunity to pressure them, using the laws of Rome, the imperial cult, the culture of the province, and the politics of the local magistrates as the means, just as they had from Christianity's birth. Therefore, while Domitian did not institute a policy of persecution or pressure against Christians directly, his own pursuit of imperial legitimacy led to this consequence in the province of Asia where conditions proved favorable for the enemies of Christians.
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  1. Print length
    220 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    September 24, 2014
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1620809419
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1620809419
  7. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hopkins Publishing; 2nd ed. edition (September 24, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 220 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1620809419
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1620809419
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
9 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Lance Conley
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2019
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this book. It helped me learn quite a lot of information about the reign of Emperor Domitian
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Maggie M
4.0 out of 5 stars Overall intriguing
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2018
Verified Purchase
First off, I think overall this book has an intriguing thesis and the argument is well researched and supported, whether you end up agreeing with all of the author's conclusions or not.
My only gripes with this book are that it's rather repetitive and is structured in a very formulaic, college-level essay, type of way (in his defense, this appears to be his Master's thesis, so I understand the lack of writing experience).But, I also feel like the author didn't decided who his intended audience is for this book - some of it is approachable to non-classicists/ancient historians (he gives a lot of general info on Roman culture that any novice in this field should know), but then clearly uses both Latin and Greek vocabulary and extensively cites and/or refutes secondary sources that would probably not be of interest to the lay reader. This mostly seems confusing to me because this is such a niche topic in the scheme of Roman history, that I imagine only other people who have a background in this subject would be purchasing this book.
(An additional, totally unimportant pet peeve is his flip-flopping between "Dio Cassius" and "Cassius Dio" throughout the book).

Overall, 4 stars. It's a very quick, easy read.
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Ryan Cowan
5.0 out of 5 stars This book broadened my knowledge about Roman society during the ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book broadened my knowledge about Roman society during the time of Christ and the persecution Christians experienced when refusing to engage in emperor worship
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Paul Holland
5.0 out of 5 stars Book Provides starting point for further research.
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2015
Rhodes investigates the relationship between Emperor Domitian and the Roman Senate of his time. The purpose is to consider the nature of the persecution endured by Christians at the end of the first century as it is portrayed in the Apocalypse of John. The author examines how the senate viewed the legitimacy of the emperor and how Domitian worked to establish that legitimacy in his own right. The impact Domitian's policies had in Asia, the home of the seven churches to whom John wrote, is the focus of the last few chapters of Rhodes's book. The author contributes to our understanding of the cultural impact Domitian's policies had on first century Christians and could very well open the door for further studies in this vein - what was the impact in, say northern Africa or Palestine or further west, such as Spain.
4 people found this helpful
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