Resumen

POHLMANN, Janira Feliciano. Acclamation and Election as Legitimating Elements of the Exercise of Imperial Power in the Fourth Century A.D.. Scripta Mediaevalia [online]. 2018, vol.11, n.1, pp.71-96. ISSN 1851-8753.

Since the passage of the Republic to the Empire of the Romans, there was the need to restructure and legitimize the way in which a person was raised to the maximum power of the Romans: the imperium. In this article, we related the theoretical and practical aspects elaborated in the fourth century A.D. through the analysis of documents written in this period by agents linked to the imperial power. We emphasize that it was necessary to make changes in the mechanisms of power for preserving the imperial institution. Among the elements of maintenance of imperial power, in this article, we highlight the acclamation and the election of the emperor. We observe that some rituals accompanied the acclaim of some emperors in fourth century A.D. and we know especially the soldiers sustained these rites. We suggest that, through gestures and words, these ceremonies built and announced the relations between the new emperor and those people who legitimize their power.

Palabras clave : Imperial acclamation; Imperial election; Fourth Century A.D.; Alliances; Rites.