Negotiating the Failure of Roman Hegemony: The Experience of Allied Rulers During the Civil Wars (49-30 BCE)

Abstract

This paper addresses how allied rulers experienced the breakdown of the Roman state during the period 49–30 BCE. Starting from the position that the concept of amicitia presents the most appropriate framework for understanding the relationship between allies and Rome, it demonstrates how the outbreak of civil strife posed a dilemma for allies, who increasingly appealed to personal ties of amicitia as a rationale for (in)action. The paper then highlights changes in Roman approaches to allied rulers, arguing that M. Antonius abandoned long-standing Roman practice favouring dynastic continuity in allied kingdoms, preferring personally loyal appointees. Finally, it explores how allies responded to the pressures of civil war with new strategies, intensifying their attempts to cultivate a relationship with powerful Roman imperatores. Consequently, the breakdown of the Roman state encouraged allied rulers to rely on personal contacts with important individuals within the Roman state, culminating finally in the Princeps.

Negotiating the Failure of Roman Hegemony: The Experience of Allied Rulers During the Civil Wars (49-30 BCE)