Kept in the Dark: Narratives of Imperial Seclusion in Late Antiquity

Abstract

This paper explores the role of imperial accessibility in late-antique panegyric and historiography, focusing on the late 4th and early 5th centuries. In particular, it discusses complaints about increased imperial seclusion in the works of Pacatus, Synesius, Ammianus Marcellinus, the Historia Augusta biographer, and others. These authors and orators developed the image of the princeps clausus: the aloof, secluded ruler who dwells at the heart of a highly ceremonious court and stands under the influence of malicious eunuchs. Although this image is highly exaggerated, it reflects genuine elite concerns. Whereas the “good” emperors of the Principate had been relatively accessible to members of the senatorial class, allowing them to compete for imperial favour and hence to gain power and status, the imperial court of Late Antiquity emphasized the social distance between the monarch and elite groups. At the same time, a new class of professional courtiers gained power and prestige from their proximity to the emperor. This prompted anxiety in senatorial aristocrats and other elites that their ties to the emperor were under pressure, potentially leading to a loss of influence and social status.