Veterum principum exempla superare: un motiv retoric și ideologic în epigrafia, istoriografia și oratoria latină târzie

Abstract

: Vererum principum exempla superare : A rhetorical and ideological motif in late Latin epigraphy, historiography and oratory . Our contribution analyzes an ideological and rhetorical motive present in the late Latin epigraphy, historiography and oratory of pagan orientation that can be subsumed to the formula veterum principum exempla superare. It reflects the desire assumed by the late emperors and the apparatus of the Court to find a model, ideal emperor, whose virtues and deeds correspond and surpass not only those of the great personalities of the royal and republican history of Rome, but especially those of the sovereigns of the early Empire; in other words, a new opti mus princeps. Those who made the epigraphic dedications, the authors of the his-torical writings and the oratories used relatively similar procedures: formulas such as su per om nes principes, super omnes prio res principes, om nes re tro p rinci-pes, super omnes retro prin cipes, om ni um retro principes ; words to the superlative degree ( indulgentissimus , fortissi mus , felicissimus piissimus clementissimus pro videntissimus invictissimus no bilissimus vic toriosissimus