Introduction

Welcome to the website of the research Project “Dialogues of the Roman Empire: Processions and the construction of empire”.

Here you will find epigraphical and papyrological sources for studying processions related to Hellenistic kings and Roman emperors. Our main interest is to gather all the inscriptions and papyrological texts which document the presence of statues (or any other symbol) of the rulers in processions all over the Mediterranean from the fourth century BC to the third century AD.

Statues (or symbols) stood for the actual rulers and offered the most accurate image of kings and emperors that most of their subjects would ever get. The role of these statues and of processions in general in the life of the inhabitants of the Hellenistic kingdoms and the Roman empire, therefore, was of the highest order. Our aim is to provide the readers with a tool to study the public image of power and, more specifically, the way in which processions contributed to construct and exert power.

The website gives access to the sources, providing as much information as possible: original texts, translations, keywords, and bibliography. The site is under construction, and more sources are to be added regularly. We welcome any feedback you may have on a particular source, as well as any suggestion concerning sources that need to be added.