The religion of senators in the Roman Empire

This book examines the connection between political and religious power in the pagan Roman empire through a study of senatorial religion. Presenting a new collection of historical, epigraphic, prosopographical, and material evidence, the author argues that, as Augustus turned to religion to legitimize his powers, senators in turn also came to negotiate their own power, as well as that of the emperor, at least in part in religious terms. In Rome, the body of the senate and senatorial priesthoods helped to maintain its religious power; across the empire senators defined their magisterial powers by following the model of emperors and relying on the piety of sacrifice and benefactions. The ongoing participation and innovations of senators confirm the deep capacity of imperial religion to engage the normative, symbolic, and imaginative aspects of religious life among senators. --Book Jacket.