The Senate and People of...........Constantinople?

The Roman Senate was supposedly founded by Romulus to help govern the fledgling city-state. After the overthrow of the Kings in 509 BCE, the Senate became the primary governing body of the newly formed Roman Republic. The constitution of the Roman Republic split the power of the state between the Public assemblies and Senate; this remained in effect until the late Republic. When Octavian became Princeps and ushered in the Empire, he transferred the powers of the assemblies to the Senate. He did this to soothe the egos of Senate, not out of love for the body. Though contrary to popular belief, the Senate still had a good deal of power, and the Consuls were still the highest magistrates in the Empire. Now this is not to say that they were entirely independent of the Emperor, but there are numerous occasions where the Senate took on the then current Emperor and won. Augustus also set up an unequal power system where he governed the more militarized provinces directly, and the Senate received the more peaceful interior provinces. This power agreement technically was still in effect when Emperor Diocletian came to power in 285, but in reality, the power of the Senate had been in steep decline since the death of Gordian III. Diocletian declared that the Senate did not have the authority to govern any provinces outside of the Praefecture of Italy and that the Senate had no authority to choose an Emperor. This declaration practically neutered any façade that the Senate had any input in running the Empire. Any remaining powers of the Senate were given to the Imperial bureaucracy


When Constantine founded his capital on the Bosporus, he created a Senate, this one initially resembled a municipal council more than a successor or equal to the one in Rome. This new Senate was made up of Roman Senators who had estates in the East or who hailed from the region, that Constantine had enticed to live in Constantinople by giving away land and tax breaks. It was not until Constantius II became Emperor that the Senate in Constantinople started to rival its counterpart in Rome. Constantius increased the size of the body to about 2,000 members and offered even more tax breaks.

This Senate was the one that Flavius Arcadius Augustus inherited when he became Emperor in 395. At this point in time the Senate was essentially a municipal body that ran the city and hosted public games. As a political body, they had almost zero impact on the Empire during Arcadius’s reign, but individual Senators did have a significant amount of influence and power. For example, the position of Magister Officiorum, translated as Master of Offices, practically ran the government and was always a Senator. Other important military and civil officials were usually senators as well, but that does not mean they actively participated in the Senate's daily sessions. One could see the Senate of the 4th century being a loose gentlemen’s club rather than a traditional ruling body or legislature. Though the Senate did have the authority to pass legislation before the Emperor that he could adopt and they could collectively act as a consultative body. In the Western Empire, the Senate had a more power and influence over the Emperor, but that is not saying much.

I find it fascinating watching how the Senate evolved over a millennium and how it impacted the Republic then Empire. The truth is that if the Senate in the 4th century, as a collective body, had most of the power that it did during the Republic, then I doubt we would have seen the Eastern Empire weather the storm of the 5th Century or even see the Western Empire get past the 3rd and 4th Centuries. Those tumultuous years required a vigorous and active hand in running the state that could quickly react to threats across the Empire. The Senate just simply couldn’t do that. That is not to say that the Emperors and the bureaucracy were perfect, they were not, but for their time they were what the Roman state needed for survival in an ever-changing world.

Now for the coin!
I had though I purchased this coin earlier in the year, but I was wrong. I quickly fixed that and bought this lil beauty.

AR Siliqua, 1.75 grams, 18.08 mm. Trier. 388-392 AD. Obverse: DN ARCADI-VS PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. Reverse: VRBS-ROMA, Roma seated left on cuirass, holding Victory on globe and inverted spear. Mintmark TRPS in exergue. RIC IX Trier 95c; RSC 25; Sear -. Good very fine.




A bust of Emperor Arcadius

Arcadius as depicted on the Missorium of Theodosius I. Circ 383-390 CE


Sources:
http://byzantinemilitary.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-roman-and-byzantine-senate.html
http://larsbrownworth.com/blog/category/byzantine-senate/

Post your coins of Emperor Arcadius or of anything pertaining to the Roman Senate.

 

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MagMax: EXCELLENT write up, thank you. Fun to read that! Super layout of the Senates' roles...

I assume your OP Coin is a siliqua?

Arcadius:


RI Arcadius AR Siliqua 383-408 CE Roma Seated


RI Arcadius AE2 383-408 CE Emp stdg Standard and Globe

Wife, Empress Aelia Eudoxia:


RI Aelia Eudoxia wife of Arcadius 395-401 CE AE3 2-83g 17mm crowned by hand of God Enthroned Constan mint RIC 79

 

REPUBLIC - Senatus-Consulto:
(I am not even going to waste time on the S-C Empire)


RR Plaetorius Cest 67 BC AR Den Helmtd Diety quiv cornuc S-C Eagle tbolt Sear 349 Cr 409/1 VF


RR Naevius Balbus 79 BCE AR Den Venus SC TRIGA Sulla Sear 309 Cr 382/1


RR L and C Memmius L F Galeria 87 BCE AR Denarius Saturn harpa EX S C Venus Biga Cupid Sear 262 Craw 349/1

 

Thanks bud. I had a blast reading about the Late Roman and "Byzantine" Senate. One day I'll do a write up about the Senate in Rome during the 4th cent.

 

M SERGIUS SILUS ROMAN REPUBLIC
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: EX S C ROMA *, head of Roma right
REVERSE: horseman galloping left with sword & severed head held aloft, Q below horses leg, M SERGI below, SILVS in ex.
Struck at Rome 116 BC
3.66g, 18mm
Syd 534, Cr286/1, Sergia 1

AUGUSTUS
AE Quadran
OBVERSE: SISENNA MESSALLA IIIVIR, altar
REVERSE: APRONIVS GALLVS AAAFF around SC
Rome 5 BC , Moneyers Apronius, Galus, Messalla, and Sisena
3.0g, 17mm
RIC 463 or 200 in Old RIC

 

Cool one MM. Concerning the Senate in Rome, I find it very ironic that it was a barbarian that gave back to the Senate much of its old powers that it had lost over the centuries.

Theodoric, Ostrogothic Kingdom
AR Quarter-Siliqua
Obv: DN ANASTASI[VS PP] AVG, pearl-diademed, draped bust right
Rev: INVICTA-A RO[MA], monogram of Theodoric surrounded by legend, legend separated by cross above, O below
Mint: Rome (struck 491-518 AD)
Ref: BMC 74 ff



The renewed importance of the Senate in the Ostrogothic era was shown on coins, with the reintroduction of the S-C acronym:

Athalaric, Ostrogothic Kingdom
AE decanummium
Obv: INVICT-A ROMA, Roma helmeted, facing right
Rev: D N ATHAL-ARICVS, Athalaric, in military outfit, standing, holding spear and shield, S-C across fields, X in left field
Mint: Rome (struck 526-534 AD)
Ref: BMC 69, COI 85b

 

another nice write up and another nice silequa MM!

here are a couple of related coins, this one from lydia (which was in the senate controlled colony of asia at the time) shows the personification of the senate...




HERMOCAPELIA, LYDIA: TIME OF HADRIAN 117-138 AD
O: Bust of Senate. R: Turreted head of Roma. SNG Cop 165. 17 mm, 2.5 g


and here's my second most recent arcadius pick up....




ARCADIUS, 401-403 AD.
O: DN ARCADIVS PF AVG,Pearl-diademed, helmeted, and cuirassed bust facing slightly right, holding spear and shield. / Constantinopolis enthroned facing, head right, foot on prow, holding scepter and Victory on globe. (CONSA in ex) Constantinople mint. RIC X:85, 17 mm, 3.0 g

 

Congrats on scoring the new coin, Mag-Max (I hope school is going well)

=> here is my sweet ol' Arcadius Siliqua once again ...

 

Great write up & OP coin.
I've yet to photograph any of my Arcadius, need to put it on the "to do" list.

 

Here is the entire Missorium. Such a beautiful peace of art.

Here is also a description of what Emperor Arcadius looked like.
"Body short, thin and sluggish; dark complexion and eyes. Dullness of wit betrayed by speech and by eyes, which always seemed to be in the act of closing."

 

Superb coin and a very thoughtful write-up.

 

Love the way you compose your 'histories'!!

Wonderful coin!!

My sole coin of Arcadius remains unphotographed as well but I'll get to it one of these days.

But I still have this old practice photo of his brother Honorius . Did you know they were the founders and first members of 'Mensa' ?

 

THAT is cool!

 

My other favorite nimrod

 

Cool info and Siliqua @Magnus Maximus! I don't have any Arcadius coins photographed so here are some different busts of the Senate.


Aeolis, Temnos. Pseudo-autonomous Ae25. Senate/Nemeses
Obv: IERA CY-NKLHTOC; Bust of youthful Senate r.
Rev: THM NE ITWN; Two Nemeses standing facing each other, drawing fold of drapery from breasts.
200-250 AD.
25mm, 6.5g.


Phrygia, Synaus. Æ18. Asklepios facing
Obv.: ΘЄOΝ CΥΝ - ΚΛΗΤΟN, draped bust of Senate right.
Rev.: CΥΝΑ - ЄΙΤΩΝ , Asklepios standing facing, raising himation with his right hand and holding serpent-entwined staff in his left hand.
18mm., 3.92 g.
Late 1st Century.


Phrygia, Tiberiopolis. AE18, Cult statue of Artemis Ephesia.
Obv: IERA SYNKLHTOS / Bust of Senate r.
Rev: Cult statue of Artemis Ephesia; stags at sides.

 

Fabulous write up MM, he really did look like a moron, didn't he.

 

Aside from being thin and having a dark complexion, as yours truly is/has , yep he looked pretty pathetic. He was sidelined by his ministers and generals and never really got to rule in his own right. The days of strong Emperors in the that had any capacity to do anything on their own died with Magnus Maximus in 388 in the Western Roman Empire , and Theodosius I in 395 in the Eastern Roman Empire.