Published: 2020-12-17

Regaining the legion’s standards (insignia) lost at Carrhae as used by state propaganda during the reign of Augustus

Łukasz Jończyk Logo ORCID

Abstract

Regaining the legion’s standards (insignia) lost by Crassus as a result of his defeat at Carrhae was widely used in the Roman propaganda during the times of Augustus. The event in question had a rich religious significance in addition to its prestige. Referred to in literature as a factor contributing to the emperor’s glory, as the event was also a prerequisite of and a step towards building the Roman reign without borders. After recovering the standards, the success was celebrated not only in the above-mentioned contexts, but also as a military victory that forced the Parthians into surrendering. The occasion was similarly distinguished in numismatics and iconography, and by means of them promoted the connection of the signa with Mars the Avenger, both due to the character of the god’s veneration and origins thereof. Associating the recovered standards with the god could also involve the fulfilment of Caesar’s obligations and one of his promises.

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Jończyk, Łukasz. (2020). Regaining the legion’s standards (insignia) lost at Carrhae as used by state propaganda during the reign of Augustus. Wieki Stare I Nowe, 15(20), 26–41. https://doi.org/10.31261/WSN.2020.20.02

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Vol. 15 No. 20 (2020)
Published: 2020-12-21


ISSN: 1899-1556
eISSN: 2353-9739

Publisher
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego | University of Silesia Press

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