Institute for Medieval Studies

Session	1209
Title	Political Authority in Late Antiquity, III: Political Authority - Rome and After
Date/Time	Wednesday 6 July 2022: 14.15-15.45
Sponsor	Postgraduate & Early-Career Late Antiquity Network
Organiser	Nicola Holm, Department of Classics, Ancient History, Religion & Theology, University of Exeter
Moderator/Chair	Nicola Holm, Department of Classics, Ancient History, Religion & Theology, University of Exeter
Paper 1209-a	Symmachus' Relationes and the Limits of Imperial Authority (Language: English) Ben Kybett, Independent Scholar, York Index Terms: Administration; Language and Literature - Latin; Political Thought
Paper 1209-b	Visions of Authority in the Reign of Theodosius II (Language: English) Henry Anderson, Department of Classics, Ancient History, Religion & Theology, University of Exeter Index Terms: Ecclesiastical History; Politics and Diplomacy
Paper 1209-c	Clothar I and the Limits of Authority in Post-Roman Societies (Language: English) Peter H. Johnsson, Independent Scholar, Toronto Index Terms: Gender Studies; Political Thought
Abstract	This session explores the limits of political authority in the late Roman and early medieval worlds; the relationship between the political centre and those who worked for or under the emperor was in flux. The first paper, (Kybett) discusses the Relationes of Symmachus and how these demonstrate the limits on imperial authority over the senatorial aristocracy of Rome. The second paper (Anderson) considers the different existing narratives of authority that surround the reign of Theodosius II and how these are either privileged or silenced depending on the chosen readings. The final paper (Johnsson) explores the reign of Clothar and the various notions of authority between male gender and the imperial office.