Auctoritas

plain.house0188The First Man in Rome, Masters of Rome, Colleen McCullough

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Summary

Roman prestige; contrast with power, imperium

6 words

Connections3

Auctoritas as a tool for political legitimacy in the Optimates and Populares conflict
In the late Roman Republic, the concepts of Optimates and Populares were defined by their competing claims to political legitimacy. Politicians from both factions frequently invoked 'senatus auctoritas' (the authority of the Senate) or their own personal prestige to justify their actions and gain support, making auctoritas a central, albeit contested, element in the political maneuvering between these two groups.
SourcesWikipedia
Auctoritas patrum as a mechanism of patrician control in the Conflict of the Orders
The Conflict of the Orders involved a struggle for political equality between plebeians and patricians. A key instrument of patrician power during this period was the 'auctoritas patrum' (authority of the fathers), a procedural check that allowed patrician senators to approve or block legislation passed by assemblies. The eventual removal of this requirement via the lex Publilia and the lex Hortensia marked significant milestones in the plebeians' success in achieving political equality.
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Auctoritas as a defining trait of Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus
Auctoritas was a fundamental concept in Roman society representing prestige, influence, and moral standing. Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus, as a prominent Roman statesman and leader of the Optimates, embodied this concept through his reputation for integrity and his high-ranking political career, which allowed him to exert significant influence within the Roman Senate.

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