Sacral Time in the Political Discourse of the Roman Republic

Affiliation:
Russian State University for the Humanities
RANEPA University
National Research University Higher School of Economics
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

Journal name

ISTORIYA

Edition

Abstract

The paper considers four binary oppositions, which together give a description of the archaic stratum of the Romans’ perception of time: mythological and historical time; sacral and profane; favorable and unfavorable; cyclical and linear. Having religious content, these pairs had a direct relation to political power and its functioning, which is the object of this study. Of particular importance was the division of time into favorable/unfavorable, which was directly related to the most important prerogative of magistrate power — the right to auspicia. It is noted that the political power had wide pow ers to influence the sacral time, subordinating it to the interests of society, because it had a special responsibility for the fulfillment of the duty to the gods. And in this possibility lies one of the remarkable paradoxes of Roman religious thinking, where sincere faith was combined with a significant share of rational pragmatism. Perhaps this behavior was related to the sense of a clear boundary between the world of the gods and the world of men, which was characteristic of the Roman worldview, from which followed a negative attitude to the violation of this boundary on both sides. The influence of the “Roman myth”, which presented Roman successes as the embodiment of the original plan of the gods, the realization of which, accordingly, presupposed close interaction between gods and humans, cannot be ruled out.

Keywords

Roman Republic, religion, perception of time, binary oppositions, time and power, sacred and profane time

Acknowledgment

Project 2019 № 19-18-00549 “Discourse of State Power in Ancient Societies and the Reception of its Elements in World and Russian Socio-Political Practices”, realized at the Russian State University for the Humanities.

Received

08.10.2023

Publication date

27.12.2023

Number of characters

48288

Cite

GOST	Smorchkov A. Sacral Time in the Political Discourse of the Roman Republic // ISTORIYA – 2023. – V. 14. – Issue 12 (134). Part 1 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://history.jes.su/S207987840029433-5-1 (circulation date: 18.05.2024). DOI: 10.18254/S207987840029433-5
MLA	Smorchkov, Andrey "Sacral Time in the Political Discourse of the Roman Republic." ISTORIYA 14.12-1 (134) (2023) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840029433-5
APA	Smorchkov A. (2023). Sacral Time in the Political Discourse of the Roman Republic. ISTORIYA 14(12-1 (134)) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840029433-5

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