DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18096#0309
AFRICA UNDER THE LATER EMPERORS
A.D. 244-254
the long list of Emperors who crossed the stage in rapid
succession towards the decline of the Empire, many may be
regarded as puppets in the hands of a faction ; others were
tested with the purple by accident rather than by the deliberate
of the people, while a few were mere implements at the
^sposal of a corrupt and undisciplined army. The short rule
°^ a few months accorded to many of them prevented their
*aking an active part in administrative affairs outside the walls
°^ Rome, or finding opportunities for visiting any of the great
Pr°vinces of the Empire. Although Africa was an unknown
c°Untry to some, yet their names, honoured or dishonoured,
^ay be found recorded on stone or marble in nearly every part
j this great colony. To some of the Emperors are accorded a
array of superlative epithets, which the greatest of the
*sars in the better days of the Empire would have hesitated to
Accept; while to others are given the customary titles that
dltion had assigned to the Caesar of the day. In testimony
the change which had taken place since the days of Augustus,
c°rnparison may be made between the titles accorded to that
^rcat Emperor and those adopted by such an unworthy repre-
ntative of the line of Caesars as Philip the Arab, who
generously murdered Gordian III., and ruled for five years
re as a military adventurer than as guardian of the interests
^. a great Empire. But fortune favoured his career far beyond
^eserts. The thousandth anniversary of the foundation of
t^0rne A-C 753 was commemorated shortly after he came to the
^ 0ne, and consequently festivities on an unusual scale were
d in every city and town of the Empire. This is partly
(je^Wn by the large number of inscriptions of that period
lcatcd to the Emperor and his wife, as well as to his son
A.D. 244-254
the long list of Emperors who crossed the stage in rapid
succession towards the decline of the Empire, many may be
regarded as puppets in the hands of a faction ; others were
tested with the purple by accident rather than by the deliberate
of the people, while a few were mere implements at the
^sposal of a corrupt and undisciplined army. The short rule
°^ a few months accorded to many of them prevented their
*aking an active part in administrative affairs outside the walls
°^ Rome, or finding opportunities for visiting any of the great
Pr°vinces of the Empire. Although Africa was an unknown
c°Untry to some, yet their names, honoured or dishonoured,
^ay be found recorded on stone or marble in nearly every part
j this great colony. To some of the Emperors are accorded a
array of superlative epithets, which the greatest of the
*sars in the better days of the Empire would have hesitated to
Accept; while to others are given the customary titles that
dltion had assigned to the Caesar of the day. In testimony
the change which had taken place since the days of Augustus,
c°rnparison may be made between the titles accorded to that
^rcat Emperor and those adopted by such an unworthy repre-
ntative of the line of Caesars as Philip the Arab, who
generously murdered Gordian III., and ruled for five years
re as a military adventurer than as guardian of the interests
^. a great Empire. But fortune favoured his career far beyond
^eserts. The thousandth anniversary of the foundation of
t^0rne A-C 753 was commemorated shortly after he came to the
^ 0ne, and consequently festivities on an unusual scale were
d in every city and town of the Empire. This is partly
(je^Wn by the large number of inscriptions of that period
lcatcd to the Emperor and his wife, as well as to his son