A Consequence of Legitimacy examines the political
interaction between the Roman emperor Domitian, the Roman senate, the province
of Asia, the imperial cult, the Jewish population, and the emerging Christian
population at the end of the first century AD. Surveying the first century from
various points of view, Rhodes offers a fresh perspective on the relationship
of Domitian to a persecution of Christians during his reign, an historical
perspective that has implications for the date of the New Testament book of
Revelation.
Historians agree that Domitian and the Senate were in conflict, but they fail
to identify the reason why, outside of blaming Domitian's character. However,
by considering the nature of this relationship and the political interaction it
produced, one can construct a series of spiraling events that held consequences
for the Senate, for Domitian, and, though almost wholly unconnected to them,
for Christians as well.
In the pages ahead, the author hopes to explain adequately how these events
transpired to produce these unintended consequences. The Senate resented Domitian's
ascension to the Principate and considered him an illegitimate emperor.
Domitian first sought to combat this by establishing legitimacy in those areas
where the Senate noted his deficiencies, but he eventually realized that even
these efforts would not appease them. Therefore, he sought legitimacy in his
own way in a manner that could bypass the Senate and in a way in which they
could not compete by approving a new temple for the imperial cult.
However, Domitian's answer to his conflict with the Senate created
unintentional consequences elsewhere, particularly for Christians in the
province of Asia. As a result of Domitian's own attention to the imperial cult,
a zealous provincial administration, intent on proving loyalty during an era of
distrust-and wanting very much to maintain the economy of the province-used the
imperial cult in the manner consistent with that province's culture and in
conjunction with the provincial elites to show enthusiastic support for the
emperor.
This revival and emphasis on ruler cult created a crisis for Christians in
Asia. Their lifestyle appeared "Jewish" to Romans, yet they did not
have the same religious protections that Jews had historically enjoyed. This
allowed the enemies of Christianity, most of whom were Jewish, the opportunity
to pressure them, using the laws of Rome, the imperial cult, the culture of the
province, and the politics of the local magistrates as the means, just as they
had from Christianity's birth. Therefore, while Domitian did not institute a policy
of persecution or pressure against Christians directly, his own pursuit of
imperial legitimacy led to this consequence in the province of Asia where
conditions proved favorable for the enemies of Christians.
208 pages
