Gianni, Gaia, The Goddess Feronia and the Enslaved Communities in Republican Roman Italy, 3-28

Abstract: This paper analyzes the distinctive association enslaved communities in peninsular Italy made with the goddess Feronia. In particular, the paper collects and focuses on all known votive inscriptions to Feronia found in Roman Italy. The analysis of the inscriptions shows that many dedicators were freed or enslaved individuals. Literary evidence also supports that the enslaved community had a connection to Feronia; in particular, a passage from Servius speaks of a now lost inscription which alludes to an ‘extra-legal’ manumission ceremony taking place in Feronia’s temple. This hypothesis is explored and weighed against similar stories of manumission without legal sanction.

Morrell, Kit, P. Clodius Pulcher and the Praetorship That Never Was, 29-57

Abstract: According to Cicero, Clodius had been a candidate for the praetorship of 53 BCE suo anno but deferred his candidacy when the elections were excessively delayed. In an influential paper, Badian argued that Clodius’ proper year was 52 and that Cicero was guilty of misrepresentation. By reviewing the evidence and the workings of the lex annalis, this paper makes the case that Clodius did indeed postpone his praetorship, in order to have more time to pursue his legislative programme. That in turn has implications for our understanding of Clodius the politician and of the place of legislation in Roman politics.
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Schultz, Celia E. / McIntyre, Gwynaeth, A Re-evaluation of the So-Called Fulvia Coinage, 58 - 85

Abstract: It has long been debated whether portraits of the goddess Victory on a handful of coins dated to the triumviral period and minted in Rome, Gaul, Asia Minor, and North Africa portray the goddess in the likeness of Fulvia, wife of the triumvir Marcus Antonius. No one has yet laid out the basis for the whole argument one way or the other, despite the importance of these coins for our understanding of the development of Roman imperial portraiture, the relationship between provincial and imperial authorities following Caesar’s assassination, the extent of female involvement in triumviral politics and in statements of dynastic power, and Fulvia’s own role in setting precedents for the imperial women of Rome. This article reviews the claims made about the coins and the evidence on which they are based, concluding that there is no compelling reason to identify the woman on the coins as Fulvia.

Blidstein, Moshe, Oaths as a Medium for Inter-Communal Contact in the Roman Empire, 86-108

Abstract: In antiquity and beyond, oaths between parties were usually sworn by a divinity both believe in. However, oaths could also be sworn between members of different religious communities. This poses several problems: by what divinity will the parties swear? How can one party trust another’s oath? By what ritual will the oath be sworn? What does such an oath mean for the parties’ religious identities and power relations? This article will survey Roman, Jewish and Christian texts (1–3 cent. CE), in search of evidence for oaths between private parties to outline possible responses to these questions.
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Ortving Lindholmer, Mads, Questioning the Historicity of the Second Usurpation of Maximus of Spain, 109-127

Abstract: This article argues that the second usurpation of Maximus of Spain is an illusion: I argue that only the Chronica Gallica 452, not Consentius’ letter (Aug. Ep. 11*), could potentially function as evidence for this event. However, this chronicle mentions only one usurpation by Maximus, while being highly unreliable and riddled with chronological errors. Consequently, it is most likely that the chronicler has simply misdated the “first” usurpation. This is supported by a consideration of the historical context. This rejection of Maximus’ “second” usurpation has significant consequences for our evaluation of Spanish history in the 410s and Honorius’ later reign.