Gratian as optimus princeps – the Literary Image of “an Ideal Emperor” in Gratiarum actio ad Gratianum Imperatorem by D.M. Ausonius and the Laudatio in Gratianum Augustum of Q.A. Symmachus

Abstract

Ausonius and Symmachus addressed their speeches to the emperor Gratian, the son of Valentinian I. Ausonius included in his gratiarum actio two praises of the young emperor in order to express his gratitude for the consulate he received; Symmachus delivered his laudatio in honour of the ruler at a meeting of the Roman senate. In their speeches both authors showed not so much a real image of Gratian as an individual but rather a literary creation of optimus princeps. Gratian is presented as an ideal that is artificial in its perfection: he loses his individual and true characteristics and appears to be pasted into a panegyric-propaganda scheme based on literary convention as well as the slogans of imperial state ideology. In this article we aim to present the literary image of Gratian as “an ideal emperor”, which emerges from both laudatory speeches, as well as to point out the literary devices, motifs, panegyrical techniques and ideological topoi used in its creation.

Keywords

• Decimus Magnus Ausonius
• Quintus Aurelius Symmachus
• Flavius Gratianus Augustus
• Roman laudatory prose of the 4th century AD
• orationes