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Roman decadence refers to the popular criticism of the culture of the later Roman Empire's elites, seen also in much of its earlier historiography and 19th and early 20th century art depicting Roman life. This criticism describes the later Roman Empire as reveling in luxury, in its extreme characterized by corrupting "extravagance, weakness, and sexual deviance", as well as "orgies and sensual excesses".^[1]^[2]^[3]

Background

Decadence, literally meaning "decline", is the term most commonly used to describe the social decline among the ruling elite of the Roman Empire and is associated with hedonism, irreligion, and immorality.

In art

These characterizations of Rome achieved the height of their prominence in the art and popular culture of the Nineteenth century among European countries such as Britain or Russia.^[4]^[5]

References

^ Hoffleit, Gerald (2014), Landgraf, Diemo (ed.), "Progress and Decadence—Poststructuralism as Progressivism", Decadence in Literature and Intellectual Debate since 1945, New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, pp. 67–81, doi:10.1057/9781137431028_4, ISBN 978-1-137-43102-8, retrieved 2021-07-24
^ Geoffrey Farrington (1994). The Dedalus Book of Roman Decadence: Emperors of Debauchery. Dedalus. ISBN 978-1-873982-16-7.
^ Toner, Jerry (2019), Weir, David; Desmarais, Jane (eds.), "Decadence in Ancient Rome", Decadence and Literature, Cambridge Critical Concepts, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 15–29, ISBN 978-1-108-42624-4, retrieved 2021-07-24
^ Hurst, Isobel (2019-08-22), Desmarais, Jane H.; Weir, David (eds.), "Nineteenth-Century Literary and Artistic Responses to Roman Decadence", Decadence and Literature, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 47–65, ISBN 978-1-108-42624-4, retrieved 2021-07-24
^ Patrick M. House (1996). The Psychology of Decadence: The Portrayal of Ancient Romans in Selected Works of Russian Literature of the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries. University of Wisconsin--Madison.

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[1] Hoffleit, Gerald (2014), Landgraf, Diemo (ed.), "Progress and Decadence—Poststructuralism as Progressivism", Decadence in Literature and Intellectual Debate since 1945, New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, pp. 67–81, doi:10.1057/9781137431028_4, ISBN 978-1-137-43102-8, retrieved 2021-07-24

[Farrington1994-2] Geoffrey Farrington (1994). The Dedalus Book of Roman Decadence: Emperors of Debauchery. Dedalus. ISBN 978-1-873982-16-7.

[3] Toner, Jerry (2019), Weir, David; Desmarais, Jane (eds.), "Decadence in Ancient Rome", Decadence and Literature, Cambridge Critical Concepts, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 15–29, ISBN 978-1-108-42624-4, retrieved 2021-07-24

[4] Hurst, Isobel (2019-08-22), Desmarais, Jane H.; Weir, David (eds.), "Nineteenth-Century Literary and Artistic Responses to Roman Decadence", Decadence and Literature, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 47–65, ISBN 978-1-108-42624-4, retrieved 2021-07-24

[House1996-5] Patrick M. House (1996). The Psychology of Decadence: The Portrayal of Ancient Romans in Selected Works of Russian Literature of the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries. University of Wisconsin--Madison.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Ancient Roman culture}}
-{{Original research|date=January 2009}}
+[[File:THOMAS_COUTURE_-_Los_Romanos_de_la_Decadencia_(Museo_de_Orsay,_1847._Óleo_sobre_lienzo,_472_x_772_cm).jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|''[[The Romans in their Decadence]]'', French painting by [[Thomas Couture]], 1847]]
-{{Cleanup-rewrite|date=May 2009}}
+'''Roman decadence''' refers to the popular criticism of the culture of the [[later Roman Empire]]'s elites, seen also in much of its earlier [[historiography]] and 19th and early 20th century art depicting Roman life. This criticism describes the later Roman Empire as reveling in luxury, in its extreme characterized by corrupting "extravagance, weakness, and sexual deviance", as well as "orgies and sensual excesses".<ref>{{Citation|last=Hoffleit|first=Gerald|title=Progress and Decadence—Poststructuralism as Progressivism|date=2014|url=https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137431028_4|work=Decadence in Literature and Intellectual Debate since 1945|pages=67–81|editor-last=Landgraf|editor-first=Diemo|place=New York|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan US|language=en|doi=10.1057/9781137431028_4|isbn=978-1-137-43102-8|access-date=2021-07-24}}</ref><ref name="Farrington1994">{{cite book|author=Geoffrey Farrington|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I3BoAAAAMAAJ|title=The Dedalus Book of Roman Decadence: Emperors of Debauchery|publisher=Dedalus|year=1994|isbn=978-1-873982-16-7}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Toner|first=Jerry|title=Decadence in Ancient Rome|date=2019|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/decadence-and-literature/decadence-in-ancient-rome/2E26F02C30B6896C842230FDA81F8FA1|work=Decadence and Literature|pages=15–29|editor-last=Weir|editor-first=David|series=Cambridge Critical Concepts|place=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-108-42624-4|access-date=2021-07-24|editor2-last=Desmarais|editor2-first=Jane}}</ref>
-'''Roman decadence''' was the gradual decline in the ancient Roman republican values of family, [[virtus (virtue)|virtus]], and [[Dignitas (Roman concept)|dignitas]] that ultimately led to the decay of Rome.
-According to [[Edward Gibbon]], the root of the decadence may have lain within the political system. Especially mentioned is the lack of clear rules of succession. A significant number of successions involved bribing the army to be elected emperor, and a civil war between different declared emperors. This resulted in higher taxes and frequent destruction that provoked the apathy of the elite.
-==Examples==
+==Background==
+{{main|Fall of the Western Roman Empire}}
-===On a broad cultural level===
+[[Decadence]], literally meaning "decline", is the term most commonly used to describe the social decline among the ruling elite of the Roman Empire and is associated with [[hedonism]], [[irreligion]], and immorality.
-*The increasing popularity of [[orgies]]: in the Roman world, the term orgy did not necessarily contain its modern sexual connotation.{{Fact|date=May 2009}}  It referred to a party of unrestrained indulgence during which guests consumed copious quantities of food and drink to such excesses that they often relieved themselves by vomiting (though not in a room called a [[Roman eating and drinking#Vomitorium|vomitorium]]). {{Fact|date=May 2009}}
+==In art==
-*The increasing extravagance of popular entertainment: exemplified by the inauguration of the [[Colosseum]] under the emperor Titus.  [[Dio Cassius]] said that over 9,000 wild animals were killed in the one hundred days of celebration which inaugurated the amphitheatre opening.
+These characterizations of Rome achieved the height of their prominence in the art and popular culture of the Nineteenth century among European countries such as Britain or Russia.<ref>{{Citation|last=Hurst|first=Isobel|title=Nineteenth-Century Literary and Artistic Responses to Roman Decadence|date=2019-08-22|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/decadence-and-literature/86D3F82D0D84F5407FA07B37CC7641F8|work=Decadence and Literature|pages=47–65|editor-last=Desmarais|editor-first=Jane H.|place=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|language=en|isbn=978-1-108-42624-4|access-date=2021-07-24|editor2-last=Weir|editor2-first=David}}</ref><ref name="House1996">{{cite book|author=Patrick M. House|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cq8IAQAAMAAJ|title=The Psychology of Decadence: The Portrayal of Ancient Romans in Selected Works of Russian Literature of the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries|publisher=University of Wisconsin--Madison|year=1996}}</ref>
+==See also==
-===Barbarian Mercenaries and Christianity===
+*[[Epicureanism]]
-Romans gradually entrusted the role of defending the Empire to barbarian mercenaries who eventually turned on them. Gibbon considered that Christianity had contributed to this, making the populace less interested in the worldly here-and-now and more willing to wait for the rewards of heaven. "The decline of Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of immoderate greatness. Prosperity ripened the principle of decay; the causes of destruction multiplied with the extent of conquest; and as soon as time or accident had removed the artificial supports, the stupendous fabric yielded to the pressure of its own weight," he wrote. "In discussing Barbarism and Christianity I have actually been discussing the Fall of Rome."
+*[[Historiography of the fall of the Western Roman Empire]]
+*[[Messalina]]
+==References==
-===Decadence of the emperors===
+{{Reflist}}
-The following are some allegations raised against the emperors.  Note that many ancient historians did not have the same approach to accuracy as modern historians, and many of these claims may have been made to appeal to the audiences of the day.
+[[Category:Fall of the Western Roman Empire]]
-====[[Tiberius]]====
+[[Category:Culture of ancient Rome|Decadence]]
-According to ancient historians such as [[Lives of the Twelve Caesars|Suetonius]], Tiberius indulged in  cruelty, violent sado-masochism and [[pederasty]] in his reclusive gardens on the [[Island of Capri]].
-====[[Caligula]]====
-Perhaps most infamous of all Roman emperors, Caligula was unstable psychopath and probably suffered from [[epilepsy]].
-When he became emperor, he is said to have had sex with his three sisters, and raped the wives of senators, and declared his favorite horse [[Consul]].
+{{Ancient-Rome-stub}}
-He declared himself a god and had his own image superimposed on statues of deities throughout the empire. Later during his reign, he is said to have created a private brothel in the palace, forcing patrician Roman women to prostitute themselves.
+{{cultural-hist-stub}}
-====[[Claudius]]====
-Emperor Claudius was said to be a drunk and glutton during his long reign.
-Contrary to popular belief, he is said to have had a ruthless streak and enjoyed watching public executions of men and women. He took his own niece [[Agrippina]] as his fourth wife, although throughout time many rulers have married family members.
-====[[Nero]]====
-Nero ascended to power by having his mother [[Agrippina]] stabbed to death. Late in his rule, he is said to have kicked his pregnant wife to death after she criticized his performance at one of his hours-long poetry recitals.
-Suetonius tells us that Nero had numerous sexual perversions, had sex with young boys, forced himself on married women of high nobility and even raping a [[Vestal Virgin]].
-Nero was also an extravagant spender, declaring that, ‘only a miser counted what he spent, while a true gentleman wasted and squandered.’
-To stop the public belief that he had started the [[great fire of Rome]], Nero blamed the devastating fire on the then-marginal eastern sect called [[Christians]]. In many parts of the Roman empire, pogroms broke out against Christians and thousands were arrested.
-Nero then appeased the mobs of the ravaged Rome by having Christians thrown to lions and tigers, crucified and burned alive on stakes in the [[Circus Maximus]].{{Fact|date=May 2009}}
-====[[Elagabalus]]====
-A fourteen-year-old Syrian transvestite who thought himself as a sun god.
-Elagabulus engaged in frequent homosexual activities, such as prostituting himself in drag and marrying an enslaved chariot driver.
-He wasted enormous amounts of money, and supposedly fed his pet lions with pheasants while  complaining that the people of Rome were starving.
-[[Category:Roman Empire]]