Resumen de The making of an imperial dynasty: Optatian'S 'carmina figurata' and the development of the Constantinian 'domus divina' (317-326 AD)
One of the most spectacular literary sources for the reign of Constantine the Great has been largely been neglected by modern historical research: During the years 317-326 AD, the Roman senator Publilius Optatianus Porfyrius composed a series of panegyrical pattern poems which were presented as a gift to the emperor Constantine the Great on the occasion of his vicennalia. This collection is the only contemporary textual evidence that allows us closer insight into the development of imperial court culture in these years. The aim of this paper is to carve out what the carmina can tell us about the formation of the Constantinian dynasty as one of the most profound development processes of the aetas Constantini. This requires a detailed analysis of the literary and performative dimensions of Optatian’s carmina figurata.
