Ceremonial and Protocol
Ceremonial and Protocol
Chapter 9, the first of three chapter on ritual and ceremonial, considers aspects of etiquette and protocol. The chapter focuses on the (1) ceremonial that regulated access to the person of the king, and (2) on ceremonial that was instrumental in the creation of group cohesion among the philoi. Special attention is given to the ‘great events’ of the court: the festivities that attracted representatives of local and regional polities to the imperial centre. During festive occasions such as birth and wedding ceremonies, the household temporarily expanded to include an ‘outer court’—a ritualized contact zone that facilitated communication and negotiation between centre and periphery, and the (re)distribution of status, power, and wealth. The pivotal event of various festivities was the ritual banquet—presumably following sacrifice—which was the focal point for the distribution of honours and status gifts. The collective participation in aulic ceremonial by representatives of local elites furthermore augmented imperial integration. Monumentalized ritual spaces such as the Alexandrian palace district, or the processional way and sanctuaries at Pergamon, facilitated this kind of collective action.
Keywords: Ceremonial, Feasting, Hunting, Audience, Court protocol
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