In the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

during

Late Antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...

, the ''adventus'' () was a ceremony held to celebrate the arrival () at a city of a Roman emperor or other dignitaries. The imperial ''adventus'' was the period's "ceremonial ''par excellence''", celebrating both the emperor's arrival and the blessing of the imperial presence itself on the city's security. The term is also used to refer to artistic depictions (usually in

relief sculpture Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

, including coins) of such ceremonies. The city would be decorated for the occasion, a public procession would come out of the city to meet and welcome the honorand on the road, and after ritually escorting them into town, a panegyric would be delivered in their honour, followed by a festival and games. Its 'opposite' was the '' profectio''. Besides the emperors, governors of the

Roman provinces The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled ...

and bishops could be received by an ''adventus''. L'ingresso di Gesù a Gerusalemme Codex Purpureus Rossanensis

For an emperor, especially one having newly acceded or usurped power, celebrating an ''adventus'' confirmed the legitimacy of the ruler, demonstrating the consent () of the governed city's people, and the events were reproduced and symbolized in imperial iconography and art. From the time of

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...

's () arrival in Rome after defeating his rival ''

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

'' Maxentius () at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, the ''adventus'' ceremonies of the emperors took on characteristics of the

Roman triumph The Roman triumph (') was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the success of a military commander who had led Roman forces to victory in the service of the state or in some historical tra ...

and were associated with the

triumphal entry into Jerusalem In the accounts of the four canonical Gospels, Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem took place in the days before the Last Supper, marking the beginning of his Passion, his time of suffering, death, and resurrection celebrated during H ...

by Jesus of Nazareth described in the gospels of the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

Christian relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

were sometimes also honoured with an ''adventus'' ceremony during a

translation Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...

to a city. The two major elements of the ''adventus'' were the rituals of and . The ( or ) consisted of the ritual procession to meet the approaching honorand on the road; the size, composition, and distance from the city of the welcoming party was determined by the guest's rank and status. Then, the was the festive escort of the honorand into the city. The delivery of panegyric in honour of the occasion and in praise of the arrival was an enduring fixture, as were acclamations, hymns, poetry, music, lights, decorations and

incense Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also b ...

. Religious shrines would be visited ''en route'', and afterwards a banquet was probably held. For comparable ceremonies in

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

and Early Modern Europe, sometimes employing consciously 'Roman' iconology, see royal entry.

References

External links

Panel Reliefs of Marcus Aurelius and Roman Imperial Iconography
Processions in ancient Rome Roman Empire sculptures Military of ancient Rome Ceremonies {{AncientRome-stub

See also

References

External links