Dominat

The Dominat is the second of the two phases of government of old the Roman Empire, which lasted of 285 (approximately), until the official date of the fall of the Western Empire in 476.

Etymology

The term comes from the Latin dominus ( main compared to the slave): it is the man in front of whom the inhabitants of the empire are regarded only as slaves. At that time appear indeed for the first time on the parts and in imperial titulature the words Dominus noster , " our maître".

Principat with the dominat

The first phase of the imperial government, the Principat, finished with the Crise of the third century (of 235 with 275), which saw Dioclétien car-proclaiming Empereur. Deviating from the republican forms, more or less respected since Auguste, into force thus during the first three centuries of the Empire, Dioclétien and its successors rather chose to show the imperial capacity openly, adopting a style of government more influenced by the veneration of Eastern potentates of the ancient Egypt and the Perse that by the civic collegial structure which reigned within the class controlling during the Roman République. The Emperor for Dioclétien is thus the son of Jupiter, its capacity is legitimated either by the Senate or the People but directly by the Gods.

It is also under Dominat that the sacralization of the Emperor developed, visible for example in the ceremonial which it was necessary to observe during an interview with him (several génuflexions, to embrace imperial purple… what a Romain of the Republic would never have supported), but it is as under this period as one saw appearing a true imperial court. The Imperial palace (or palate crowned ) has large numbers of slaves, hierarchical (at the top is the Primicier of the Crowned Room ), but also of the courtiers, with the modern direction of the term. Last feature of this period: the imperial administration, relatively light under the liberal principat of inspiration augustéen, is increased, its attributions extend. Its weight becomes increasingly heavy for the managed people, as well financially as morally. One attends the birth of a true bureaucracy to the modern direction of the term.

The contemporary historians reject the interpretation of the transition from Principat to Dominat like one easily definable moment. They rather characterize it like a subtle and graduated transformation in which the reforms of Dioclétien, although outstanding, form only one level.

However, it is always necessary to endeavor to recognize key moments in the History. If the innovations of Dioclétien did not create ex-nihilo the dominat, one can hardly allot this term to the periods which preceded this emperor. The reign of Dioclétien and the reforms which it carries out are thus well the hinge between two times.

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