Riot Control Continuity Between the Roman Republic and the Early Roman Empire

Abstract

This article deals with the similarities in riot control between the Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire. It considers the different ways of maintaining order that can be found in the sources for both periods. Specifically, it focuses on the levels of intervention (armed and unarmed) identifiable in each period and how they escalated. Another point is the attempt to maintain order by non-violent means, specifically through authority (official and imperial). An important point is the question of what role the permanent policing force played in maintaining order in the city of Rome (since the rule of Augustus), especially in the context of the transition between the Republic and the Principate. The article also notes the characteristics associated with the maintenance of order during both periods, as well as the circumstances under which the authorities decided to intervene and the methods they used. Finally, the article compares both periods and concludes what changed. It begins with general observations describing the levels of intervention, then moves on to specific examples.