The department of Classic presents Dr. Matthijs Wibier's "Roman lawyers and the shaping of the early Principate".

The first century of Roman imperial rule was a period of profound change. While the sources tell us about an impressive number of military revolts, conspiracies, and political murders, the structural changes over that century amounted to a transformation in the way power was held, distributed, and legitimated. This talk will explore in detail how Roman lawyers contributed, or at least claimed to have contributed, to the shaping of the role of emperor by the time of Hadrian. 

Bio: Dr Matthijs Wibier is a Roman cultural and intellectual historian with a specialization in Roman law and a broad interest in the politics and government of the Roman Empire. He has published widely on the Roman legal culture, in particular on the circulation of legal literature and the engagement of ancient readers with these texts. Dr Wibier is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Cincinnati.