Acacius of Constantinople (d. after 327 c. e.) Bishop of Constantinople from 327 until his death Acacius served as the ranking Christian prelate throughout the final years of the reign of Constantine the Great (d. 337). He thus enjoyed the emperor’s favor at a time when the imperial court exercised considerable influence upon the external affairs of the Christian Church. Acacius was also granted the honorific rank of COMES, with the official title comes Macedoniae. Few other details of his life are extant.
Academy Heavily influenced by its Greek predecessor, the Romans adopted this institution of learning as they adopted other Greek intellectual traditions. Roman philosophy was, in fact, based on Hellenic ideas and standards, and during the era of the Republic the philosopher was a respected member of Roman society.
The Academy in Greece was founded in the late fourth century b. c.e. by Plato, as a refuge for intellectual and political idealism, as well as training in mathematics, astronomy, and especially philosophy. Arcesilaus and Carneades were taught for generations in the Roman Academy and thus influenced subsequent Roman philosophical evolution. Gradually, however, the Academy lost much of its status, especially in the second and first centuries b. c.e., as a result of its quarrels with the stoics and other Roman philosophical groups.
ANTIOCHUS OF ASCALON assumed the chief position in the Academy, succeeding philo, sometime around 79 B. C.E. Antiochus revived the institution by terminating its sole reliance upon the philosophical stance of skepticism, a pose adopted by leaders of the past. stoicism, platon-
ISM, the Platonization of other philosophers, and even eclecticism were introduced into the Academy. Under Antiochus’s guidance, the so-called New Academy was furthered intellectually by the arrival of Cicero, although the philosophies of the two eventually diverged. Anti-ochus opted for a more Stoic outlook in the Academy’s approach, while Cicero upheld Philo’s perspective of skepticism. Under the empire, the Academics were highly regarded, and some of the finest intellects in the Roman world, such as seneca, were associated with the institution. Emperor Justinian dissolved the Academy in 529 C. E.
See also philosophy.
Accius, Lucius (fl. first century b. c.e.) A writer and translator
Accius lived in the first and second centuries b. c.e. and was most noted for his contributions to Roman versification and prose. Accius was famed for his adaptations of 45 Greek tragedies.
Acclamatio Public acclaim that was given by the Romans both out of pleasure and displeasure; heard most commonly at funerals, marriages, in the theater, or at triumphs. The names for the various types of acclamatio were: io triumphe, for triumphs; io hymen, for marriages; the plaudite, for spectators at the end of a play; and the conclamare, at the time of the death of a loved one. The acclamatio was also given to the emperor and his family, with the custom of saluting the ruler developing into a display of flattery. Nero, for example, established the Augustiani, a body of young noblemen who were trained to cheer the emperor enthusiastically. Later emperors also received the acclamationes from the Senate, as recorded in the Scriptores Historiae Augustae.
See also claqueurs.
Achaea Roman province; conquered in 146 b. c.e. and eventually composed of a very large part of Greece, including Aetolia, Acarnania, Euboea, the Cyclades, and part of Epirus. Achaea, which had been attached to the wider territory of Macedonia, was secured after a revolt against Roman dominance; Augustus later made Achaea a senatorial province. Achaea benefited from the enlightened attitude of the Roman emperors, who treated pacified provinces in a better manner than their Republican predecessors. The emperors, seeking to maintain a political equilibrium between Rome and its outlying territories, offered such provinces advantages for their status.
The rule of Achaea was in the hands of the senate, and a proconsul of Praetorian rank acted as its governor, overseeing the administration of the region from the city of Corinth. This rule remained firmly in place until the reign of Diocletian, in the late third century
During the years of the frontier troubles, 15 c. E. to 44 C. E., the province of Achaea was combined with Macedonia as part of an imperial province under the governor of Moesia, along the Danube. The Achaeans appear to have relished imperial designation of their lands, as TACITUS recorded that they petitioned for that status. In 67 C. E., as a result of the proclamation of Emperor nero giving Greece its freedom, the Achaeans ruled themselves. Emperor Vespasian, however, in either 70 or 74, reformed the imperial system and reclaimed the province, putting it once again into the hands of the Senate. Aside from the old Achaean League, which was restored, several other religio-sociopolitical unions were tolerated by Rome and allowed to exist freely A Panhellenic League was encouraged by the Philhellenic emperor hadrian. An imperial CULT, whose head, the helladarch, was appointed by league members, also came into being at this time. A facade of independence was consequently maintained by the Achaeans, especially in such cities as Athens, CORINTH, SPARTA, and Elis. No garrison was posted to Achaea, and a vast amount of self-determination was tolerated. The correctores (first attested for Italy in 216 c. e.) were also present in Achaea, special agents of the emperor who wielded the power to regulate trade or to observe finances. Achaea remained a province until the fall of the Roman Empire.
Achillas (fl. mid-first century b. c.e.) Skilled soldier in the service of the Egyptian king Ptolemy XIII
Achillas’s notable act was to serve as an accomplice in the murder of pompey the great on September 28, 48 b. c.e. He was subsequently involved in the siege of Alexandria during Caesar’s occupation of that Egyptian city, and he also aided in plots against the Roman forces. one of Achillas’s intrigues involved Cleopatra’s sister Princess ARSINOE, who offered him the post of general of her army. A veteran campaigner, but inept at court politics, Achillas managed to gain Arsinoe’s ill will, and he was executed at her command.
Achilleus (d. c. 297 c. e.) Leader of a nationalistic Egyptian rebellion against Roman domination in 296 or 297 The years of the tetrarchy under Diocletian were ones of questionable Roman supremacy in the various regions of the empire, and Achilleus launched an Egyptian campaign for freedom. The revolt was doomed to failure because of internal rivalries and a lack of resources. Achilleus’s own leadership was in dispute because many of his coconspirators favored domitius domitianus. Diocletian personally put down the revolution by capturing the city of Alexandria after a siege of six months. Achilleus and his band of rebels were slain.
World History
