Clas 108 Quiz 2

Front 1

First Settlement

Back 1

January 27.
- Response to a plot to kill Augustus.
- Augustus symbolically hands authority back to the senate and the people.
- Remained consul and took responsibility for the provinces.
- Senate bestowed the name Augustus.

Front 2

Republic Restored under Augustus?

Back 2

The subject of debate. While he did give independence to many political institutions he also exercised auctoritas (influence) behind closed doors.
Republican = defined and limited his powers, does allow a certain amount of freedom of speech and action.
Unrepublican = cults, succession, auctoritas. Created a political structure in which a corrupt leader can take full power (like Caligula and Nero).

Front 3

Second Settlement

Back 3

July 23
- In response to a discovered plot to kill Augustus.
- Resigned the consulship and never held office again under normal conditions.
- Kept provinces and the imperium to govern them. Powers of imperium increased by the senate.
- Took the power of a tribune, renewed annually (could initiate and veto legislation).

Front 4

Augustus's Successor

Back 4

- Augustus only had Julia.
- She married Marcellus, but he died in 23.
- Next, he gave signet ring to Agrippa, who marries Julia (produce Gaius and Lucius), but Agrippa dies in 12.
- Augustus adopts Gaius and Lucius.
- Tiberius (Augustus's wife's son from a previous marriage) is asked to divorce his wife and marry Julia.
- Both Gaius and Lucius die young.
- So Tiberius = successor.

Front 5

Augustus and the Senate

Back 5

- Did 2 reviews of senate members and removed unworthy ones (went from 1000 to 800 to 600)
- Set a minimum level of wealth for senators
- Cursus honorum once again observed
- From 5 BC onwards, 2 pairs of consuls elected each year
- Senate given freedom of speech in theory but not in action

Front 6

Augustus and the Army

Back 6

- Reform: Soldiers were volunteer citizens who committed to serving for a fixed number of years.
- Result: Army was very loyal. General populace was happy to not have a draft.

Front 7

Teutoberg Forest

Back 7

While Augustus was ruling (9 AD), German tribes ambushed three Roman legions under the command of Varus as the marched through Teutoberg Forest. Augustus devastated by losses.

Front 8

Augustus and the City of Rome

Back 8

- Improved city's amenities and services.
- Restored dozens of temples and public buildings.
- Built three new aqueducts and created organization that maintained permanent water supply in the city.
- Rome became safer with the establishment of "urban cohorts" to maintain law and order.
- Provided memorable entertainment like the Secular Games of 17.
- Enacted moral legislation to curb adultery and promote childbirth.

Front 9

Tiberius

Back 9

- 14-37
- Highly successful as military commander.
- Instituted treason trials: charges could be made on the grounds of conspiracy against the Princeps' life, libel and slander against him, or adultery with a member of imperial family.
- Relied heavily on the Praetorian Guard (built them a barracks at the edge of Rome).
- Influence of PG subverted the value of the civil concensus.
- Sejanus (Praetorian Prefect) exploited Tiberius's trust to advance himself.
- In 26 moved to Capri, had little connection with the elite or the populace.
- Son Drusus died in 23 by poisoning.

Front 10

Gaius (Caligula)

Back 10

- 37-41.
- Tiberius's grandnephew, son of Germanicus and Agrippina the elder.
- Tried to restore senatorial prestige and published an imperial budget.
- Fell ill within first year of rule and started to behave erratically (tried to make a horse consul, appeared in public in the dress of gods, had sister deified).
- Assassinated by the Praetorian Guard.

Front 11

Claudius

Back 11

- 41-54
- Germanicus's brother, Caligula's uncle.
- Probably had cerebral palsy.
- Hailed Princeps by Praetorian Guard even though senate had reconvened to restore the republic. Their negotiations took too long and the people demanded Claudius as Princeps.
- Restored office of the censor in 47-48.
- Participated in many trials. His judgment relied on imperial freedmen rather than elite, to the dismay of senators.
- Wives = Messalina and Agrippina the Younger.
- Invaded Britain in 43.

Front 12

Messalina

Back 12

- One of Claudius's wives.
- Has sex with a lot of people.
- Two children with Claudius: Octavia and Britannicus.
- Denounced by Claudius in 48, she commits suicide.

Front 13

Agrippina the Younger

Back 13

- Claudius's niece.
- Marries Claudius in 49.
- Secured the succession of her own son, Nero, in 53.

Front 14

Nero

Back 14

- 54-68
- Interests were in the arts and showmanship rather than in government.
- Revived treason trials to support luxurious lifestyle, like the Golden House.
- Great Fire of 64, Pisonian Conspiracy of 65, First Jewish Revolt in 66.
- In 68 the senate disowned him and named him a public enemy; commits suicide.

Front 15

Great Fire of 64

Back 15

- Rumored to have been started by Nero.
- He used much of the devastated land to build his Golden House.
- He tried to blame it on Christians but it backfired.

Front 16

Pisonian Conspiracy

Back 16

- 65 AD
- Senators and equites actively colluded against Nero.
- Assassination unsuccessful.
- Many senators forced to commit suicide.

Front 17

First Jewish Revolt

Back 17

- 66 AD
- Nero sends Vespasian to take command in Judea; he's successful.

Front 18

Civil War in 68-69: Vindex, Galba, and Otho

Back 18

- Vindex starts a revolt in Gaul against Nero in 67. Garners support for Galba in Spain.
- Nero commits suicide and the senate recognizes Galba as Princeps. However, other legions recognize Vitellius as emperor.
- Galba fails to give Praetorian Guard a donation, doesn't provide the public with games, and names Piso his successor even though Otho had helped him in the past.
- Otho gets Praetorian support -> Galba and Piso both slaughtered in the Roman Forum Jan. 69. Otho declared emperor.

Front 19

Civil War in 68-69, Otho and Vitellius

Back 19

- Vitellius and troops not satisfied with Otho as emperor.
- April 69 - Otho and Vitellius's armies clash, Vitellius wins.
- Vitellius is the first Princeps since Tiberius to gain power without support of PG.
- Once in Rome, Vitellius is incapable of making political or military decisions.

Front 20

Civil War in 68-69, Vitellius and Vespasian

Back 20

- July 1, 69 troops in Judea declare Vespasian emperor.
- Troops under Primus march on Rome for Vespasian.
- October 69, Vitellius's forces defeated.
- December - fighting in the streets of Rome. Vitellius as killed and the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus is destroyed.

Front 21

"Beneficial Ideology"

Back 21

- Started with Vespasian.
- Roman emperors were consciously magnanimous.
- Construction projects in the provinces funded.
- Provided cheap food and lavish entertainment.

Front 22

Religious Practices and Principles

Back 22

- A lot of diversity in religious beliefs and practices.
- Many individuals had more than one religious dedication.
- Romans could believe as they pleased as long as they didn't actively reject the state religion (Jews excepted).
- Nero tried to blame Christians for the Great Fire of 64, plan backfired.

Front 23

Imperial Cult

Back 23

- Cut across all of the varied beliefs on Romans.
- Could be practiced at the personal level but was primarily public.
- Augustus designated as a "son of god".

Front 24

Lex de imperio Vespasiana

Back 24

- Passed in 69-70.
- Clearly defined various powers and prerogatives of the Princeps, justifying them by specific imperial precedent.
- Imperator adopted as praenomen beginning with Vespasian.

Front 25

Vespasian

Back 25

- 69-79
- Came to power through military successes in Germany, Britain, and Judea.
- First Jewish War (66-73): stormed Jerusalem in 70 and put down most of the revolt.
- German-Gallic Revolt (69-70): Developed from Vindex's revolt against Nero in 68 and ensuing civil war. Gallic and German tribes roused, locally recruited auxiliary soldiers. Insurrection crushed spring 70.
- Highly thought of as an emperor.
- Many building projects, including Colloseum.

Front 26

Titus

Back 26

- 79-81
- Popular and well-groomed for position (had held high offices in the past).
- Mt. Vesuvius: Worked immediately to mitigate losses. (Evidency from Pliny the Younger).
- Commissioned the Arch of Titus.
- Died prematurely in 81, still unmarried

Front 27

Domitian

Back 27

- 81-96.
- Vespasian's younger son.
- No military experience, held few positions in Rome.
- Never developed good relationship with the senate.
- Held consulship 82-88.
- Made himself perpetual censor in 84-85.
- Insisted on being called dominus et deus.
- Intensified building programs started by father and brother.
- Killed in a conspiracy that may have involved the two Praetorian Prefects and wife Domitia.

Front 28

Virgil

Back 28

- 70 - 19 BC.
- Most significant of Augustan poets.
- Three main works:
- Eclogues (38-35 BC): Didactic poem on farming.
- Georgils (30 BC): Addressed to Maecenas, a literary patron. Refers to the Aeneid at the end.
- Aeneid (19 BC): 12 books modeled on Homer's Odyssey and the Iliad. Focuses on Aeneas as a prefiguration of Augustus.
- For the most part, portrayed Augustus and imperialism positively, but also focuses on the losing side.