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28 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
First Settlement
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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. |
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Republic Restored under Augustus?
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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). |
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Second Settlement
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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). |
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Augustus's Successor
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- 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. |
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Augustus and the Senate
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- 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 |
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Augustus and the Army
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- 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. |
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Teutoberg Forest
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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.
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Augustus and the City of Rome
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- 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. |
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Tiberius
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- 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. |
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Gaius (Caligula)
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- 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. |
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Claudius
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- 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. |
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Messalina
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- 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. |
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Agrippina the Younger
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- Claudius's niece.
- Marries Claudius in 49. - Secured the succession of her own son, Nero, in 53. |
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Nero
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- 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. |
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Great Fire of 64
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- 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. |
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Pisonian Conspiracy
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- 65 AD
- Senators and equites actively colluded against Nero. - Assassination unsuccessful. - Many senators forced to commit suicide. |
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First Jewish Revolt
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- 66 AD
- Nero sends Vespasian to take command in Judea; he's successful. |
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Civil War in 68-69: Vindex, Galba, and Otho
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- 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. |
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Civil War in 68-69, Otho and Vitellius
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- 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. |
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Civil War in 68-69, Vitellius and Vespasian
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- 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. |
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"Beneficial Ideology"
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- Started with Vespasian.
- Roman emperors were consciously magnanimous. - Construction projects in the provinces funded. - Provided cheap food and lavish entertainment. |
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Religious Practices and Principles
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- 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. |
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Imperial Cult
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- 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". |
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Lex de imperio Vespasiana
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- 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. |
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Vespasian
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- 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. |
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Titus
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- 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 |
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Domitian
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- 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. |
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Virgil
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- 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. |