accession Flashcards
what powers formed the legal basis of the principate by the time of Augustus’ death?
‘imperium proconsulare’ and ‘tribunicia potestas’
though established at this point, they were not institutionalised - Augustus was the exception not the rule
how was tiberius set up to inherit the principate from Augustus?
by 13 AD, had imperium equal to that of augustus: tribunician power, proconsular office, consular power alongside augustus, acclaimed imperator with augustus, ‘princeps collega imperii’
named heir to augustus’ estate in the princeps in his will - not decisive factor that granted him power
tiberius only held the consulship 3 times during reign - his power came from those already given before the death of Augustus rather than anything he received on his passing
how did tiberius’ power / titles differ from those of Augustus?
was not named ‘pater patriae’
named pontifex maximus in 15 AD, shortly after ‘accession’ (caligula also postpones talking on the role of pontifex maximus so tiberius sets a trend)
mimics how augustus waits until later in his principate to adopt the position
Tiberius refrains from using praenomen ‘imperator’ and the cognomen ‘pater patriens’
Reticent to accept honours bestowed upon Augustus - forbade appointment of temples, ‘flamens’ or priests to him, restricted dedication of statues, did not accept ‘corona civica’ in vestibule of his house
How did Caligula’s accession to / inheritance of power differ from that of Tiberius?
previous to Tiberius’ death, he had not held any office which clearly marked him out as successor in the way Augustus had marked out Tiberius
only claim to power was his designation as heir to Tiberius’ estate in his will along with Tiberius’ son Gellemus
his rise to princeps coincided with the grant of powers, Tiberius received those powers first and the princeps was more of an ‘inevitable’ conclusion or culmination of those powers
granting of both powers and honours (oath or loyalty from the praetorian guard, senate, soldiers and people) being granted simultaneously only occurs from Caligula onward (37 AD)
significance of the Lex Imperii - legacy of Augustus, Tiberius and Claudius?
details remaining from Lex De Imperio Vespasiani
lists emperors right to make treaties, hold sessions of the senate, make motions to it and propose decrees, advance boundaries of the ‘pomerium’ and act in accordance with public interest
repeated emphasis that these powers had been practiced by Augustus, Tiberius and Claudius - may suggest that by the end of their reigns it was standard for the holder of the principate, even if not make legally explicit as unified under that title
evidence that Marcellus was Augustus; originally intended successor
adopted him, raised him to ‘pontifex’, secured him the ‘curule aedileship’
historical writers certainly see this in retrospect - probably why they are so eager to implicate Livia in his death given that Tiberius eventually rises to power instead after Marcellus’ death in 23 BC
symbols of succession: coinage of gaius and lucius
coins issued in 2 BC
adopted sons Gaius and Lucius shown togate and veiled - showcasing their priesthoods and pontifex and augur respectively
labelled ‘sons of augustus’
symbols of succession: arch of Ticinum
bears statues of Augustus, Livia, Gaius, Lucius, Tiberius, Germanicus, Drusus, Nero, and Claudius
almost all labelled by their relations to the princeps
establishment of an imperial dynasty - but softly/culturally
Augustus underpins all of his potential heirs’ claims to power with legitimate shows of leadership and responsibility - naturalises their claims to power in the eyes of the people beyond their relation to him
how instrumental was Tiberius in his own accession?
Suetonius and Tacitus both characterise Tiberius as incredibly reluctant to take on power
Tacitus talks about how Augustus ‘heaped’ consulships and triumphs upon him - he was much more set up than his own successors - whom he merely names in his will as Augustus named him
Suspicions that Tiberius was solely responsible for the murder of Agrippa Postumus at the start of his reign rather than following the orders of Augustus
Suetonius suspects Livia to be most responsible for the murder, Tiberius’ wife Livilla and her lover Sejanus almost certainly poisoned Tiberius’ son to prevent his rise to power
Tacitus has Tiberius looking to the senate before accepting power ‘to have the credit of having been called and elected by the State rather than of having crept into power through the intrigues of a wife and a dotard’s adoption’
what was caligula’s role in securing his own power?
suspected to have poisoned Tiberius in 37 AD - historians certainly want to paint him as more eager but does he deserve this?
How does Suetonius frame Claudius’ accession?
says claudius ‘established himself in power’, threatening vengeance if not accepted
what was the role of the senate in the accession of the new emperor?
influence and appearance of it seems to decrease as time goes on
Tiberius: Tacitus has him looking to the senate before accepting power ‘to have the credit of having been called and elected by the State rather than of having crept into power through the intrigues of a wife and a dotard’s adoption’
Caligula: Suetonius affirms that he was raised to power by the will of the senate and people - Josephus highlights how senate sees itself as the appointed of the man in who’s hand the government should rest, but suetonius also alludes to the influence of the army
POST 37-41 AD -> power/influence of senate surpassed by that of the army
Claudius: senate house inundated with soldiers demanding his elevation to princeps
what role did the army play in the accession of the emperors?
Always been an element but their role increased exponentially under Claudius
Mutinies broke out in Pannonia and on the Rhine following death of Augustus, troops demanded that the Princeps be their choice.
Claudius: promised each man 15,000 sesterces and secured their oath of loyalty, they proceeded to inundate the senate house and demand his elevation to princeps (sounds a little like Julius Caesar)
Praetorian guard particularly significant in his case - advertised as much on coinage from 41-42 AD - depicts guardsmen shaking hands with the emperor
TACITUS, HISTORIES: ‘the secret of the empire was that an emperor could be made by armies’
symbols of succession: forum of Augustus
emulates that of Caesar, who also depicted but venus and aeneas carrying anchises on his coinage -> idea of divine lineage - importance of family for legitimacy of power
forum: temple of Venus Genetrix, statue group of Aeneas and the Julii (ancestry of Julian descent) - statues of venus and mars in the temple itself
Symbols of succession: depictions of Julius Caesar in Augustan coinage
RG 2: ‘i drove into exile the murderers of my father’
coinage with temple of Divus Julius
Caesar included on coinage celebrating Augustus’ new age minted in 17 BC in celebration of secular games - reverse had laureate head of Caesar with his comet above instead of an image of Augustus
