Alterations made in his reign Flashcards
what was he like as Censor
inconsistent
why some did not get a black mark
No black mark against a young reprobate because his father said he was extremely well behaved
A notorious seducer of girls+married women, escaped with the caution to be more careful in the future
Some who were struck from the list
A Greek nobleman struck from the list of jury men, deprived of his rights as a Roman citizen because he did not know latin
Several equites struck from the list for leaving Italy without a formal demand for leave of absence
The inaccuracy of his informers
Attempted to remove others but failed due to the information collected by his agents proved so inaccurate. Some shameful examples
- thought of being bachelors, childless and to poor to sustain their rank, all wrong
- one eques said to have attempted suicide with a dagger tore of his clothes and asked where the scar was
His memorable act as a censor
Had a beautiful silver chariot hacked to pieces before his eyes purchased in the Sigillaria (to curb extravagance)
His edicts
Twenty edicts in a single day
- the year’s vintage is abundant so pitch your wine jar well
- a statement that a particular sap works well against snake bite.
what office did he revive
Assumed the office of censor (he revived it after 60years)
Religious ritual, civil and military customs, social status of all ranks (home and abroad)
-revived obsolete traditions +invented new ones
admitting a priest into a college
-he never admitted a priest into a college without taking a personal oath that he thought him worthy
earthquae
public holiday
-bird of evil omen perched on the Capitol,
capacity as pontifex Maximus went to the Rostra ordered slaves and labourers to withdraw. Read out formula for supplication, people repeated it after him
courts
Instituted permanent courts at Rome and in the provinces to judge fiduciary cases rather than entrust them to the annually appointed Roman magistrates
Papian-Poppaean LAw
Cancelled Tiberius’ supplement to the Papian-Poppaean Law which implied men over sixth could not beget children
punishments
Ruled no person exiled from a province might enter Italy
Introduced Punishment that forbade a man to go more than 3miles outside of Rome
business of particular importance in the senate he sat
sat between the consuls or on the bench for tribunes of the people.
public officials who wished to travel abroad
Senate used to consider their applications, now Claudius reserved the right to deal with them personally
gave the consul insignia
even to procurators of the second clas
if senatorial class was declined
deprived of equestrian rank as well
AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS REIGN you could only become senator
could prove that his ancestors had been Roman citizens for five generation.
Easy to become a senator
Eventually he granted senatorial standing to the son of a freedman as long as he got adopted by an eques.
What where quaestors now expected to do
Relieved the quaestors of their obligation to keep the roads paved and expected them to stage gladiatorial shows instead
custodianship of the public treasury
Withdrew the quaestors on duty in Gaul and Ostia back and returned to them their custodianship of the public treasury in the temple of Saturn. (at that point was held by praetors/ men of praetorian status, it is like this onece more- implies it was a bad change)
triumphal decorations
awarded it to men in great numbers on the slightest of excuses as well as to the fiance of his daughter Octavia while still a boy
- The legions sent him a letter begging that he issue the same honour to all his consular legates at the same time he appointed them (would stop them trying to win it and provoking frontier incidents)
New regulations for the military careers of equites
-after commanding an infantry cohort they were promoted to cavalry squadron, only then became military tribunes
New rules for freedmen
A freedman who tried to pass himself off as eques had his property confiscated.
If proved ungrateful to his former master, he returned to slavery.
Claudius told advocates representing freedmen that he would not hear any cases which they might bring against their own freedmen
Rules for slaves (and incidents)
Sick and worn out slaves abandoned by their owners on the Island of Aesculapius. Rather than give them proper medical attention he freed them all, none to return to their former owners.
Any owner who killed a sick slave was charged with murder.
non-citizens
Illegal to adopt the names of Roman families
Any who usurped the rights of Roman citizens were executed on the slopes of the Esquiline Hill.
Treatment of some provinces
Deprived Lycians of self governance to punish their love of savage vendettas
Restored that of the Rhodians to express his pleasure at their recent moral improvement.
Granted the Trojans, founders of the Roman race, perpetual exemption from tribute.
Jews
Jews at Rome were causing continuous disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from the city.
atitude to German envoys
German envoys were sat among the common people noticed the Parthian and Armenian envoys sat with the senators in the orchestra, went to join them.
Claudius admired their confidence and let them remain
druidic cult
Abolished the Druidic cult (augustus had only prohibited Roman citizens in Gaul taking part)
When concluding a treaty with foreign rulers
he sacrificed a sow in the forum
Augustus’ altar of peace has Aeneas sacrificing a sow
Shipowner privileges (to support grain import)
Shipowner if a Roman citizen exempted from the papian-poppaean Law. If only a latin acquired full Roman citizenship. If a Woman she enjoyed the privileges granted to mothers of four children.
