ATS 11 - Caesar

Question 1

What is the ‘conundrum for Caesar’?

4 points.

Answer 1

• Romans holding high office are immune from prosecution for the duration of their term
• To be elected to an office you have to enter Rome and put your name forward
• To cross the pomerium of Rome, you must not have any troops with you, unless you have been voted a triumph
• Without the permission of Rome, you cannot enter Italy at all with troops under arms

_{ATS 12aa}

Question 2

Quote

Caesar offers clementia (mercy)

4 points.

Answer 2

• This same attitude he adopted toward the princes and the peoples who had assisted Pompey.
• He pardoned them all, bearing in mind that he himself was acquainted with none or almost none of them, whereas from his rival they had previously obtained many favors.
• Indeed, he praised these far more than he did those who, after receiving favors from Pompey, had deserted him in the midst of dangers
  • [Those who had not been loyal to Pompey under pressure he was not confident would be loyal to him under pressure]

– Cassius Dio , Roman History , book 41

_{ATS 12ab}

Question 3

List Ceasar’s decleration as dictator.

Answer 3

• 49: Briefly dictator
• 48: Named dictator for a one year term (after Pharsalus)
• 46: Named dictator for a one year term (to repeat yearly for ten years)
• 44:
  • February: Named dictator perpetuo
  • March 15: Assassinated in the Theater of Pompey

_{ATS 12ac}

Question 4

Major achievements of Caesar the dictator?

Answer 4

• Fixing an economy in crisis
• Finding a home for all the veterans
• Fixing the calendar

_{ATS 12ad}

Question 5

What was Caesar’s approach for

Fixing an economy in crisis

Answer 5

• Property valued at pre war levels
• Limiting the amount of ready cash any one person could hold
• Cancelling any interest owed since 49 BCE
• One year hiatus on rent

_{ATS 12ae}

Question 6

What was Caesar’s approach for

Finding a home for all the veterans

Answer 6

• Colonies founded around Mediterranean
• Colonia Laus Iulia Corinthiensis (= Corinth) refounded 44 BCE
  • Corinth had been destroyed and leveled by Roman general Mummius in 146

_{ATS 12af}

Question 7

What was Caesar’s approach for

Fixing the calendar

Answer 7

• Actual length of day: 365.242189 days
• Previous Roman calendar: 355 days (with sporadic bonus months)
• Julian Calendar: 365.25 days (replaced between 1582-1924)
• Gregorian Calendar: 365.2425 days

_{ATS 12ag}

Question 8

Who were the possible successors of Caesar?

Answer 8

• Octavian named de iure heir of Caesar, lands in Italy at Brundisium
• Antony regains nerve, takes up de facto leadership of the Caesarian faction
• The Roman people: furious, inclined to violence
• Marcus Junius Brutus, Publius Servilius Casca , Gaius Cassius Longinus, Lucius Tullius Cimber, and 36 others in control of city

_{ATS 12ah}

Question 9

What do you do with a problem like Antonius?

3 factions

Answer 9

Antony

• Trying to maintain hold on Caesarian faction while placating anti-Caesarian sympathizers in the Senate
• Not a particularly smooth political operator

Optimates

Trying to end the Caesarian faction, bring control back to the Senate, and disband Caesarian armies loyal to Antony Optimates

Octavian

• Trying to claim power, money, and loyalty due to him (he thought) as legal heir of Caesar
• Still very young, and not a known commodity in the Roman political scene

_{ATS 12ai}

Question 10

Describe

Octavian - appeal to Senate

Answer 10

• Backed by Cicero
• Given early admission to the Senate
• Appointed propraetor
• Private army made part of Roman military, with funding and legitimacy
• Took army north to fight Antony

_{ATS 12aj}

Question 11

Octavian - appeal to Caesarians

Answer 11

• Refused to hand army back to Senate after defeating Antony
• Demanded Antony be pardoned for rebellion
• Demanded consulship left vacant after his co generals Hirtius and Pansa (both consuls) were killed fighting Antony

Marched on Rome with army (eight legions) when denied

_{ATS 12ak}

Question 12

Who were the 2ⁿᵈ Triumvirate?

Answer 12

Marcus Antonius
Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus

_{ATS 12al}

Question 13

Relationship to the 2ⁿᵈ Triumvirate

Marcus Antonius

Answer 13

• Deeply unpopular with Senate
• Strong proponent of Caesarian faction
• Very large army (including some troops supposedly under Lepidus’ command)

_{ATS 12am}

Question 14

Relationship to the 2ⁿᵈ Triumvirate

Marcus Aemilius Lepidus

Answer 14

• Large senatorial army
• (fairly) trustworthy Caesarian

_{ATS 12an}

Question 15

Relationship to the 2ⁿᵈ Triumvirate

Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus

2 points.

Answer 15

• Large private army
• Unwilling to be a pawn of the Senate

_{ATS 12ao}

Question 16

Relationship to the 2ⁿᵈ Triumvirate

Relationship between individuals

Answer 16

Marcus Antonius ↔ Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus

They really don’t like each other

Marcus Antonius ↔ Marcus Aemilius Lepidus
Already working together

_{ATS 12ap}

Question 17

Virgil’s take on the situation

Answer 17

On one side Augustus Caesar stands on the high stern, leading the Italians to the conflict, with him the Senate, the People, the household gods, the great gods, his happy brow shoots out twin flames, and his father’s star is shown on his head.

Elsewhere Agrippa, favoured by the winds and the gods leads his towering column of ships, his brow shines with the beaks of the naval crown, his proud battle distinction.

On the other side Antony, with barbarous wealth and strange weapons, conqueror of eastern peoples and the Indian shores, bringing Egypt, and the might of the Orient, with him, and furthest Bactria: and his Egyptian consort follows him (the shame)

Virgil, Aeneid 8.678 688

_{ATS 12aq}

Question 18

What happened to Antony?

2 points.

Answer 18

30 BC

• Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide (separately) in Egypt
• Augustus follows, adds Egypt to the Roman empire (officially)

_{ATS 12ar}

Question 19

What was the Settlement of 27 BC?

4 points.

Answer 19

• Octavian becomes Augustus
• Continues holding consulships
• Given control of a number of provinces (to be staffed with governors responsible to Augustus, not Senate)
• Gives up office of tribune of the plebs, but holds onto sacrosanctity and to veto power

_{ATS 12as}

Question 20

What was the Settlement of 23 BC?

5 points.

Answer 20

Primus inter pares (not dictator, not

• Augustus gives up consulship
• Given other parts of “ tribunician power”
  • Ability to help Roman citizen “oppressed by the actions of the state”
• Given imperium maius
  • Not technicallly effective in Rome or Italy

_{ATS 12at}

Question 21

What are the Forum of Augustus?

5 points.

Answer 21

• Vowed by Octavian before the Battle of Philippi (42 BC)
• Construction only begun after 20 BC
• Following architectural plan introduced by Forum Iulium
• Significant reference to Roman history (and the Julian gens’ place in it)
• Drew on construction materials from around the empire

_{ATS 12au}