augustan constitution Flashcards
how did Octavian’s seizure of power in 43 BC break from tradition
Suetonius describing his march down Flaminian Way: ‘he usurped the consulship in the 20th year of his age, leading his legions against the city as if it were that of an enemy’ (26.1)
Held a ‘free’ election the next day and was elected to consul despite the legal age for holding the office being 42
triumvirate formed using the Lex Titia 3 months later - with a 5 year term - which was respectively renewed by octavian and Antony in 37 for an additional 5 years
wide ranging powers including ‘imperium consulare’ - consular power to appoint magistrates and consuls in advance + provinces divided between them
Tacitus 3.28: ‘for 20 years there was continual discord, no morality, no law. criminality went unpunished, decency was often fatal’
significant dates leading to octavian claiming sole rule
triumvirate technically expires in 33 BC - Octavian continues to use his powers
Lepidus was effectively demoted in 42 BC and removed by 36 BC
Antony defeated in 31 BC at the Battle of Actium
Octavian held the consulship continuously between 31-27 BC - backed by ‘oath of allegiance’, support of the West against Antony and continued use of triumvirate power
closes the doors of Janus’ shrine for the first time out of 3 in 29 BC to signify an end to civil war and power struggle
the official ‘restoration of the republic’
end of 6th consulship and start of second - significant change in public position and image
abolished all the illegal regulations that had been in place during the civil war and then introduced the ‘new settlement’
Res Gestae 34.1: ‘although by everyone’s agreement I had power over everything, I transferred the state from my power into the control of the Roman senate and people’
Velleius: ‘the pristine form of the republic was recalled as of old’ (II.89)
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Octavian’s post 27 BC constitutional position
remained consul every year, maintained loyalty of soldiers and veterans with his unrivalled financial resources
Gave over control of Africa, Numidia, Asia, Greece, Dalmatia, Macedonia, Sicily, Crete, parts of Libya and some others
retains only Spain and Gaul due to their instability - senate later returns some of these provinces for 10 year terms - places the majority of the military establishment under his control again
power to appoint and nominate magistrates, creating an advisory board, appointed a ‘praetor urbanus’ in 28 BC, revised senate membership in 29 BC - makes Cassius Dio’s assertion that in reality Octavian still had almost absolute power over all matters (53.16.1) feels plausible
new honours bestowed upon Octavian as a result of the events of 27 BC
Named Augustus by senetorial decree meaning ‘revered’ - gave him religious and authorial associations
his doorposts were decked with laurels - symbol of everlasting victory and peace, usually reserved for pontifex maximus and flamines
‘corona civica’ fastens over his doorway to symbolise his eternal victory over enemies and his status as saviour of the citizens - originally awarded to men who saved the lives of fellow citizens
‘clupeus’ (golden shield) set up with inscribed praise: virtus, clementia, iustitia and pietas
Octavian demonstrations of pietas in 28/9 BC
pietas particularly demonstrated when he restored 82 temples in the city in 28 BC
in 29 BC melted down 80 silver statues of himself and gave proceeds to dedicate gold tripods in the precinct of Apollo Palatinus - symbolic gesture which may have been motivated by the need for metal for coins
Octavian Aureus 28 BC
Obverse: head of Augustus with ‘IMP CAESAR DIVI F COS VI’ occurs nowhere else in coinage of that period
Reverse: augustus as togate - seated on the ‘sella curulis’, holding a scroll in his right hand, with a ‘scrinium’ (scroll-case)
reverse is unique, rare to show Augustus in a toga in this period - in a legal context
conveys image of the princeps enacting the civic role of a magistrate - scroll represents edict which restored the laws and rights. no other augustan legend so explicit about the constitutional actions of the princeps
Octavian resigning the consulate and the uptake of tribunician power
June 23 BC - resigns the consulship after recovering from significant illness - riots at consular elections in 21/19 BC - insisting they keep a place open for him
accepts perpetual tribunician power from the senate - includes:
‘auxilium’ - right to intervene on behalf of the citizens unfairly treated by other magistrates
‘intercessio’ - right to veto acts of other magistrates
‘coercitio’ - right to compel citizens to obey his orders and impose sanctions
legislative power - right to summon, address and put legislation to the people, right to summon and put motions to the senate
‘imperium’ with perpetual pro consular commands and governorship pf the provinces, renewed every 5 or 10 years - gives him ‘marius imperium’ - he could override the governors of all provinces
maintained censorial powers even though he is not a censor
SUMMARY: kept most of his power but was freed from actual magistracies IE: in 22 BC due to disease, flooding and corn scarcity, there is demand for Augustus to take control as dictator - accepts control but not dictatorship given it’s fraught recent history
consolidation of Augustus’ power from 19 BC onwards
19 BC - granted life long consular power and insignia
regained right to hold ‘fasces’ and to sit on symbolic chair between the current consuls
‘imperium’ equal to consuls of rome, greater than anyone outside the city
twice conducted a census with consular power (8 BC, 14 AD)
gained power over all new provinces, received Illyricum in 11 BC, Sardinia in 6 AD, only one legion in Africa is left under command of a proconsul
day of his return to rome in 19 BC was declared an annual holiday featuring sacrifices and games
in 8 BC month Sextilis is renamed Augustus
NOTE: Agrippa ALSO received tribunicia potestas and marius imperium in 19 BC
leaders of conspiracy against Augustus
Aemilius Lepidus (30 BC) - sone of former triumvirate - accused of planning Octavian’s assassination and a new civil war
Varro Murena and Fannius Caepio (22 BC) - former possibly Augustus’ fellow consul or perhaps his brother, the latter is a republican
Marcus Egnatius (19BC) - Velleius Paterculus suggests he began the conspiracy out of impatience and frustration that he was prevented from becoming consul
‘pater patriens’
granted in 2 BC
Res Gestae 35.1: ‘when i was holding my thirteenth consulship (2 BC), the senate and equestrian order and people of Rome all together hailed me as father of the fatherland’
Augustus as ‘pontifex maximus’
gives him power to revive republican religious traditions such as the priesthood for Juppiter Optimus Maximus and to appoint the ‘flamen Dialis’ for the first time since 87 BC
responsible for appointing the Vestal Virgins - made. his wife Livia in charge of guarding the sacred flame at the shrine in his public house on the Palatine
was the early principate a disguised monarchy?
Suetonius on Augustus’ opposition to open monarchy/dictatorship: ‘when the people did their best to force the dictatorship upon him, he knelt down, threw off his toga from his shoulders and with bare breast begged then not to insist’ (52.1)
Dio more critical: ‘monarchy would be the truest name for it’ (53.17.1)
NOTE: the refusal of Augustus to accept monarchical rule as a title makes his succession much harder to establish
