Augustus Flashcards
Victory at Actium
- Ended civil war between augustus and Mark Antony
- Used as propaganda for the beginning of peace and stability
- Dio in the roman history - “romans forgot all hardships and accepted his triumph with pleasure”
- Dio - “the populace were ganted with 400 sesterces each”
- Victory monument in Nikopolis
- This created the Pax Augusta
- 3 coins - denarius of Augusta, capture of egypt and Capture of Armenia
Constitutional settlements
First settlement in 27BC:
* Recognition of auctoritis
* Permanent control of one of the two consulships
* Controlled key povinces and the army so economy
* Could have an heir to take full power
Second settlement in 23BC:
* Absolute power formalised
* Could pass, veto or propose legislations
* Tribunician power allowed him avoid title of dictator as it was only ten yeas
* Dio- “The power of the people was wholly transferred to Augustus” Dio was a senator so was bound to be hostile but Tacitus and Suetonius coroborate.
* Suetonius - “Augustus was anxious to maintain the blood purity of Rome”
* Res Gestae - Augustus wanted to present his reign as protected by the gods so did 82 temples.
* Bread and circuses
Militay Acheivments
- Suetonius in Augustus - Augustus was awarded a triple triumphs for hisnvictories in Dalmatia, Actium and Alexandria.
- Dio in Roman History - supreme commander.
- Dio - He presented Cleopatras body and rode in with his fellow consuls behind him as if they were equals.
- Triumphal Arch - show his victory
- The alter of Augustan peace - corroborates the pax augusta.
- Paterculus - Twenty years of civil strife was ended.
- 3 coins - Denarius, capture of Egypt, captue of Armenia.
Augustan poetry and coinage
- 3 coins - Denarius, capture of Egypt, capture of Armenia.
- Poetry highly contributed to the image of the ‘golden age’
- Ovid worked in the second half of Augustus’ reign
- Virgil and Horace worked in the beginning and worked under the patronage of their sponser, Maecanas.
Tradition / Moral Reforms
- Suetonius - He didnt want native roman stock to be tainted
- Julian law on the duties of husbands and Julian law on constraining adultery
- He restored the official census
- Roman citizenship
- Virgil Aeneid - Augustus, who will bing back the age of gold to Latium
Religion and Imperial Cult
- Elected to the position of Pontifex Maxiums, meaning the cheif preist of the roman religion
- Both Ovid and Virgil emphasised his temple restorration
- Religion was important as they thought the gods were unhappy with them so started wars
- Tacitus - Augustus did not prevent the building of a temple at Pergamum in his name
- Augustus was cautious about the imperial cult as it would cease this image of him being equal to the citizens
- Inscription on the alter of Augustan peace shows us that the imperial cult helped him maintain control and loyalty of the people.
Changes to government, senate and provinces
• Suetonius - established a fire brigade (strabo), urged the rich to invest in main roads.
• Doubled the property qualification for a senator from 400,000 to 1 million sesterces and made it hereditary.
• Suetonius - Banned the publication of the Proceedings of the Senate.
• Edicts of Cyrene - Everyone exemot rom paying taxes had to start paying going forwards
• Edicts of Cyrene - No boy under the age of 25 could be appointed a role on trials for the death-penalty.
•Suetonius - “I found Rome built of bricks and leave it clothed in marble.”
•Strabo and Pliny - Marcus Agrippa saw over the building of Aqueducts.
Building programs
• Suetonius - “I found Rome built of bricks and leave it clothed in marble”.
• Res Gestae - 82 temples restored.
•Ovid on the Fasti - our temples do not feel the securing touch of old age.
• Strabo in Geography - Rome’s water supply doubled in the reign of Augustus.
• Suetonius - organised stations of night watchmen for fires.
• Suetonius - cleares the Tiber channel
• Asked the rich to spend their shares on revamping the main roads.
Relationship with senators, equestrians and plebs
• Tacitus - seduced the soldiery with gifts, the people with corn and everyone with the delights of peace he increased his power.
• Corn ration
• Bread and circuses
•Suetonius - harsh towards equestrians as they would borrow money and invest in it for a higher sum - took advantage of their status.
• On the other hand they were allowed to own bussinesses and have multiple jobs - promoted to more government roles.
•Tacitus - comfortable with their traditional titles.
•Often bribed, millions of sesterces.
Challenges and conspiricies
•Aemilius Lepidus - crushed before it was a problem
•Cornelius Gallus - Governor of Egypt was envious and forced to commit suicide.
•Egnatius Rufus - conspirixy exposed and he was executed.
•Caepio and Murena - conspiricy, Augustus showed at the trial.
•Cinna - conspiricy exposed and Livia convinced him to make him a concul.
The importance of Agrippa, Livia and Tiberius
- Denarius coin - Depicts Augustus and Agrippa seated on a tribunes bench which portrays them as equals.
- Funeral oration - Agrippa was given tibunician power which singled him out as his closest ally.
- Seneca the Younger - Cinnas trial shows that Livia had a big influence over Augustus.
- Tacitus - talks of Livia’s trechery, suggesting she poisoned his nephew and grandsons.
- Tacitus - Tiberius was greeeted with a certain degree of mockery, but being Augustus’ heir he had some respect.
- Paterculus - settled problem of gain shortage well, was tested with wa by Augustus and gained second triumph.
The succession
- Claudius Marcellus was the first successor but he died aged 19, was married to Julia.
- Gaius Ceaser was his second heir and grandchild. He died aged 24.
- Lucius Ceaser was third heir and grandchild, he died in 2AD, before Gaius his brother.
- It is suggested by Tacitus that Livia poisoned them so that Tiberius would become emperor.
- Tiberius then adopted his nephew Germanicus as his heir.
