Augustus' reign Flashcards
1
Q
What is a principate?
A
Government by one man, referred to as the Princeps or ‘First person’
- It had many of the structures of a Republican system, such as a Senate and elections, although the power of these is diminished
2
Q
What is a Princeps Senatus?
A
(Often just Princeps)
- The first member of the Senate, every five years the censors voted for a member of the senate for this role
- They spoke first in discussions, decided when to summon and dismiss the Senate and set its agenda
3
Q
What happened in 28BC?
A
Octavian had the Senate elect him as Princeps Senatus
- He continued to hold his position as Consul
4
Q
What did Octavian give up in the First Settlement?
A
- All traditional powers to the traditional magistrates
- Control of Africa, Macedonia, Sicily, Crete, Asia, Greece and parts of Spain given to the Senate
- Restarted normal elections
5
Q
When was the First Settlement?
A
27BC
6
Q
What period is referred to as Augustus’ Principate?
A
From 30BCE to 14CE
7
Q
What did Octavian gain during the First Settlement?
A
- The consulship for the sixth time and primacy in the Senate
- The right to declare war and to negotiate peace treaties
- Governorship of most of Spain, Gaul, Syria and Egypt
- The cognomen ‘Augustus’
8
Q
What is the First Settlement?
A
- Augustus’ act of restoring the laws and rights of the Roman people and the honours he was voted as a result.
- The date of this ‘restoration’ was later made into an annual festival
9
Q
What is the civic crown?
A
The second highest military honour a Roman could achieve, awarded to a citizen who had saved the lives of other Roman citizens
10
Q
What did the Senate do after Octavian returned his powers?
A
- They granted him a number of honours
11
Q
What honours did the Senate give Octavian?
A
The Civic Crown
- For having brought an end to civil wars
Control of the provinces of Spain, Gaul, Egypt and Syria
- This gave him control of the grain supply
Referred to as Princeps
- Gave him no actual power but that implied his role as leader of Rome
Commissioned a golden shield
- Known as the Clipeus Virtutis
- It was engraved with his four cardinal virtues (Virtus, Clementia, Iustitia and Pietas)
A new name
- Agusutsu
12
Q
What is Virtus?
A
Masculine virtue, incuding courage, strengh and general excellence
13
Q
What is clementia?
A
Clemency, or mercy
14
Q
What is Iustitia?
A
Justice, in particular with regard to the law and courts
15
Q
What is the meaning of the name Augustus?
A
- Derives from the Latin ‘augere’ which means to increase, enrich or praise.
- The word also has a religious connotation as ‘augustus’ was a title linked to the Lares
- It also relates to the practice of augury
16
Q
Who would normally hold priesthoods?
A
- Prominent politicians and their families
17
Q
How did Augustus cultivate the image of a religious leader?
A
By being actively involved in religious practice.
- He was a member of almost every priestly college
- He revived several priestly colleges that had fallen out of observance, and individual priesthoods
- He reformed traditional religious festivals
18
Q
Why was Augustus’ self-imposed role as religious leader important?
A
- Made him more appealing to older conservatives who thought that all of Rome’s recent troubles had been caused by neglecting the Gods
- Strengthened his link with the Gods (especially Apollo and JC)
19
Q
What priesthoods and colleges did Augustus revive?
A
- Priestal colleges such as the Arval Brethren
- Individual priesthoods such as the Flamen Dialis
20
Q
What religious festival did Augustus reform?
A
The Lupercalia
- A ritual which was thought to cleanse the city of pollution and encourage fertility
21
Q
What was the most visible sign of Augustus’s role as religious leader?
A
- His repair of temple buildings
22
Q
Describe Augustus’ rebuilding of temples
A
- Started in 28BC
- He oversaw the repair of 82 temples throughout the city.
- This represented a rejuvenation of Rome’s religious devotion
23
Q
What new temples did Augustus build?
A
Dedicated to deities such as:
- Jupiter Feretrius
- Minerva
- the Great Mother
- Mars Ultor
- Apollo
24
Q
When and where was the temple of Apollo built?
A
- Opened in 28BC on the Palatine Hill, adjacent to Augustus’ own home.
- This was particularly significant as it underscored his personal relationship with and devotion to the deity
25
How was war seen as beneficial to Romans?
- Individuals could win glory
- Rome could benefit from slaves and treasure that were taken as prizes of war
26
What was Pax Augusta?
- The peace of Augustus
27
Why was Pax Augusta important?
- Helped to protect him from assassination or overthrow
- The close association of Augustus with the idea of peace meant that anybody challenging his power was also threatening the peace of the Roman world
28
Who did Augustus get to portray his wars in a positive way?
- Poets
- In particular, his wars were presented as necessary, either to ensure peace or to solve past injustices.
- Most poetry from the time focuses on the noble justifications for the wars, and on the great rewards that Rome reaped after they were over, instead of focusing on the battle itself.
29
What conflict received a lot of attention from Augustan poets?
- Augustus' campaign against Parthia in 22-19BC
30
What is the history with Parthia and Rome?
- The Parthian Empire was responsible for one of Rome's most humiliating military defeats.
- Crassus had led an expedition into Parthian territory North of the Euphrates river in 53BC.
- His poor strategic leadership led his army right into ambush
31
What was Crassus' plan?
- To lead an army of 50,000 men into the Parthian city of Seleucia, take the city, and in doing so conquer the Parthians once and for all.
32
What were the results of Crassus' plan?
- He was killed, alongside 40,000 Roman solider, and his legionary standards were captured by the Parthians
- The loss of the standards had a dramatic effect on the morale of ordinary Romans.
33
What did Augustus' campaign against the Parthians involve?
- Augustus sent his stepson Tiberius to negotiate the returns, and establish friendly relations with the Parthians in 20BC
34
How were the Parthian negotiations commemorated?
- He was awarded a triumphal arch in the forum.
- Coins featuring this arch suggest it included a statue of Augustus in a four-horse chariot, a reference to the triumphal procession
- The Prima Porta Augustus
35
What was Augustus ready to do now he was in sole command, and why?
- Distance himself from the memory of Julius Caesar, lest people begin to think of him as a tyrant and de facto king
36
How did Augustus adjust his relationship with Caesar?
- He shifted the focus of his own propaganda from stressing a relationship with Caesar the man onto a relationship with Cesar the God
- As a god, JC was beyond reproach, even if as a man, he had done many terrible things
37
How was Julius Caesar represented during this time period?
As an eight-pointed star with one long point, which represented Caesar's comet
38
What had happened to Rome in the last century of the Republic?
There had been a slip in moral standards, especially among the elite.
Traditional ideals of modest living had given way to indulgence and luxury
39
What had an increase in indulgence in Rome led to?
- An increase in greed and personal ambition
- This, in turn, led to a political environment where individual politicians sacrificed the good of the state in a quest for personal advancement and enrichment.
40
Why was an increase in adultery seen as unacceptable?
- There were no DNA tests so there was no way to be certain of the paternity of a child
- Chaste women were believed to have a special potency in religious ceremonies
41
What were the rules surrounding adultery for men?
They were relatively free to have sex outside of marriage, as long as it wasn't with the wife or daughter of another Roman citizen.
42
How did Augustus address the moral decline?
- By encouraging the people of Rome to look upon him as a father figure, with the authority to dictate their behaviour.
43
What laws did Augustus pass to regulate the behaviour of citizens?
The Leges Iuliae (Julian Laws)
44
When were the Leges Iuliae passed?
18-17BC
45
Explain the Leges Iuliae:
- Some of these laws encouraged marriage and childrearing
- They introduced exclusions for those who chose not to marry- they weren't allowed to join in celebrations of public games
- Adultery was made a crime, with severe punishment for all parties
46
What was the traditional role of paterfamilias, and how do the Leges Iuliae relate to this role?
- The Paterfamilias would have been responsible for arranging marriages and for handling any instances of adultery within his family
- By introducing laws such as the Julian laws, Augustus was positioning himself as the paterfamilias of all of Rome.
47
What other way did Augustus ensure he was seen as a father figure?
- Through the active role he took in state religion
- It was the responsibility of the paterfamilias to take part in certain religious festivals and duties on behalf of the family
- Augustus was a member of nearly every college of priests, and after Lepidus' death in 12BC, he was Pontifex Maximus.
48
What title was Augustus given by the Senate and when?
The title of Pater Patriae, in 2BC, which translates to 'father of the fatherland'
49
Which author gave an example of Livia not partaking in indulgence?
Younger Seneca
50
What did Younger Seneca write about Livia?
- After the death of her son Drusus, Livia was very upset.
- However, when she had laid him to rest, she put aside her grief rather than indulging in excessive mourning
- Instead, she honoured his memory in true Roman custom by displaying his likeness in public and happily and openly talking about him and his exploits.
51
Which member of the imperial family was not a perfect role model?
Julia the Elder, Augustus' only biological daughter
52
What happened with Julia the Elder, and how was she punished?
- She was accused of adultery in 2BC by Augustus.
- Julia was exiled from Rome, alongside some of her lovers, whilst the others were compelled to commit suicide.
53
What happened with Julia the Elder's daughter?
Julia the Younger was also accused of having an affair with a Roman Senator.
She was also sent into exile.
54
What did the exile of the Julia's do?
- Augustus probably wanted to distance himself from their misdeeds and so preserve his own reputation and the reputation of the imperial family.
55
What did Augustus encourage the idea that his reign was?
A new 'Golden Age'
56
What is a Golden Age?
- Featured in Greek and Roman mythology
- The first race of men, the Golden Race lived carefree lives, free from suffering and hard work.
- They were loved by the gods and spent their days in unending feasts.
- The mortals of Augustus' time would have been of the Iron Race, living lives far inferior to the Golden Race
- Augustus claimed that a new Golden Age had come to the world and that his Romans were the new Golden Race
57
What did Augustus drawing on the Golden Age myth do?
- Made his position as leader of Rome even more secure.
- The Saturnian Golden Age ended because Saturn was removed from power by his son Jupiter.
- Therefore, the implication was that Augustus was the bringer of the Golden Age and it would end if he were to be removed from power
58
When did Augustus announce the start of a new age and how did he celebrate it?
- In 17BC
- He marked the occasion with games called the Ludi Saeculares
59
Where did Augustus claim the origins of the new age came from, and why?
- To avoid his declaration seeming overly political, Augustus claimed that the coming of a new age had been prophesied in the Sibylline books.
60
What were the Ludi Saeculares like?
A three night and day festival in honour of the gods
Many grand sacrifices, which were followed by days of entertainment
All Romans were invited and expected to attend, even those who'd been banned due to their unmarried status
61
What do any references to Saturn act as a reminder of?
As a reference to the Golden Age, alongside images of lasting peace and prosperity
