Finance and generosity

Question 1

Claudius in Tacitus

Answer 1

There was the Saecular games along with gladiatorial shows and games in the circus.

Question 2

Claudius in Suetonius

Answer 2

“Claudius often distributed largesse to the people and gave numerous magnificent public shows” that included “the Saecular Games…chariot races…wild beast shows…a panther hunt…gladiatorial games…the realistic storm and sack of a fortified town…a mechanical triton which emerged from the lake bottom and blew a conch.”

Question 3

tiberius in tacitus

Answer 3

Tacitus
Page 94-95; The example of Hortensius who had had to have lots of children due to Augustus’ marriage laws, and was now bankrupt. He wants money to pay for them, the senate “received this favourably” and wanted to give him the money but Tiberius “lost no time in objecting” saying that “if every poor man is to come here…the nations finances will collapse”. However Tiberius still gave him a one off payment of 200,000 sesterces to each of the male children (however this was not actually a lot of money so the family still became destitute).

Page 101; In AD17 there was an Earthquake which affected “twelve famous cities”. “Tiberius promised Sardis ten million sesterces and remitted all taxation for five years”. This is one of his acts of generosity.

Question 4

Tiberius Suetonius

Answer 4

Suetonius

Section 20; A show of generosity from his spoils of war, he “gave 300 sesterces to every male guest”.

Section 32; Senate wanting to rise tax. but Tiberius refused - welfare if the people.

Section 33; Tiberius “cut down the expenses of public entertainments”, showing how he was becoming more frugal and cutting down on extravagance and wastage.

He only contributed to the public twice, “the erection of Augustus’ temple and the restoration of Pompey’s Theatre”. “He gave no public shows at all”.

Section 48; “Tiberius showed large scale generosity no more than twice…he offered a public loan of 100 million sesterces…he paid for the rebuilding of blocks of houses…which had been destroyed in a fire”.

Section 49; He began to try to get money out of everything and everyone, he forced a wealthy person to name him as sole heir, and then commit suicide.