Gaius

Question 1

Reliability of sources

Answer 1

•Joesphus - He wrote the earliest account of Gaius’ reign
•Josephus - He mainly wrote under the next dynasty the Flavians, so was encouraged to be critical, especially as a Jewish writer.
•Seneca the elder - He wrote during his exile, was critical of Gaius to gain favour with Claudius to end his exile.
•Suetonius - Had access to inperial records, but wrote 80 years after his death.
•Suetonius - He loved gossip so would likely exaggerate.
•Dio - He was writing a long time after his reign
•Dio - He is critical of people he distrusts so he is unfair regarding some of Gaius’ democratic moves.

Question 2

Changes to government and building programs

Answer 2

•Suetonius - Positive changes include publishing the imperial budget, removing censorship of historians and writers, and magistrates given full control over court cases.
•Dio - he gave financial aid to those who needed it from fires.
• Pliny - Praises practical building works such as aqueducts, but critisizes the vanity projects such as the bridge.
•Coinage - celebrated abolishing the 0.5% tax. Was on the lowest denomination of Roman coin so he was directly communicating to them.
•Dio - He inscribed severe measures about taxes on boards that were that were too high to read
•Suetonius- Built a bridge along the Gulf of Baiae in retaliation to insults.
•At first these reforms seem reasonable but as they go on they support the idea of an unstable leader, not a mad tyrannical one.

Question 3

Religion and imperial cult

Answer 3

• Dio - he set up a temple of his own
• Josephus - He addressed the god jupite as his brother
• Suetonius - he joined his house with a temple.
• Dio - the masses rather took pleasure in his liscentiousness
• Suetonius - so much for gaius the emperor, history mst deal with gaius the monster.
• Dio - when ppl started calling him a god he went completerly out of his mind.
• Dio- in every espect he wanted to appear as more than human.

Question 4

Relationshio with plebs, equaestrians and senators

Answer 4

• Coinage - Started well as he abolished 0.5% tax.
•Joesphus - aby such petitions for financial help would only lead to their deaths.
•Seneca the younger - Wished that all of Rome had but one neck.
•Suetonius - Due to equites, he complained that all of rome should have one neck.
•Dio - revised the list of equites so they cant have been that disliked.
•Suetonius - The senate set aside Tiberius’ will and 16,000 made in his name.
•Dio - restored the charge of treason, shows he distrusted them.

Question 5

Assassination in 41AD:

Answer 5

•Josephus and Suetonius say there were many plans for his assassination.
•Josephus and Suetonius - Chaerea was insultef publicly so wanted personal revenge.
•Josephus and Dio - took place during a festival on Palatine Hill.
•Joesphus and Suetonius - Stabbed in the neck, followed by a fatal blow, carried on stabbing after he diedm
•Suetonius and Dio - His wife and daughter were both killed too.
• Dio - “some even tasted the flesh”
•Joesphus - “he hated everything to do with traditional values”.