Gaius 37-41 CE Flashcards
Who was Gaius made co-heir with in Tiberius’ will?
Tiberius Gemellus
What happened to Gaius’ co-heir Tiberius Gemellus?
Gaius forced him to commit suicide
What event is used to split Gaius’ reign into good and bad parts?
His illness in late 37 CE
What experience did Gaius lack when he came to power in 37 CE?
Political and military experience
How did Gaius secure the support of the Roman people at the beginning of his reign?
He held a series of games, recalled exiles and dropped charges from under Tiberius and ‘reunified’ the imperial household by adopting Tiberius Gemellus and give Livia the title Augusta
Whose remains did Gaius move to the Mausoleum of Augustus?
His mother Agrippina’s and one of his brothers’
How did Gaius secure the support of the Roman army at the beginning of his reign?
He minted a coin with his father Germanicus on to transfer some of Germanicus’ glory onto himself
What administrative change did Gaius make to generate goodwill?
He removed the 5% auction tax
What administrative change did Gaius make later in his reign after he had blown through all his money?
New and severe taxes
How many sesterces did Gaius spend within a year?
2.7 billion
How did the plebs respond to Gaius’ new taxes?
They stormed the Circus Maximus
What practical building projects did Gaius start work on?
Various aqueducts
What happened to the aqueducts Gaius started building?
They were completed by Claudius
What other, less practical building projects did Gaius undertake?
He built a bridge of boats at Baiae and pleasure barges for Lake Nemi
What was different about Gaius’ accession?
The Senate imparted all the imperial titles and powers onto him immediately even though he held no official position
How did the Senate treat Gaius his whole reign?
They sycophantically pandered to him
What policy of Tiberius’ did Gaius reintroduced in 39 CE?
The treason trials
How did the Senate react to Gaius’ reinstation of the treason trials?
They made speeches praising him and thanked him for not putting them all to death
What did Gaius do for the equestrians?
Expanded and revised their order
What was Gaius’ attitude towards the imperial cult?
He wanted to be seen as divine
What are the possible reasons that Gaius emphasised his supposed divinity?
To further separate himself from Tiberius, to cover up his lack of political and military experience, or because he had been flattered so much upon accession that he truly believed it
How did Gaius act towards the imperial cult earlier in his reign?
He forbade the setting up of images of him and refused to allow sacrifices to be made to his fortune
How did the people and the Senate respond to Gaius’ claims of divinity at the time?
They indulged him; the Senate granted him a temple on the Palatine and the richest citizens tried to gain priesthoods there
How did Gaius die?
He was assassinated in 41 CE
What were the assassins’ reasons for killing Gaius?
They were personal reasons, such as having been mocked by Gaius or hoping to further their own imperial ambitions
