Main figures of breakdown Flashcards
Marius x3 - about and ending
o Populares Equestrian, distinguished military career
End
o Saturninus amicitia – land bill and increasing recipients of grain dole
o Violence, SCU, Saturninus stoned to death by mob, Marius retires
Marius precedents x3+1
o Defies Gracchian reform – popular vote to give him Africa (like Caesar, Pompey and Crassus – but also Scipio)
o Precedent for breaking Lex Villia Annalis (7 consulships)
o Military reform – voluntary and plebian (to what extent)
o Lintott – Marius first to be giving land to soldiers
Sulla violence 1+1, 2+1
March On Rome
First general to use his army against Rome (Plutarch Sulla 9.5)
(‘momentous event in Rome’s history’ - Scullard)
Proscriptions
Sulla…filled the city with more murders than anyone could count or determine (31.1)
Only 40 senators and 1600 equites (acc. Bradley)
Sulla confiscated the property of all [those proscribed] (31)
Reforms and corruption of Sulla x4
Plutarch, Sulla 34
Doubled size of senate (300-600) to pack it with supporters (new eques) and gave supporters offices and power
Redrafted Lex Annalis, diminished tribunes’ powers, recruited senators (Revival of censors), equestrian and senatorial juries
Killed many yet resigned and became ‘a private man’ (Plutarch Sulla 34)
Undone in 70s - started by Pompey and Crassus
Pompey rise x2
o Gets triumph before age
o ‘Not interested’ in being a senator, only ‘after surprising and unusual forms of glory’ (Plutarch 14)
Pompey military power or senatorial failure x1 +2
‘Threatening to come back to Italy with his army if they did not send [money]’ (Plutarch Pompey 20)
Same time, ‘exhausted his private resources’ (20)
o But wants to preserve the state – burning Perpenna letters (20)
Pompey abuse of power x2
o 60BC - Pompey ‘had’ consuls elected (CD 37) (Cicero Ad Atticum 1.16)
o Bribing the people to help pass his veterans law CD 37
Pompey Commands x2
Lex Gabinia and Manilia
Gabinia - Pirate issue in the Med, given 500 ships, 120k troops and 5k cavalry and shows clemency
- Senatorial opposition but passed by people
Manilia - sole eastern command - used friendly tribune to get it proposed
Catiline Conspiracy plot, reasoning, caveats x2+2
63BC
Catiline formed the plan of overthrowing the government, ‘both because his own debt was enormous …Catiline himself had high hopes as a candidate for the consulship’ (Sallust Catiline’s War 16)
Planning to assassinate consuls (18) - Sallust
Letter to Catulus – Sallust 35 - apology - seems more reasonable - maybe not intending to destroy Rome?
(Bonus: Plutarch Caesar 7 - implication he was involved in the conspiracy - although weak)
Catiline corruption/support x2
‘Catiline promised them the cancellation of debts, the proscription of the rich, offices, priesthoods, plunder’ - 21 (Sallust)
Supporters all reprobates ‘motley and seditious crew’ ‘all the filth of Rome’ – not an ‘immediate threat’.
Due to their debts – Cicero Catilinarian 2.17 (supported by Sallust 14 - ‘gangs of criminals and reprobates’)
Cicero against corruption x2
In Verrem 42
So corrupt, allies want to abolish court meant ‘established to protect them’
Convincing senators to vote against to show they are not corrupt like Verres
Cicero against Catiline x3 (+1)
Consul in 63BC
Exposed and suppressed Catiline’s conspiracy through speeches and Senate authority (In Catilinam)
Threats of violence, leading him to wear a breastplate - Plutarch Caesar 14 (political showmanship)
‘only man’ saving ‘res publica from destruction’ (civil war rather than a foreign war (Catilinarians 4))
Oversees death without trial (Sallust debate)
Lepidus x3 (factions)
Revolt
Plutarch Sulla 34
- Elected with help of Pompey
‘worst of men’ turns on Pompey
Exploited the anti-Sullan faction (burial ‘many now joined Lepidus) - 38
Pompey 16
o ‘Appeared once in arms…remnants of a faction, long enfeebled’
Triumvirate x3
Caesar…got Piso made consul for the coming year…Cato…cried out that it was intolerable to have the supreme power prostituted by marriage alliance Cassius Dio 37
immediately after his marriage, filled the forum with armed men and helped the people to enact Caesar’s laws (Plutarch Caesar 13-14)
(Plutarch Pompey 48)
Crassus’ death (53 BC) and Julia’s death (54 BC) removed stabilizing influences
Cato x1
Sallust 54.2 - Cato and Caesar
Caesar was held great because of his benefactions and lavish generosity, Cato for the uprightness of his life(no bribery.
Clodius x4 +1
59BC - adopted to a plebian family - then tribune
Cicero, ad Atticum 10:
Bona Dea scandal. Clodius acquitted
after notorious bribery (cicero testified)
16: ‘the Republic is finished.’
22+25 Open violence, burning down houses and trying to kill Cicero
(Also Milo gangs aiming to block his aedileship, using similar gang tactics - murdered by Milo on Via Appia in 52BC)
