Military Policy of Augustus

Question 1

What was the frontier policy in the Republic? (2)

Answer 1

• There was no clear, cohesive frontier policy

- The direction of Rome’s expansion had been unsystematic and random, depending largely on where wars had to be fought

Question 2

What was the organisation of the army in the Republic? (3)

Answer 2

• Rome’s legions had not been organised in such a way as to defend Rome’s borders, since organisation of deployment largely fell to provincial governors or the generals themselves
• Troops had often been pulled away from vulnerable frontiers to fight the internal civil wars of the late Republic
• As a result, Rome’s frontiers were often vastly undermanned and poorly defended

Question 3

What was the Pax Romana? How did it help legitimise Augustus?

Answer 3

• An unprecedented era of peace and harmony achieved through military supremacy which lasted for over 200 years
• It helped to legitimise his rule as it was such a vast achievement

Question 4

What were the problems that Augustus faced regarding the frontier? (3)

Answer 4

• No real standing army to man the vast frontier regions of the empire
• Civil wars meant that Rome’s enemies had strengthened themselves unchallenged
• Provincials had become more likely to rebel as attention turned away from managing the provinces

Question 5

What were the solutions to Augustus’ problems regarding the frontier? (3)

Answer 5

• Consolidating what Rome already ruled
• Ending the unsystematic expansion that had characterised Rome’s frontier policy in the Republic
• Pursuing clearly defined and defensible boundaries, preferably natural barriers

Question 6

Why did Augustus adopt a general policy of non-aggression in the East?

Answer 6

• The powerful kingdom of Parthia was a major threat to eastern Roman territories

Question 7

Why was there a need to regain Roman prestige in the east?

Answer 7

• Two military disasters in the late Republic under Crassus (53 BC) and Mark Antony (40-33 BC) had lost Roman military prestige in the region

Question 8

Many expected military expeditions to regain prestige. What approach did Augustus adopt?

Answer 8

• Far more prudent approach, favouring diplomacy over war

Question 9

Why did Augustus establish ‘client kingdoms’?

Answer 9

• To act as a buffer zone between Rome and Parthia

Question 10

Give an example of a puppet king. Who installed him?

Answer 10

• Tigranes in Armenia

- Installed by Augustus through Tiberius

Question 11

What were the legionary standards? Why were they such a big deal?

Answer 11

• Eagles that were the sacred symbol of the legions

- Losing these to the enemy was considered the greatest of military disgraces

Question 12

How did Augustus get the standards back?

Answer 12

• he negotiated their return in 20 BC

Question 13

How were the legionary standards lost?

Answer 13

• Crassus lost them to Parthia at the battle of Carrhae

Question 14

Did the return of the standards bring prestige?

Answer 14

• Absolutely, and became of great propagandistic value

Question 15

What does the Res Gestae say about Augustus recovering the standards? (quote)

Answer 15

• “I compelled them to return the spoils”

Question 16

What does Horace say about the recovery of the standards in his poetry? (Quote)

Answer 16

• “Your time, Caesar, has restored rich harvests/ to the fields and to Jupiter the standards/ stripped from the Parthian’s insolent porches”

Question 17

What frontiers were of the most concern to Augustus?

Answer 17

• The northern frontiers

Question 18

Why were the northern frontiers of the most concern to Augustus?

Answer 18

• Germanic and other ‘barbarian’ tribes threatened Gaul and Italy

Question 19

What was Augustus’ solution to the problem of the northern frontiers?

Answer 19

• To use the great rivers of Europe (the Rhine, Danube and Elbe) to provide an easy to defend, natural barrier to these threats

Question 20

What did Drusus and Tiberius do in 16-15 BC? (2)

Answer 20

• Led a combined campaign to conquer the territory north of the Alps as far as the Danube
• They organised it into two districts called Raetia (Switzerland) and Noricum (Austria)

Question 21

What happened in the northern region in 6 AD?

Answer 21

• Serious uprising that took Tiberius three years to subdue

Question 22

Why did Augustus intend to push the boundaries past the Rhone and to the Elbe?

Answer 22

• The Elbe was a smaller river and therefore easier to defend

Question 23

What did Drusus do in 12-9 BC?

Answer 23

• Subdued various Germanic tribes and eventually reached the Elbe before being tragically killed when he fell from his horse

Question 24

Tiberius continued Drusus’ work and achieved further success, establishing which province?

Answer 24

• Germania

Question 25

What does the Res Gestae say about the provinces Augustus established? (quote)

Answer 25

• “I pacified”

Question 26

What does Velleius Paterculus say about Tiberius’ campaigns in Germany? (quote)

Answer 26

• “He shattered the enemy’s power by means of land and sea expeditions”

Question 27

What does Velleius Paterculus tell us about Tiberius sharing equal power over the armies with Augustus? (quote)

Answer 27

• “The senate and the people of Rome…decreed that it should be so, since it was manifestly absurd that what was defended by him should not be subjected to his authority”

Question 28

How does Velleius Paterculus praise Tiberius? (2 quotes)

Answer 28

• “our greatest general”
• “one finds it hard to decide whether to admire more his limitless acceptance of toil and danger or his limited acceptance of honours”

Question 29

How does Suetonius praise Tiberius? (quote)

Answer 29

• “He never made war on any nation without just and due cause”

Question 30

What was the Varus disaster? What happened? When did it happen? What was its significance? How did it change Augustan policy?

Answer 30

• Command of the Rhine campaign was entrusted to Varus, but he did not understand the complexity of Germany
• Varus and the 17th, 18th and 19th legions were betrayed and ambushed, with up to 20,000 Romans being slaughtered
• Happened in 9 AD
• The disaster was an enormous setback: one of Rome’s greatest military losses
• Augustus’ policy now shifted to defence: the Rhine would provide the safest boundary to the unconquerable north

Question 31

How does Suetonius describe the Varus disaster? (3 quotes)

Answer 31

• “ignominious defeat”
• “almost fatal”
• “disaster”

Question 32

What does Suetonius tell us that Augustus dis after the Varus disaster? (3)

Answer 32

• Didn’t cut his beard or hair for several months
• He would “dash his head against a door, crying “Quintilius Varus, give me back my legions!””
• Made the day of the disaster one of “sorrow and mourning”