Military Policy of Augustus Flashcards
What was the frontier policy in the Republic? (2)
- 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
What was the organisation of the army in the Republic? (3)
- 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
What was the Pax Romana? How did it help legitimise Augustus?
- 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
What were the problems that Augustus faced regarding the frontier? (3)
- 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
What were the solutions to Augustus’ problems regarding the frontier? (3)
- 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
Why did Augustus adopt a general policy of non-aggression in the East?
- The powerful kingdom of Parthia was a major threat to eastern Roman territories
Why was there a need to regain Roman prestige in the east?
- 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
Many expected military expeditions to regain prestige. What approach did Augustus adopt?
- Far more prudent approach, favouring diplomacy over war
Why did Augustus establish ‘client kingdoms’?
- To act as a buffer zone between Rome and Parthia
Give an example of a puppet king. Who installed him?
- Tigranes in Armenia
- Installed by Augustus through Tiberius
What were the legionary standards? Why were they such a big deal?
- Eagles that were the sacred symbol of the legions
- Losing these to the enemy was considered the greatest of military disgraces
How did Augustus get the standards back?
- he negotiated their return in 20 BC
How were the legionary standards lost?
- Crassus lost them to Parthia at the battle of Carrhae
Did the return of the standards bring prestige?
- Absolutely, and became of great propagandistic value
What does the Res Gestae say about Augustus recovering the standards? (quote)
- “I compelled them to return the spoils”
What does Horace say about the recovery of the standards in his poetry? (Quote)
- “Your time, Caesar, has restored rich harvests/ to the fields and to Jupiter the standards/ stripped from the Parthian’s insolent porches”
What frontiers were of the most concern to Augustus?
- The northern frontiers
Why were the northern frontiers of the most concern to Augustus?
- Germanic and other ‘barbarian’ tribes threatened Gaul and Italy
What was Augustus’ solution to the problem of the northern frontiers?
- To use the great rivers of Europe (the Rhine, Danube and Elbe) to provide an easy to defend, natural barrier to these threats
What did Drusus and Tiberius do in 16-15 BC? (2)
- 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)
What happened in the northern region in 6 AD?
- Serious uprising that took Tiberius three years to subdue
Why did Augustus intend to push the boundaries past the Rhone and to the Elbe?
- The Elbe was a smaller river and therefore easier to defend
What did Drusus do in 12-9 BC?
- Subdued various Germanic tribes and eventually reached the Elbe before being tragically killed when he fell from his horse
Tiberius continued Drusus’ work and achieved further success, establishing which province?
- Germania
What does the Res Gestae say about the provinces Augustus established? (quote)
- “I pacified”
What does Velleius Paterculus say about Tiberius’ campaigns in Germany? (quote)
- “He shattered the enemy’s power by means of land and sea expeditions”
What does Velleius Paterculus tell us about Tiberius sharing equal power over the armies with Augustus? (quote)
- “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”
How does Velleius Paterculus praise Tiberius? (2 quotes)
- “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”
How does Suetonius praise Tiberius? (quote)
- “He never made war on any nation without just and due cause”
What was the Varus disaster? What happened? When did it happen? What was its significance? How did it change Augustan policy?
- 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
How does Suetonius describe the Varus disaster? (3 quotes)
- “ignominious defeat”
- “almost fatal”
- “disaster”
What does Suetonius tell us that Augustus dis after the Varus disaster? (3)
- 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”
