Other occurrences in the senate

Question 1

Tiberius said he would be away

Answer 1

• One person thought that the senate and Knights should continue their proper duties.
• Gaius Gallus that to conduct business without the emperor’s presence and supervision was incompatible with the national dignity.

Question 2

outcome of the discussion about Tiberius’ absence

Answer 2

Tiberius listened in silence

adjournment carried

Question 3

proposition of magistracies being given out differently

and the implications

Answer 3

Gallus moved that officials should be elected five years in advance, praetorships given to major-generals who had not already held them.
The emperor nominated 12 praetors a year
This was attacking autocracy

Question 4

Tiberius’ response to officials being elected five years in advance

Effect of this speech

Answer 4

Rebuffs were mitigated by early reversals Tiberius said rejection for five years would cause ill-feeling. So far ahead a man’s attitude, connections, resources are unpredictable. Men become haughty one year before office (5years would be worse). Virtually multiplies officials fivefold.

• Had a popular ring. Effect was to safeguard Tiberius’ dominant position.

Question 5

His financial assistance for senators

Answer 5

Gave certain senators financial assistance, so his treatment of Marcus Hortensius Hortalus (grandson of Quintus Hortensius) is curious

Question 6

Marcus Hortensius Hortalus

Answer 6

He had been persuaded by a grant from Augustus to marry and have children, to continue on his famous family.
His four sons posted at the door of the hall, turned to the statue of Hortensius and Augustus. A very moving speech deploring his destitution appealing to family, Tiberius, Augustus’ wish.

Question 7

Response to Hortensius’ demand

Answer 7

“the senate received this so favourably that the emperor lost no time in objecting”

Question 8

Tiberius’ Response to Hortensius’ demand

and how was he received

Answer 8

Tiberius “embarrassing the senate” we cannot empty the treasury by favouritism or by giving money to every poor man.

Applauded by those who habitually applaud emperors, right or wrong. The majority received it in silence.

Question 9

Tiberius’ final decision to Hortensius

Answer 9

Tiberius perceived the senate’s response, said that if the senate approved he would bestow 200,000 sesterces on each of his male children

The Hortensii continued to sink into abject destitution, a Tiberius showed it no further pity

Question 10

Decimus Junius Silanus

Answer 10

Decimus Junius Silanus and his adultery with Augustus’ granddaughter had been punished by the withdrawal of the emperor’s friendship (Augustus) which also meant exile.

Appealed to Tiberius and the senate

• Tiberius said he felt unabated towards his father’s aversion, but was glad he was back from his travels.
• Decimus lived in Rome, without office.
  (shows him to be forgiving)

Question 11

it was now proposed to mitigate the Papian-Poppaean law

Answer 11

Had been a supplement to the Julian legislation to tighten the sanctions against celibacy.
Had failed to popularise marriage and the raising of families(childlessness was too attractive). But increasingly people many people were liable to penalties, since every household was exposed to the delatores. The danger was not misbehaviour but the law

Question 12

TACITUS “this now prompts me to go into some detail about the origins of law”

Answer 12

Adds a section on the origins of the law. From primitive man with no evil desires, to inequality, autocracy or rule of law. First laws. The Roman kings. The twelve tables the last equitable legislation. Subsequent laws were to grant unconstitutional powers of banish leading citizens. Sulla. Tribunes regained their power. Pompey broke his own laws, by force he had control, by force he lost it. Morality and law were none existent, criminality went unpunished after that. Finally Augustus peace and principate.

Question 13

Why was the Papian-Poppaean law bad

Answer 13

Spies encouraged by the Papian-Poppaean law. Failure to earn the advantages of parenthood meant loss of property by the state. Caused widespread ruin and universal panic.

Question 14

How did Tiberius rectify the Papian-Poppaean problem

Answer 14

• To rectify Tiberius appointed a commission of 5 former consuls, 5 former praetors, 5 other senators chosen by lot. To disentangle numerous legal complexities. Temporarily produced a slight alleviation.

Question 15

the insulting poem

Answer 15

An informer attacked the knight Clutorius Priscus, for writing a poem while Drusus was ill (he had been subsidised by Tiberius for writing one about Germanicus’ death)
He had bragged of this in front of many leading women

Question 16

discussed punishments for the poet and outcome

Answer 16

consul-elect Haterius moved for the death penalty
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus opposed saying his survival would not endanger the senate and his death will convey no lesson. Proposed to expel him, outlaw him, confiscate his property.
Except for one ex-consul everyone disagreed
Clutorius was executed.

Question 17

Tiberius’ response to the poet’s death

outcome

Answer 17

“Characteristically cryptic reproof” from Tiberius
Praised their loyalty in avenging a minor offence to the emperor
Deprecated so hasty a punishment of a mere verbal lapse.
Commended Lepidus but did not criticise Haterius
- no executions for nine days

Question 18

What did Tiberius write about Drusus

Answer 18

Wrote to the senate to give Drusus a tribunes authority
Wrote in moderate, unexaggerated terms about his son’s character
Married man with three children
Repressed mutinies, completed wars. Had held A triumph and two consulships

Question 19

sycophantic proposals

Answer 19

(in reaction to Tiberius’ request about Drusus)
Sycophantic proposals planned: no longer dated by the names of consuls but the holders of the tribunes authority, to honour the rulers he degraded the consulship
the day’s decrees should be engraved in the senate house in gold lettering
Tiberius specifically censured the preposterous suggestion of golden lettering

Question 20

Letter from Drusus read

Tacitus’ opinion

Answer 20

despite calculated modesty it gave an arrogant impression, (tribunician power) a mere youth had been awarded so great a distinction, stayed away from Rome’s gods and the senate. “He must be fighting or visiting distant countrie” but he was only touring the Campanian lakes and coasts.
“So this was the first lesson he learnt from his father- a fine training for the ruler of the world”

Question 21

Tiberius gives the senate power

Answer 21

Tiberius “allowed the senate a shadow of its ancient power” by inviting it to discuss provincial petitions.

Question 22

How were criminals escaping punishment

Answer 22

through “over-lavish” rights of sanctuary.

“Delinquent” slaves filled temples. Asylum granted “indiscriminately” even to men suspected of capital offences.

Question 23

the provinces make petitions about their right of sanctuary

Answer 23

(Adds detail about the various religious stories and myths the different cities gave, including gods and heroes, how many Roman generals had recognised the sanctity of the temple but of the land for two miles round)

Question 24

Senate and the provincial petitions

Answer 24

• the extensive material proved wearisome. The senate requested the consuls to investigate the charters then report back. Added authentic sanctuary to some and the rest said they went back to a time to dim for consideration.
• Bronze tablets set up inside temples warning not to allow religion to become a cloak for inter-city rivalries.

Question 25

The only proposals in the senate that Tacitus has mentioned

Answer 25

are “particularly praiseworthy” or “particularly scandalous”

Question 26

A “historians foremost duty…”

Answer 26

“…is to ensure that merit is recorded, and to confront evil deeds and words with the fear of posterity’s denunciation.”

Question 27

What does Tacitus call this age

Answer 27

“This was a tainted meanly obsequious age”

Question 28

The greatest figures had to

Answer 28

had to protect their positions by subserviency

Question 29

The majority of the senate

Answer 29

competed with each others “offensively sycophantic proposals”

Question 30

Tiberius was fed up of the sycophancy

Answer 30

• Tradition that whenever Tiberius left the senate- house he exclaimed in Greek “men fit to be slaves”
• “Even he, freedom’s enemy, became impatient of such abject servility”

Question 31

A knight was charged for melting down a silver statue of the emperor for use as a plate

Answer 31

Tiberius forbade the prosecution.
- Capito made a show of independence by openly objecting saying the decision ought not to be taken away from the senate. But understanding the sinister implications Tiberius persisted in his veto