power struggle Flashcards

Question

when was the battle of actium and what happened

Answer 1

-31BC 2nd Sep - marked end of power struggle with MA -hailed as one of the greatest miliatry victories in roman history -MA and Cleo fled to Alexandria awaiting O advance -Cleo tried to negotite with O - O unwilling to make a deal - was told she would be capured and taken to Rome -Cleo did not want this so comitted suicide on 12th august 30Bc -Octavian took Egypt as a roman province - depited in a mannar of a pharaoh

Answer 2

-ensured O sole command of rome as no one had the power/experience to realistically challenge him -truth of battle was that it was problamatic -ended in flight and surrender - not glorious defence of arms -mostly Agrippa work not O -romans against romans - civil war -mostly romans died in the battle -so O needed to spin a certain perception of himself and the battle within rome and overlook the neagtive reality to futher his public image

Answer 3

-lyric poet -patron was Maecenas - friend of O -most of work praised A

Answer 4

Cleopatra Date: 23BC Significance: focuses on Cleopatra’s role in and after Actium (not Mark) Key arguments: The poem was directly addressed to the reader encouraging them to prepare for a feast The focus of the poem is not Octavian but on Cleopatra For majority of the poem he demonises her emphasising the danger she posed to Rome and her lack of control “a maddened queen was still plotting the Capitol’s and the empire’ ruin, with her crowd of deeply - corrupted creatures sick with turpitude, she, violent with hope of all kinds, and intoxicated” The next lines are a problematic simile as she is compared to a dove fleeing from a hawk Shows Octavian military superior but Cleopatra as venerable Possible Horace chose dove with connection to Venus Doves sacred and alluding to Cleopatras doomed love affair The poem ends by addressing her suicide - Cleopatra is most impressive and no thought to flee → suicide was not shameful in Rome Horace presents Cleopatra as a formidable enemy brought done by a superior force of Octavian - praises Octavian

Answer 5

-A Toast to Actium Date: 30BC Significance: : Celebrates Octavian’s victory at Actium Key arguments: One of the earliest works celebrating Octavian’s victory at Actium Horace speaks of Octavian’s triumph, soon to be cele brated at Rome and creates a suitable atmosphere He goes onto remind the reader of the reason for the battle → “A Roman, - you’ll not credit posterity— Sadly, ups stick and arms himself, For a women’s sake” The unnamed Roman is Antony, he also does not name Cleopatra - reforming to her only as a ‘shameful paillon’ - not name MA - degrade his rep By focusing on Antony and Cleopatra Horace is reminding the reader of why battle was necessary The only mention of the battle is of that the Gallic King Amyntas deserted Antony and joins Octavian He leaves the battle event vague and up to the readers imagination - compares to previous battles

Answer 6

-elegaic poetry -wrote independently but some works was comissoned by Maecenas -central theme was love for women - Cynthia -though this remains unclear -debate of wether he was pro or anti Augustan

Answer 7

Date: 28BC Significance: conveys the power of Cleopatra over Antony and the threat she posed to Rome Key quotes: ‘the witch of Colchis’ (Medea + Jason), ‘Omphale’ (enslaved Hercules) Key arguments: Propertius is a writer of love poetry - he explains how he has been en- slaved by love for his unnamed lover He presents himself as powerless against chains of love, subject to her power Compares his situation to mythical heroes who had been ruled by love for powerful women - Jason, Achilles and Hercules - He then goes to explain how Cleopatra enslaved Antony in the same way: “Cleopatra, who heaped insults on our army, a woman worn by her own attendants who demanded the walls of Rome and the Senate bound to her rule, as a reward from her obscene husband” The same as Horace, he refuses to name Antony - reduces his status im- plying that he was under her control While reminding the audience that the marriage between Antony and Cleopatra was obscenity because it was bigamous The poem goes onto contrast a threatening Egypt with a glorious Rome He stresses the danger posed by Cleopatra by introducing iconic symbols of Egypt and answering each with an iconic symbol of Rome In this way Cleopatra’s assault is made to seem particularly threatening and targeted Like Horace, Propertius skips over the events of the battle, limiting his account to a few words: “You fled to the wanderings mouth of frightened Nile” This clearly references to the fact that during the battle Cleopatra gave the order for Egyptian ships the battle Cleopatra gave the order for her Egyptian ships to flee The poem ends with a reference to Apollo of Actium and an explicit warning to sailors on the Ionian sea to fear the might of Caesar Praising Octavian’s victory over Cleopatra, glorifying the battle by stressing Cleopatra’s strength The title ‘women's power’ shows that he is under the thrall of his lover, which means he sympathises with Antony His work presents Octavian’s victory over Cleopatra as glorious and Octavian is made to seem the saviour of Rome Calls into question whether Antony is really to blame

Answer 8

-visible gestures - permenent reminder that A was a benefactor -29 BC - awarded triple triumph by senate -gates of the temple of Janus was closed - singnalled that peace had been restored to rome and the empire -trumpiherla arch built in the forum -temple of diefied JC was decorated with prows of ships and weapons -forunded Nikopolis - near the site of the battle

Answer 9

-"The whole of Italy of its own violition swore allegiance to me and demanded that i lead them in the war that I won at actium"

Answer 10

-laurel wireath - symbolise vicotry -stood on prow of a ship - direct indication that this was to commemerate actium -O shown during triumpheral procession with 4 horses