Quiz 3 (New Material) Flashcards
oppian laws of 215
Laws against having extraneous wealth (can’t flex your wealth), extra money should be used for war effort
protest against oppian laws
- Women gather in the forum in 195 CE to protest the Oppian law that denies them ‘any pleasure in their husbands successes’
- the law was eventually repealed as ppl got richer
what were the consequences of prolonged wars of Roman expansion
- land ownership messed up
- slave trade and supply, exacerbates the land
what happened due to prolonged wars causing for soldiers to stay abroad for yrs. at a time?
soldiers left the responsibilities of farming to extended family and young sons
-some farms were not managed well and families fell into debt and poverty
what were the problems associated w/ land distribution
Some wealthy landowners bought the failing farms of families whose men were away fighting.
-this left families working their own land for someone else or moving to a different city
what caused alienation among the citizenry
wealthy landowners buying the failing farms of families who had a soldier at war
latifundia
Elite Romans were able to lease many plots of land – even consolidate the land into huge farming estates
what was the problem w/ latifundia
they used slave labor instead of the labor of townsfolk
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
sons of a powerful political family (father Tiberius Gracchus, mother Cornelia)
cornelia
mother of Tiberius and Gaius
who was Cornelia the daughter of?
Scipio Africanus, who defeated Hannibal at Zama in 202
what did Tiberius reform and what did he say about it?
land redistribution:
No one should use more than 500 acres of public land – the rest would be divided among the poor by elected commissioners.
what were the benefits to Tiberius’ land redistribution plan (2)
- redistributes land so more land ownership and more soldiers
- Reduces number of slaves so that revolts are less frequent
what was the problem w/ Tiberius’ land redistribution plan
Wealthy landowners objected to losing what they considered their own property after one or two generations of possession
what was the senatorial response to Tiberius’ land reforms?
They viewed Tiberius as a radical who usurps the customary political process to promote his own agenda
Gaius Gracchus
younger brother of Tiberius
-elected tribune in 123 and 122
what did Gaius Gracchus attempt to reform? (3)
- proposed that land in Carthage be redistributed among the poor
- tried to fix the price of grain so poor could always afford it
- sought to extend the rights of Italian allies
what did the deaths of the Gracchi open the door to/lead to?
to further politically motivated violence in Rome
Tiberius’ death
When he ran in late 133 to be tribune of the plebs again, angry senators and their supporters beat Tiberius Gracchus and 300 of his followers to death.
Gaius’ death
Gaius Gracchus dies after he sees his land ownership plan be reversed, senatorial supporters kill 3000 Gracchan supporters and Gaius kills himself
whats the major theme of the gracious legacy
we see elite hostility against those who stir up popular antagonism
the rising power of the tribune of the plebs
tribunate of the plebs became a powerful office: one that can surpass the power of the senate.
what caused the social/italian wars of 91-87 BCE?
A Tribune of the plebs (Livius Drusus) proposes that the Italians be granted full Roman rights (91 BCE).
-The Senate obstructs, tribune is killed.
what 3 things happen in the social/italian wars of 91-87 BCE?
- Italian towns demand greater rights of citizenship.
- Some more independently minded towns secede from Roman
power. - Roman armies led by a general named Lucius Cornelius Sulla were very successful in fighting the Italian rebels.
what came out of the social/italian wars of 91-87 BCE?
Romans eventually grant greater rights of citizenship to all of Italy but it made the political authority of Rome over all of Italy even more significant.
Gaius Marius
157-86 BCE
- Novus homo
- reorganized the army
novus homo meaning
“new man”
-this means that no one in his family has ever achieved senatorial status (has not held the key offices of the cursus honorum).
what was Gaius Marius’ key achievement
he reorganized the army
-Marius allowed poor landless men to be enrolled in the legions for a 20-year term.
who is Jugurtha of Numidia the grandson of
Masinissa of Numidia
what caused the Romans to wage war on Jugurtha
in an attempt to destroy a rival north African prince, he killed several Italian settlers at Cirta
how was Jugurtha defeated
Marius selected landless volunteers for his army, promising them rewards. He also had help from lieutenant Lucius Cornelius Sulla
why did Marius reorganize the army?
as a response to the problem of too many unemployed Romans and Italians and not enough military recruits who meet the property qualifications.
3 problems that came out of Marius’ reorganizing of the army?
- Future generals could win lifetime loyalty by promising land after retirement
- Some generals gained loyalty by providing war booty and other gifts to soldiers
- Some generals began to ask their armies to fight for them
Lucius Cornelius Sulla
- Ruled as dictator from 82-80 BCBE
- Sulla brings legions into rome again in 82 CE and kills rivals using proscription (public list of those to be killed) - 500 killed
what did Sulla do in 81 BCE?
sent loyal generals into spain to take on Sertorius (a man who could have started a break-off state)
who was Sertorius
a talented plebian general who had many Roman and Spanish followers and could have set up a break-off state
-Pompey fought under him
88 BCE, 86 BCE, 82 BCE - what event do they have in common
All are years that Rome saw attacks on their nation (two from Sulla, one from Marius)
Proscription
Proscription is a public list of people that are to be killed
Spartacus
- escaped gladiator school, raised an army or runaway slaves and some disaffected Romans
- in 73 BCE he began a massive slave revolt
Marcus Licinius Crassus
richest man in rome via extortion and corruption
who offered to fight Spartacus?
Marcus Licinius Crassus
-offered to equip and train the army at his own expense
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BCE)
- Consul in 63 BCE
- He dealt with serious rebellion started by Lucius Sergius Catalina
Cicero vs. Catalina
Catalina tried to assassinate Cicero
- Cicero declared a national emergency, called the senate and had a large meeting where he exposed Catalina’s whole plot to bring him down
- Cicero executed all of the people on Catalina’s side
what ended up happening to Marcus Tulles Cicero
forced into exile in 58 BCE for executing Roman citizens without trial, political career fell
Gaius Verres
70 BCE: Gaius Verres prosecuted by Marcus Cicero for corruption while serving as governor of Sicily
-verres stole artworks from temples
Gaius Julius Caesar
-(100–44BCE)
- was from a distinguished patrician family (Iulius from “Iulus” = Aeneas’ son)
• Nephew of the wife (Julia) of Gaius Marius, and married to the daughter of one of Marius’ staunch supporters (Cinna)
who did Gaius Julius Caesar support for a while, but eventually disagreed with one of their laws?
Catiline, but then he opposed execution w/o a trial
who Won the consulship for 59 BCE with the support of Pompey and Crassus
Gaius Julius Caesar
who was in the first triumvirate
Casesar, Pompey, Crassus
why was the first triumvirate formed?
allowed them to do whatever they wanted…
what did Caesar gain from first triumvirate
Caesar used the Assembly of the plebs to ratify all the laws desired by Crassus and Pompey
what did Crassus gain from first triumvirate
Crassus got military command
what did Pompey gain from first triumvirate
Pompey got land for his veterans to settle in italy, africa , and greece
why did Some members of the Senate try to prosecute Caesar, and what happened as a result?
for illegal assemblies, but they failed
Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey)
known as “the young butcher” for the efficiency and ruthlessness of his tactics
-Conquered Sertorius’ forces in 72 and then Spartacus in 71
what did Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey) receive in 68 BCE
extraordinary military powers
