Relationship with the Senate

Question 1

Purged the Senate

Answer 1

29BC - 1000 –> 800
“Caesar and Agrippa…revised the list of senators”

Because of civil wars, many had become senators unworthily

18BC - 800 –> 600

Question 2

How did he give the Senate prestige & respect?

Answer 2

Raised the standards for recruitment

Existing qualifications:

Senatorial birth, Service as quaestor

Added a

• property qualification: 1,000,000 sesterces
• military service requirement

Question 3

Authority of the Senate?

Answer 3

Senate = sole legal source of authority

BUT they needed military power to carry out their wishes

Question 4

Recruitment vs Augustus?

Answer 4

As princeps, he could allow men to become senators

==> opened up the base of the senatorial pyramid to equestrians

Question 5

How did Augustus cause the Senate to take its duties seriously?

Answer 5

• increased fines for non attendence in 17BC and 9BC

- established the necessity of a quorum for transacting business

Question 6

Meaning of Quorum?

Answer 6

Minimum number of people required to be a meeting for official decisions to be made

Question 7

How did he maintain control of the Senate?

Answer 7

Established a Senatorial Standing Committee (By 18BC)

Question 8

Members of the Senatorial Standing Committee?

Answer 8

• Augustus
• 1/2 consuls
• 1 of each of other magistrates
• 15 senators chosen by lot

Whole committee (except Augustus) changed every 6months

Question 9

SSC’s purpose

Answer 9

prepare business for the full Senate

c.f Cabinet (committee of senior ministers responsible for controlling government policy)

Question 10

Augustus’ personal group of advisors

Answer 10

Amici principis

Question 11

Merging of the SSC and Amici princeps

Why?

Answer 11

AD13

Too difficult to properly manage the Senate due to his old age

Question 12

What are some benefits of establishing the SSC?

Answer 12

It made the Senate more:
Efficient
Amenable to his own wishes

Question 13

Committee members after AD13

Answer 13

• Augustus
• Consuls
• Tiberius
• Germanicus (Tiberius’ nephew)
• 20 senators selected (counselors)
• men co-opted by Augustus

Question 14

How powerful were the decisions of the Committee after AD13?

Answer 14

= Senatus Consulta

had the force of the decisions of the Senate itself

Question 15

How did Augustus control money?

Answer 15

mint at Lycon
for gold and silver coinage

after 12BC, the Senate only had control of Bronze and Copper coinage