Roman challenges/conspiracies

Question 1

Augustus Challenges

Answer 1

Conspiracies
- Marcus Lepidus planned to assassinate Caesar but stopped early on, preventing the start of a new ‘civil war’ (VP 2.8.8)
- ‘a series of sporadic riots and revolts’; ‘all of them detected before they became dangerous’ (Suet 19)
- ‘attempts at Augustus’ life were made by men from even the lowest walks of life’ (Suet 19)
- Caepio had also planned to assassinate Augustus but his plot was discovered and he was condemned.’ (Macrobius 1.11.21) - simple account showing speed with which dealt

Question 2

Tiberius Challenges

Answer 2

Mutinies of 14 AD in Germany and Illyricum
- Universal ‘uproar’ about pay and the ‘severity of the work’. Veterans ‘begged him to give relief to outworn men’. ‘ready’ to install Germanicus, should he desire it (Tacitus 1.35)

BUT - Tac 1.16 - ‘change of sovereigns had excited a vision of licensed anarchy and a hope of the rewards of civil war’, and blames Percennius, who ‘played on simple minds’ - ‘no fresh greivances’
- Army ‘seized’ by ‘a form of madness’, ‘wanted a new leader, a new order of things, and a new republic.’ (VP 2.125)

• ‘meantime the troops were rising and could not be checked by the unripe authority of a pair of boys.’ (Tacitus 1.46)
  -‘all this disturbance was soon quelled and supressed by the ripe experience of the veteran commander’ (VP 1.125) (referencing Tib even though not there)

Question 3

Tiberius challenges - non-mutiny (x2)

Answer 3

Africa
- ‘The African war, which grew more formidable every day, was soon extinguished in accordance with his plans.’ (Did last 9 years) VP
Sejanus
- ‘the senators and all the other sections of Roman society treated him as if he were actually the emperor, while they had only contempt for Tiberius.’ (CD 58.4)

Question 4

Caligula challenges

Answer 4

Conspiracies
- ‘many secret plots now laid against him’ (Regulus(dubious character), Charea, Minucianus) (Joe 19.3)

• ‘there were a good many of course, in the conspiracy and privy to what was being done’
  ‘practically all his courtiers were won over’ (CD 59.29)
• ‘such frantic and reckless behaviour roused murderous thoughts in certain minds’. Personal vendetta of Cassius as taunted for being called ‘Priapus(god of sexuality) or Venus’ and ‘effeminate’ (Suet 56)

Question 5

Claudius challenges - x3 groups

Answer 5

Others influence
-‘whenever they desired to obtain anyone’s death, they would terrify Claudius and as a result would be allowed to anything they chose’ (CD 60.14)
Army
-‘Vinicianus with some others straightaway formed a plot against him’
‘Scribonianus was already making his own plans for an uprising’ (CD 60.15)
Senators
- ‘senators longed for a return to their former status’ (Joe 19.227)

Question 6

Claudius challenges - assassination

Answer 6

Death
- ‘complicity…of the doctor Xenophon…plunged a feather, dipped in quick poison, down his throat’ (Tac 12.68)
-‘a report went about that he was poisoned by his wife Agrippina’
(Joe 19.20)