Senate v Emperors (learn 20)

Question 1

Augustus 2nd settlement

Answer 1

‘the weaker provinces to the senate…kept the stronger under his authority’ CD 53.12 -
(2nd settlement – division of provinces under imperial and senatorial control)

‘to unite in his own person the functions of the senate, the magistracy, and the legislature’ [through the settlements] Tacitus 1.2

Question 1

Augustus senate respect

Answer 1

Majesty was restored to senate (VP 2.89)

(‘paid off the debts of a senator friend’
(Supported by Tacitus.Annals.2.37)
Macrobius 5th century Saturnalia 2.4.23)

Question 2

Augustus 1st settlement

Answer 2

(fake giving up power)
‘established as lord for life of war and peace’ - Strabo 17.3.25

‘they compelled him, as it seems, to accept autocratic powers.’
‘So genuine was his desire to lay down absolute power.’ CD 53.11

Question 3

Augustus disrespect

Answer 3

Sebate votes tribunate for life and princeps senatus - CD 53.32

(then later concilium principis - deciding business of senate - Suet 35)(subservient)

Question 4

Tiberius sycophancy

Answer 4

‘they threw themselves at his feet imploring him to change his mind[about accepting to be princeps]’
(Suet 24)

Question 5

Tiberius subverted

Answer 5

‘the senators…treated [Sejanus] as if he were actually the emperor, while they had only contempt for Tiberius’ (CD 58.4)

Question 6

Tiberius cruelty

Answer 6

‘asked the Senate to choose 20 of the most prominent members… Of these, barely two or three survived’ (Suet 50)

Treason charges ‘cost the lives of more Roman citizens than any civil war
(Seneca on benefits

Question 7

Tiberius respect

Answer 7

Suetonius 30- ‘referred all public business, however important or unimportant, to the senators.’
Suetonius 30 – ‘gave the appearance of restoring popular liberties by seeing that the senate and the magistrates enjoyed their former dignity and authority’

Question 8

Caligula cruelty

Answer 8

‘he put to death great numbers of them on the strength of [the letters containing charges of maiestas’ [after he had purportedly destroyed them] CD 59.4
‘Being anxious that one particular senator should be torn in pieces… hand him over for lynching to the rest of the senate’ (Suet 28)
- especially hated the senate (Joe 19.1)

Question 9

Caligula sycophancy

Answer 9

the senate and a mob of people…immediately and unanimously conferred absolute power upon him’ (Suet 14)

Question 10

Claudius kind

Answer 10

• ‘abolished the charge of maiestas’, pardoned those who had called for democracy, even gave them ‘honour and offices’ (Joe 60.3)

Question 11

Claudius respect

Answer 11

Respectful
-‘consuls came down from their seats to speak with him. He got up and walked forward to meet them’ (CD 60.6)
- Claudius reserved seats for senators in the circus, and still allowed them to sit anywhere (CD 60.7)

Question 12

Nero Good

Answer 12

Tac 12

• a display of leniency towards Plautius Lateranus,​ degraded from his rank for adultery with Messalina
• emperor, who pledged himself to clemency

Question 13

Nero bad

Answer 13

Revives maiestas in 62 - killing of former consul then ‘large enconium’ (laudative speech) to emperor from senate (Tac 14)

Dissidence of Thrasea leading to senate voting with the ‘imperial displeasure’ (Tac 14)
- Robbing family estates if not giving them enough (Suet 32)