Social + Political Change In 2nd Century Bce Flashcards
What were the five main social changes in the 2nd Century BCE?
- Economic inflation
- Fear of luxury
- Fear of women
- Fear of Greek culture
- Fear of religious beliefs (Bacchanalian cult)
What were the economic changes and what did they lead to?
inflation - wealth going to the already wealthy widening the gap between rich and poor. Rome also needed grain imports after Hannibal’s army burned crops for 15 years. Hardest hit were small farmers who sold their land to the wealthy.
What is latifundia?
a conglomeration of small farms owned by a wealthy person and tended by slaves (cheaply purchased individuals who were captured after the 2nd Punic war)
Describe the Roman fear of luxury
Rome accumulated lots of wealth after the 2nd Punic War, and some feared it would
-weaken soldiers
-cause some elite families to rise above others and disrupt the political landscape
-lead to a deterioration of morals.
Sumptuary laws issued such as the
-Orchian Law in 182 BC: limiting spending on dinner parties
- Fannian Law in 161 BC limiting spending on entertainment.
Describe fear of Greek culture
Lots of Greeks in Rome and positive engagement, but also negative change in perception of Greek culture. Cato the Elder, despite having many connections to the Greek world, also criticized them. Perhaps a focus point for the Romans as they were fearful in a time of change.
Describe fear of women
During and soon after the war, women began to gain more wealth and independence. Some women were left the only heirs and others had to manage things while the men were away. Fear especially atound elite women who expressed their wealth with clothing and jewlery. Fear Rome was becoming effeminate (a bad thing for them)
Describe fear of religious beliefs
Romans turned to many religious beliefs during the war out of fear, but afterward, they were concerned about it during this time of change.
Describe the suppression of the Bacchanalian cult
Dionysus - god of wine and drinking - previously not a cause for concern. In 186 BC the senate was concerned that this cult was becoming too popular and posed a risk to the state’s stability. A copy of a letter from the consuls in 186 BC confirms that this cult included both men and women and held rituals at night; however, most of the information about this cult is from Livy’s account, which was written 200 years after the cult was suppressed and which may have been influenced by his own fears of change during his life. He says it was begun by an unnamed, fortune-telling Greek, which were stereotypes and may or may not be true. His account also states that there was a violent and excessive response by Rome, having members be executed by the state, executed by their families, or commit suicide. This strong reaction from Rome could point to the paranoia and fear that was present during the social changes occurring.
What are the 5 political changes that occurred in the 2nd Century BCE?
- Rise of powerful military leaders
- Relationship with socii (Italian allies) begin to falter
- International issues (Spain, bad faith actions, accumulation of lots of land from King Attalus III of Pergamon)
- Factions in Rome
- Senate undermined the functioning of the Republic by using violence
Describe rise of powerful military leaders
Military commanders ideally appointed for no more than 1 year, but now that changes since there are now campaigns that are far away and take a long time. therefore, structure of the republican system did not cope with the demands of international warfare. so, precedents set which allowed individuals to hold military commands repeatedly. For example, Scipio Africanus
Describe faltering relationship with Italian allies
increasingly uneven relationships (Rome is telling people what to do and punishing them if they don’t do it; no longer friends/equals) – Rome’s paranoia after defections to Hannibal.
-greater interference by Rome in the internal affairs of Italian communities,
- preference given to Roman citizens (Rome seeking to control them/loyalty).
- large-scale settlement projects in Italy and forcible relocations of populations (to bolster Rome’s presence in those areas).
-Italians suffered the brunt of Bacchanalian hysteria.
-many Italian communities push for Roman citizenship (they think if they have it they’ll be treated well, but resentment and pushback from Rome to not give it to them).
-decision to give Roman troops twice as much booty than Italian ones, and therefore a struggle to get sufficient Italian recruits, especially for difficult campaigns.
-increasing resentment from the allies, and agitation to have interests better represented.
Describe international issues
-Spain was treated as a resource to be exploited (slave labor & mines), not as an ally – resentment towards Romans and resistance to Romans. difficult warfare with few rewards for generals or soldiers since the wealth of Spain is in the mines, not among the people.
- bad faith actions of some Roman leaders like the actions of Publius Scipio Aemilianus (adopted grandson of Scipio Africanus) which violate promises made by Tiberius Gracchus.
- King Attalus III of Pergamon leaves the kingdom to Rome in his will and this expands Roman power in the East and provides an unexpected source of money – leads to a power struggle (Tiberius Grachus vs. the Senate, Who decides what to do with all this money?)
Describe factions in Rome
-Tiberius Gracchus was a member of a powerful family and had held important offices. Had relation of Scipio Aemilianus (but they were rivals). Considered part of faction opposed to Scipio.
- Others opposed to Scipio, who were threatened by the idea of him turning into another Scipio Africanus, sought to undermine his support among veterans of Scipio Aemilianus through land distributions.
Describe what happened to Tiberius Gracchus
Tiberius wanted to parcel out ager publicus /public land of Rome (land belonging to Rome after wars) - a lot of it was just vacant.
goal to get unemployed people out of the city and farming the land, but there was opposition based in part on factions in Rome. in 133 Tiberius presented the plan to the Plebian assembly but it didn’t pass, Tiberius then took it to the Senate, but the majority voted against it, so Tiberius went back to the Plebian assembly and got Marcus Octavius deposed as a tribune and then the law was presented to the assembly and passed and a land commission set up. Tiberius argued for the use of Attalus’ legacy to fund land distributions and announced he would stand for tribunate again next year. Senate said “we are in charge of this money, not you” - conflict/tension between them. a violent attack on Tiberius led by Publius Scipio Nasica (a relative of his); Tiberius is is Tribune when killed (sacrosanct to kill him, but done anyway).
Describe what happened to Gaius Gracchus
ongoing support for Tiberius’ reforms and supporters from some at Rome. Gaius Gracchus (brother of Tiberius Gracchus), returned to Rome in 124, elected tribune in 123. proposes restoring Tiberius’ law and other relatively radical measures (for example, the right to vote given to all Italians, etc.) - Senate/others found these threatening to the normal political/societal running of things. He appealed to a number of different groups: the urban poor, the equites (merchants, business class, wealthy but not elite) and the Italians. Gaius summoned to the senate in 121 but refused – senate passes senatus consultum ultimum (the ultimate decree of the senate, the senate must be saved by any means necessary). Gaius and supporters flee to Aventine Hill but are surrounded and killed
Possible explanations of violence
- factionalism (part of it)
- circumvention of the Senate’s traditional authority by support of the Plebians which makes Senate furious and afraid.
- fear of tyranny
- belief that sometimes anything is acceptable to protect the state
- But who is is the best position to inflict violence? Generals with soldiers
Who feels denied power in society at this time?
Plebs and Italians
