terms Flashcards
novus homo/novi homines
Meant “new men.” It had multiple meanings, one of which was “a man without senators in his family, but who himself reached the consulship.” Instead of trying to press for more popular interests, usually they wanted to “close the gate” behind themselves, supporting senatorial causes.
Philippi
At Philippi, Antony and Octavian, with the political aim of avenging Caesar, defeated Brutus and Cassius, who subsequently committed suicide. After this battle, the empire was divided: Antony had the East, and Octavian had Italy and the West.
Lepidus
Along with Antony and Octavian, a member of the Triumvirate for Restoring the State. They each had consular powers, but Lepidus was quickly pushed aside.
The Triumvirate
Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus
Battle of Actium
The final battle in the civil war between Antony and Octavian.
Cult of the Divine Julius
The gens Julia already claimed descent from Venus. The Senate declared Julius Caesar to be a god after his death, and Octavian constructed a temple to him: the Temple of the Divine Julius.
Forum Augustum
Built by Augustus to house the Temple of Mars the Avenger, which was…
Temple of Mars the Avenger
Built by Augustus as a monument to his vow to avenge Caesar, his adopted father’s, death. (This vengeance was a private vengeance and showed pietas.) It also housed the standards Crassus lost at Carrhae. (This was a public vengeance…)
princeps
First citizen among citizens. Augustus used this term to say that he was a citizen like anyone else…
pietas
The virtue that makes a person perform duties to the gods, to family, and to fellow citizens. This was a characteristic virtue of Aeneas.
Furor impius
Furor means anger and insanity. In the Aeneid, Juno summons up Allecto to transmit to Amata and Turnus a destructive, unreasoning furor in the form of a resistance to the new order.
Julio-Claudian dynasty
The first five Emperors of Rome: Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius, Caligula, Nero.
Tiberius
Successor to Augustus. While the transfer of power was smooth, he had an uneasy relationship with the Senate. He retires to Capri under Sejanus’s influence, but even after Sejanus is arrested and executed for conspiracy, he doesn’t come back. Eventually he dies and is replaced with Gaius.
Sejanus
Prefect of the Praetorian Guard and a confidant of the emperor Tiberius. His repeated attempts to marry into the gens Iulia can be taken as a sign of his ambition. Playing on Tiberius’s paranoia and distaste for being princeps, he influences Tiberius to retire to Capri. Then somehow at the end of the year he’s arrested and executed for conspiracy.
Praetorian Guard
A special military detachment introduced by Augustus and housed at the outskirts of Rome. Their purpose was to protect the existing ruler, but they also played an important part during the long year of 69.
Germanicus
A popular and beloved military general who quelled a revolt of the troops. He had some military success in Germany, after which Tiberius sent him to deal with the Parthians. He illegally went to Egypt and died in suspicious circumstances shortly afterward.
Gaius/Caligula
Successor to Tiberius. He may have been mentally unstable. Murdered in a poorly understood palace plot.
Claudius
One of the Julio-Claudians. While the Senate was figuring out how to restore the Republic, one of the Praetorian Guard found him in the palace, and the Guard ensured his installation as princeps.
Nero
Successor to Claudius. Took the throne instead of Claudius’ actual son due to his mother’s (Agrippina the Younger) workings. Was influenced by her and Seneca. He was obsessed with his own artistic endeavors. During his reign, a massive fire destroyed much of Rome. He used this opportunity to create the fabulous Domus Aurea (Golden House).
The Year 69
After Nero’s rule and the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, various generals fight for control of Rome. During the civil war, the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus was burned down. In the end, Vespasian takes over, starting the Flavian dynasty.
Flavian Amphitheater
Under Vespasian’s rule, construction of the Amphitheater began. It replaced Nero’s artificial lake, sending a message that the Flavians would be the opposite of Nero. In order to tie the Flavian conquest of Judaea to the restoration of Rome, it was advertised as being constructed from the spoils of war.
Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus
Destroyed in the civil war in 69. Rebuilt with funds from the Flavian conquest of Judaea.
Nerva
An elderly senator who took over after the end of the Flavian dynasty. Accordingly, he put in place sanctions against Domitian’s memory.
Trajan
Adopted son and successor to Nerva. Ruled for some time, and saw a period of stability and military expansion.
Tacitus
Historian and politician married to daughter of Agricola. Rose through political offices under Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. Consul under Nerva. Wrote Agricola, Germania, Histories, Annals…
The Neronian Fire
A terrible fire that broke out in Rome during Nero’s reign and caused vast devastation. Nero opened up Imperial property as part of emergency relief efforts and funded redevelopment and safety measures. Tacitus’ account, however, plays heavily on the side of blaming Nero, citing rumors that Nero recited a poem about the Fall of Troy. This can be in some part attributed to the fact that Tacitus was writing during the Flavian regime, and they needed to destroy the memory of Nero.
Ingenium (liberale, servile)
Free-born elites in Rome needed something to set themselves apart from freedmen, since some freedmen rose to great wealth and power. “Ingenium” was this something: the idea that regardless of what happened in their lives, people had an essential nature. Slaves had a “slave nature,” and free people have an “ingenium liberale.” The idea was that manumission was purely a legal arrangement, and that freedmen were still slaves by nature.
The Stoic martyrs
A tradition since Nero of men (such as Thrasea Paetus) behaving in demonstratively “Republican” ways and getting in conflict with the princeps. These men generally ended up charged with treason and forced to commit suicide, but became famous and celebrated. To some, this became an alternative, if bloody, route to glory.
Venationes
Hunts involving animals, a major part of Roman entertainment. These hunts involved fights between animals, slaughter of animals by people, or slaughter of convicted criminals by animals. The animals were ideally exotic creatures from faraway lands, showing the huge size of the Roman empire.
