Test #1 Flashcards
Why didn’t senators like Domitian, and what happened to him?
He was hard to access, preferring solitude or the company of a very small select group of associates, plus he executed a large number of senators whom he didn’t like. Domitian was assassinated.
How does Augustus deprive the senators of a source of prestige
he monopolizes public building projets notably buidling a temple to Appollo that is better than the temple to Jupiter Best and Greatest
Nerva
made Emperor after Domitian is assasinated quickly declares Trajan to be his successor (because he was powerfull and would support Nerva being in office as his successor) establishes the important precedent of picking a powerful successor rather than one’s son
Caesar got assassinated; Augustus never did. Why do you think the Roman elites never felt like they needed to kill Augustus? What did the Augustan form of government do for them that Caesar’s government didn’t?
August’s government gave the senators opportunity for prestige without the responsibilities of being a senator. Augustus was also much better than Caesar at framing his role within a republican pretext.
Flavian Dynasty
established by Vespian followed by Titus and Domitian - who is assasinated
What was the effect on Roman culture of Rome’s military conquest of the Greek world?
The triumphal ceremonies of Roman generals became more decadent; the urban design of the city became more lavish; Greek philosophy and literature became popular and influential, especially on the nascent Roman literary movement; at the same time, there also formed a backlash against Greek influence by cultural conservatives at Rome, who feared that the wealthy were becoming wasteful, greedy, and corrupt as a result of their experiences in Greece.
Why did they give the former Octavian the new name Augustus?
The new name Augustus both had connotations of being “holy” or “revered” (as though Augustus were a divine figure) and also a connection to “auctoritas” (the “influence” or “clout” he had that convinced people to decide on their own to do what Augustus wanted them to do).
What did Nero do to make the Senate hate him? What did he do to make the people hate him?
The Senate hated Nero because he flouted traditional Roman morality with impunity, and often did disreputable public acts (like chariot racing and poetry recitals) to incur popular support. The people grew to hate him particularly through his exploitation of the Great Fire of Rome to obtain land to build his Golden House (they were also unhappy with his divorce and execution of his popular young wife Octavia).
Constantine
ends the tetrarchy and establishes Christianity in ROme
What happened to the Roman foundation myth after the Romans had more interaction with, and exposure to, Greek culture?
The Romans then added a further details whereby a Trojan War survivor also played a major role in the foundation of Rome.
How did Marius obtain power through populist appeals?
He argued that the patricians who would win magistracies and war commands had no practical skills, whereas he was a skilled general. He also used poor volunteers in his armies, and since he was successful, they were able to gain loot and land grants as veterans.
What crime grew in importance under Tiberius, and why?
“Diminishing the majesty of the Roman People” (i.e. treason); hearsay evidence was usually good enough for a conviction, and informants would be rewarded monetarily if a guilty verdict came through, so people were constantly inventing charges to attack/ruin their enemies or to gain money.
Although our textbook is less skeptical than I am, what is suspicious about the descriptions by later Roman historians about the innovations credited to the Roman kings?
a) the Roman kings were said to have invented, whole cloth, the fundamental institutions and social structures that existed much later when the Roman historians were writing; b) stories about the Roman kings look a lot like stories about semi-mythical early Greek leaders
Why did Rome fight its First Punic War? What did they have to create to fight it effectively? What were the results of the war?
The Romans helped the Mamertini against the Syracusans and Carthaginians, with the secondary motive of obtaining some spoils. To fight the navally-strong Carthaginians, the Romans would have to create their first standing navy and fight in naval battles. After winning the First Punic War, the Romans were able to compel the Carthaginians to abandon all of Sicily; then, in the chaos at Carthage that followed, the Romans were also able to obtain Corsica and Sardinia.
During the reigns between Trajan and Marcus Arellius we get…
the maor Roman building projects
Who were Rome’s three major enemies in the first half of the 2nd century BCE? What was Rome’s attitude toward the Greek world? What happened in 146 BCE?
Rome fought Philip V of Macedon, Antiochus the Great of Asia Minor, and Perseus of Macedon. Rome made of show of granting some autonomy to Greek cities, but expected subordination from them and wouldn’t tolerate side deals. In 146 BCE, Rome destroyed Carthage in the Third Punic War and destroyed Corinth too.
Who was in the Second Triumvirate and what happened to each of them?
Mark Antony, Lepidus, Octavian; Lepidus’s troops deserted him and joined Octavian, which forced him to retire; Mark Antony and Octavian eventually fought each other at Actium and Octavian won, leaving him the last man standing in Rome.
What changes did Augustus make in the Roman army?
He shrank the army; he gave lump sum of pay at the end of 20 years of service instead of a land grant; he turned service in the army into a career; the changes encouraged soldiers not to riot/revolt/follow insurrectionist leaders but to value government stability.
What did the Gracchi brothers want? What was irregular about how Tiberius Gracchus tried to achieve his goal? What new senatorial weapon emerged from the Gracchi problems, and what did it let the senate do?
The Gracchi were populist politicians seeking reforms for the plebeians, mainly land grants for poor citizens. Tiberius blocked the veto of his plebeian tribune colleague by ejecting him from office, then hijacked a gift to Rome for his own funding. The senate invented the SCU (“ultimate decree of the senate”) which allowed consuls to do ANYTHING to maintain order at Rome, including killing citizens without trial.
“second sophistic”
under Emperors like Hadrian and Marcus Arellius was a rise in Greek culture allowing provincials an avenue to power in Rome via education and learning
For what three reasons did Augustus try to find a constitutional basis for his tyrannical dominance at Rome?
1) By couching his power in the language of traditional Republican magistracies and law, he could claim a legitimacy that everyone could acknowledge as valid; 2) he wanted to make it clear that he did not want to rule with absolute power; 3) he wanted to provide space for other elites to participate in the government with him (because he actually needed them to run the massive bureaucracy).
What were the differences between the patrician class and the plebeian class, particularly at the START of the “Conflict of the Orders”?
Patricians had the exclusive right to the magistracies and priesthoods, while the plebeians (although some were rich and influential) were very disproportionately poor peasants.
What was the shape of early Roman society? Who were the dominant figures and who did they use as a source of power?
Early Roman society was built on the “gens,” a clan of families with a common ancestor. The dominant figures were wealthy aristocrats who controlled gangs of allied subordinates. The gens, and the aristocrat, were more important than the city for many years.
What were the two main legal powers Augustus was given by the senate?
The maius imperium (greater authority, legally, than any other magistrate) and tribunicia potestas (tribunician power: he had all of the rights and privileges of plebeian tribunes, but did not actually serve as one).
What political shift in imperial successions did Nerva’s adoption of Trajan make?
From now on, emperors would typically name their heirs and successors from among highly successful talented political and military figures, not just people from their own blood relations—this theoretically prevented the wrong men from becoming emperor.
Imagine you travel back in time to 1000 BCE to an unidentified location on earth, and all you know about it is that it is ruled by a king. How would you be able to identify who the king is? What features/objects/actions would make it apparent to you?
Someone who it treated or who acts differently
dress
respect
authority
power
What is so particular about the Roman foundation myth, as opposed to typical foundation myths of Greek city-states?
ome’s foundation myth had lots of negative aspects, like fratricide, rape/abduction, and the introductions of criminals and vagrants to the city.
As our textbook says, intense Roman construction of roads and aqueducts and Roman mastery of architecture occurred most conspicuously during the period from Vespasian to Marcus Aurelius. Why do you think it happened at this time and not before or after (or during the Republic)?
First it was during this time that there was a long period of peace so money did not need to be spent on war and it made the value of these products more applicable.
Second you have the specialist equestrians who have the expertise to actually carry out these projects
Why did Claudius invade Britain?
He, like Caligula, had no military background and needed to wage a war to legitimize himself as a Roman emperor. Also, the Roman aristocrats were looking for opportunities to gain further status/money, and a war would serve that purpose well.
What were the four main features of Republican magistracies that distinguished them from monarchy?
Magistrates were elected by the people; magistracies had term limits; magistrates always had colleagues who had the people to thwart their plans; magistrates could be charged with crimes if they had done things wrong during their terms
