The First Settlement Flashcards
What power did Octavian have after Actium?
ruled through his personal auctoritas
held consulship each year from 31BC
shared consulship with Agrippa in 29 and 28 BC
Octavian shared the fasces (symbol of Imperium) with Agrippa in 28 BC (had it only himself before)
triple triumph (Illyria/Actium/Egyptians)
oath of allegiance from Italy
What did Octavian do in his building program after Actium? What did this show?
rebuilt temples
made him seem pious
gods would look kindly on people due to Octavian
What does Res Gestae tell us about the honours given to Octavian after Actium?
- 2 ovations
- 3 triumphs (declined further triumphs from Senate)
- saluted imperator 21 times
- Senate decreed gods to be thanked 55 times
- Princeps Senatus
- consul many times
- tribunic power
- censor 3 times, once with Agrippa (Res Gestae and Cassius Dio)
How did Octavian secure the support of the people? Who tells us this?
Res Gestae: paid plebs money many times and gave out food from grain bought at his own expense
gave his soldiers cash bonuses after they completed their services
Cassius Dio: gave gifts to soldiers in triumph and gave money to the people. Paid his debts and annulled people’s debts to him
grain supply made cheaper and more people were allowed it
What happened in 27BC? How did the people react? Who tells us this?
Octavian transferred the republic from him to the Senate (Res Gestae & Cassius Dio)
Wanted him to be monarch until he agreed to take power, but said he wouldn’t govern all provinces, and wouldn’t keep his forever – kept the ones more prone to wars (Cassius Dio)
refused; protests; senate proposed he have a revised role in government
What was the first settlement?
- would hold consulship each year
- proconsul of large province for 10 year period – had the bulk of the legions, which were sworn to him
Was the republic restored? What differences were there?
- magistrates elected by the people as usual (but Augustus elected as consul and could tell the people who to vote for)
- other provinces controlled by ex-consuls and ex-praetors, as usual
- senate still met to discuss what consuls and other magistrates put before it
- still issues advice
- populace still passed laws
What other honours was Octavian given? Which sources tell us this?
- wreaths of bay leaves and civic crown attached to door (Res Gestae)
- golden shield in Curia Juliae (Res Gestae)
- given name Augustus – religious (Romulus had been suggested, but was a king (Cassius Dio)) (Res Gestae)
Why was a new settlement needed? Which sources tell us this?
conspiracy against Augustus – people unsatisfied with how he ruled, and nobles unable to achieve top position
Augustus fell ill after and almost died, then decided to change how he ruled when he got better (Cassius Dio)
What did the second settlement include?
Proconsular Imperium Maius (previously been given to Pompey in the East) (Cassius Dio)
- in control of almost all provinces with military presence
- given by Senate
- could intervene with administration of any province
- imperium extended for life in 19BC
Tribunica Potestas (already been given Tribune after Naulochus) (Cassius Dio)
- power of a Tribune
- Given to him by Senate
- could bring business before Senate before any other
(Powers of tribune of the Plebs:
- consult the Senate
- veto
- could come to aid of injured Pleb
- could pardon)
What did Augustus change after the second settlement? Why? Who tells us this? What honours was he given because of this?
- Resigned consulship (Cassius Dio) – unrepublican
- Consuls serve 6 months – more chance, more ex-consuls
- Augustus nominated candidates
- formed the concilium princeps – council made up of consuls, representatives of each magistracies and 15 senators by lot – set agenda for senate meetings
- senators used for jury trials (Concilium Princeps used as imperial court of law)
- Augustus offered dictatorship in 22BC when corn shortage and people blamed because he didn’t have consulship (Cassius Dio) – declined (dictatorship had been banned since 44BC & Julius Caesar killed because of it) (Res Gestae)
- offered consulship again (Res Gestae) declined
- carried things out the things people wanted him to do using his tribunic power, not accepting other powers (Res Gestae)
- Pater Patriae – father figure protecting state (Res Gestae & Suetonius)
How did Augustus give Agrippa more power? Who tells us this?
- forced him to divorce his wife and marry his daughter Julia
- gave him tribunican power
Cassius Dio
