The Julio-Claudian Emperors 31BC - AD68 - Augustus Flashcards
When was the Battle of Actium?
2nd September 31BC
What city did Octavian found near Actium?
Nikopolis
What did Octavian dedicate as a victory offering after Actium?
Ten ships dedicated to a local dockyard
What source describes the ‘huge crowds and universal acclaim’ which met Augustus on his return from Actium?
Velleius Paterculus
Who was Marcus Agrippa?
Commander of the fleet at Actium. Augustus’ closest ally until his death in 12BC
When was the First Constitutional Settlement?
27BC
When was the Second Constitutional Settlement?
23BC
What was outlined in the First Constitutional settlement?
- title of Augustus (revered one)
- certain honours e.g laurel on doorposts
- redistributed provinces
- to last 10 years
In the Res Gestae, how does Augustus describe his role in the Government?
He says he had more auctoritas than everyone else, but had no more potestas than his colleagues
What does Dio say of Augustus’s reason for redistributing the provinces?
“that the senators should be unarmed and unprepared for war, while he possessed arms and controlled troops”
Main 2 reasons for the Second Constitutional Settlement 23BC?
- Augustus took 1 of 2 consulships which snubbed the senators
- Augustus’ loose collection of honours and titles couldn’t be passed down
Two powers of the 2nd Constitutional Settlement 23BC?
- imperium proconsulare maius
- tribunicia potestas
Power of Imperium proconsulare maius?
- power greater than that of a consul
- meant Augustus could overrule any provincial governor’s authority
- didn’t need to be laid down at the Pomerium - therefore meant lifelong military power
Power of Tribunicia potestas?
- the power of a tribune
- could call the senate, put forward ideas, veto legislation
- meant Augustus could pass legislation
Who said that tribunicia potestas was the expression of the supremacy of Augustus’ position?
Tacitus
What was the triple triumph celebrating?
Octavian’s military victories at Dalmatia, Actium and Alexandria
What was built in Rome as a celebration of Octavian’s civil war victory?
The triple triumphal arch
Examples of coinage celebrating military victories?
- trimple triumph on denarii
- the capture of Egypt 27BC
- annexation of Armenia 20/19/18BC
What point does Augustus make in the Res Gestae to stress the peace of his reign? Which ancient writer also points this out?
that the doors of the temple of Janus were closed 3 times in his reign when before he was born they were only closed twice.
Suetonius repeats this point
“the limbs of the body politic…. healing back together”
Paterculus on Augustus’ reign
2 prophetic passages in what promote the idea that Augustus was predestined to rule?
Virgil’s Aeneid
“What has destructive Time not made worse”
Horace Ode 3.6 - on the need for social and moral restoration of Rome
2 examples of coinage portraying Augustus restoring Rome?
28BC aureus - ‘he has restored to the Roman people their laws and rights’
12BC aureus - Augustus is portrayed extending his right hand to a representation of the roman state. Literally raising it from its knees
Augustus is ‘who shall bring back again the age of gold to Latium’
Virgil Aeneid
Suetonius says that Augustus was concerned ‘native Roman stock’ not be contaminated by what?
foreign or servile blood
What two pieces of legislation made up Augustus’ moral reforms in 18BC?
‘the Julian Law on the duties of husbands’ and ‘the Julian Law on constraining adultery’
When was Augustus’ moral legislation passed and how?
18BC - due to his Tribunician power
How many lustra did Augustus perform in his reign?
3
When was the first census of Augustus? When was the last?
28BC
14AD
Evidence that Rome flourished under Augustus?
The population increased with every census
Who says that Augustus repeatedly turned down the role of dictator he was offered?
Paterculus
What source compares Augustus to Romulus?
Ovid’s Fasti
When did Augustus become Pontifex Maximus?
12BC
What did Augustus do as Pontifex Maximus which rewrote tradition to fit his values?
Rewrote the Sibylline books and destroyed 2000 volumes of prophetic verse
(source: Suetonius)
Who presented Augustus as a god incarnate?
Horace
How many simultaneous priesthoods did Augustus hold, according to the Res Gestae?
7 - at least 4 shown on denarii before Pontifex Maximus
How many temples did Augustus claim to have restored in Rome? What source gives an exaggerated number?
Res Gestae - 82
Virgil’s Aeneid - 300
“it was our blessed leader’s care… that all the rest should never be suffered likewise to decay”
Ovid Fasti on Augustus’ restoration of temples
“O holy one, builder of temples and rebuilder too”
Ovid Fasti on Augustus
Which provinces were permitted to worship Augustus as a living god?
Egypt and the Eastern provinces
What did Suetonius say of Augustus’ thoughts on allowing his imperial cult in the east?
- he had respect for long-standing religions
- he felt it was dangerous to worship a living person
Where did Augustus allow a temple to himself and Rome to be built in 29BC?
Pergamum
numen
the divine aspect of a human
genius
the spirit of a human
What allowed Augustus to be worshipped without claiming to be beyond human?
The worship of his numen and genius
“there was no honour left for the gods, now that Augustus chose to be worshipped”
Tacitus
2 pieces of inscriptional evidence about Augustus’ religious worship?
7BC inscription from Rome introducing priests of the cult of the Augustan Lares
12/13 AD inscription from Gaul on an altar to Augustus’ numen
How many districts did Augustus divide Rome into?
14
How were Rome’s new districts run?
districts - magistrates annually chosen by lot
subdivided into wards - locally elected supervisors
What service did Augustus establish in Rome?
A fire brigade (and regulations to prevent fires)
Sources which describe Augustus’ diligence in adjusting and introducing laws?
Paterculus - says the laws were mostly good
Suetonius
How many times does Augustus say he revised the senatorial roll?
3 times (probs 29,18,11BC)
How many senators supported Augustus in the Civil wars out of 1000?
700 ish
What restriction did Augustus impose to rid the Senate of those who had not supported him in the civil wars?
Property restrictions - more than doubled to 1 million sesterces minimum
How many senators were removed in Augustus’ first revision c.28BC?
190
How many Senators by 18BC?
600
Augustan policies which seemed to appease the Senate?
new offices for upkeep of buildings, roads, aqueducts and grain distribution
2 new roles as praetor
new role as praefectus urbi
What evidence shows Augustus personally controlling provinces?
Edicts of Cyrene c.7BC showing his involvement in deciding details jury composition and citizenship in the province of Cyrene
What did the role of princeps allow to Romans which was new?
The ability to appeal to a single face - not a faceless bureaucracy nor an ever-changing Republican magistrate
Augustus found “a Rome built of bricks” and left it “clothed in marble”
Suetonius on the building programme
Suetonius’ reason for Augustus’ building programme?
creating a Rome which was worthy of being the capital of an empire
What building did the building programme centre on?
The Augustan Forum - with its Temple of Mars Ultor
Who oversaw an aqueduct improvement project from 33BC?
Marcus Agrippa
Why did Augustus work hard to keep the plebs on side?
He was switching from a democracy to an autocracy
What two methods did Augustus use to gain plebian support?
public entertainment
largesse
Augustus “seduced the soldiery with gifts, the people with corn, and everyone with the delights of peace”
Tacitus
“to Jupiter… the Senate and People of Rome took vows for the safety of Imperator Caesar because through him the State is in a more expansive and peaceful condition”? - Source
Denarius from 16BC
In what year did the people riot over corn supply, which Augustus quickly fixed after demands he become dictator?
22BC - the first year Augustus did not serve as consul prompting speculation this event was engineered by him
congiaria
handouts to the people of Rome
What congiaria was given in 24BC?
400 sesterces each
Augustus and Equestrians?
He helped them become a distinct political group, creating certain roles exclusively for them such as governor of Egypt
Augustus’ placation of the Senate?
- giving money
- extended the lower ranks of cursus honorum to allow more senators to gain political experience
Augustus against the Senate?
- banned from Egypt
- consilium principis rendered them useless
- 5% inheritance tax on senators from AD6 which went to military treasury
Who remarked that few Senators remained by AD14 who had seen the Republic
Tacitus
What conspiracy against Augustus is doubted whether or not he invented it?
Caepio c.23BC
Which ancient sources mention the conspiracy of Caepio against Augustus?
- Suetonius
- Paterculus
- Macrobius
What conspiracy does Seneca mention?
Date, people involved
16BC
- Cinna was treated leniently by Augustus and given a consulship, on Livia’s advice
How does Tacitus describe the culture of Augustus’ reign? Who does he blame?
Tacitus says the culture was of flattery for Augustus, for which he blames the aristocracy more than Augustus himself
Who presents Tiberius’ succession positively? Why?
Paterculus
He wrote during Tiberius’ reign
Tacitus’ order of events of Augustus finding a successor?
- marries Julia to Marcellus
- marries Julia to Agrippa
- makes promotes Gaius and Lucius
- adopts Tiberius
Who does Tacitus claim had a hand in the deaths of Gaius (AD4) and Lucius (AD2)?
Livia
What evidence is there that Agrippa was Augustus’ initial favourite for a successor?
denarius from 13BC showing the men together sharing tribunician power
Aureus of Tiberius 15-13BC?
Shows him and Drusus presenting triumphal branches to Augustus - likely in recognition of their conquest of Raetia
What powers did the Senate decree to Gaius and Lucius? (2)
- princeps iuventutis - ‘leader of the youth’
- consul designate aged 15
Evidence of Gaius’ and Lucius’ preference for successors?
Res Gestae, Tacitus, commemorative aureus of them as princeps iuventutis
Evidence of Tiberius as final choice for Augustus’ successor?
aureus of Tiberius and Augustus from AD 13-14
Evidence that Augustus was concerned with succession beyond his immediate replacement?
Tiberius adopting Germanicus in AD4
Evidence of Augustus being presented as youthful and full of vigour throughout his reign?
as of Augustus from 11-12AD when he would have been 73 - yet portrayed the same as when he was much younger
Suetonius role?
Director of imperial archives
