Tiberius Flashcards
Tiberius first came across
as a man of ‘republican’ sentiments
he was reluctant to exercise the opportunities which his power offered.
Tiberius’ opinion of Augustus
held such a high regard,
expressed distaste for the trappings of power but he would not even willingly accept the name Augustus on the grounds of his inability to hold it.
Sign that he as not loved at his death
posthumous deification was denied to him
Gaius and Lucius were
the two eldest sons of Agrippa and Julia (Agrippa Postumus being the last)
Augustus adopted them as his own
Agrippa’s death
Tiberius was asked to marry Julia,
he had to give up the family he loved
he once followed Vipsania in the street, trying to talk to her
The reason Tiberius gave for retiring to Rhodes
did not want to impede on his stepson’s progress
Tiberius’ love for his family
Vipsania
he Followed his dead brother’s cortege all the way to Rome on foot. (Nero Drusus)
Why might Lucius and Gaius died
some saw the involvement of Livia
The family issue when Augustus adopted
acknowledged Livia and Tiberius’ power as the Claudians
His Julian faction would re-emerge with on the death of Tiberius with Germanicus and his children
Tiberius’ great military skill
The empire had been close to disaster in the years leading up to AD9 with Varus’ defeat
it was Tiberius’ military strength which returned stability
Tiberius’ age when he became emperor
56
Germanicus pays the troop
only Augustus’ successor had the right to distribute this
Why did Tiberius not visit the two mutinees
he may have offended each army by visiting the other first
He was criticised for it
Germanicus caused more problems with the mutinees
as the situation deteriorated he sanctioned a campaign on the east bank of the Rhine
contrary to the instructions Augustus had had on his death bed laid down for Tiberius to keep the empire within its present frontiers
but it took the troops into the area in which Varus was annihilated
- Tiberius’ report to the senate could not praise both Drusus and Germanicus equally
Why was Augustus successful
auctoritas and prestige
found meaningful roles for the senate as a body and for the nobles as individuals
his patronage bound large numbers of the nobility to him
he retained the old cursus honorum system
a desire for pece with honour after civil war
Tiberius wanted a good relationship with the senate
he deprecated excessiveness such as erecting temples to eperors and treating them as gods
He treated the consuls with respect
said that he thought of the senators as his masters
he detested their sycophancy
irritated when they referred to him matters which he he felt to be within their own competence
Their respect for him, demonstrated in the senatus consultum passed in Piso’s case after the Germanicus incident confirms Tacitus’ judgement that the first half of his reign was marked by sound administration
HE wanted to sway by virtue of his seniority and prestige but not dominating by his powers.
His hatred of behaviour that stressed an overwhelming superiority on his part
self-prostration
he showed a righteous anger at those senators who attempted to gain wealth or influence by undermining their senatorial colleagues
elections for praetorships and consulships
did not want to be dominant
transferred elections from the people to the senate
Censor
the use of this power to regulate the senate’s membership gave him a dominance which no amount of moderate behaviour could ameliorate
What was the senate like during his reign
had grown use to domination
had forgotten how to initiate
In cases of those accused of disrespecting Augustus
he acted in a clear-headed and fair-minded way
and then later forced the senate into voting for a man’s condemnation
His affect on the praetor’s
his plan to sit in on the praetor’s court
took the trouble to occupy an unobtrusive position on the platform
Tacitus says he induced some good verdicts by his presence
but the integrity and independence of the praetor’s chairmanship was undermined
theatrical rowdyism debate
discussion flowed back and forth in apparent freedom until at a late stage Tiberius intervened to announce the outcome he desired
a feeling that the freedom to debate was purely illusory
Governor for Africa
Tiberius was unable to understand the senate’s difficulty because one was Sejanus’ uncle
Asinius Gallus attempt to prevent the princeps from exercising an ongoing appraisal in the matter of the choice of candidate for office
Tiberius resisted his attempts
this was an encroachment on the senate’s perceived freedom
treason cases
allowing these to be heard could have given a bad impression
seemed tyrannical
He tried not to intervene but this led the senators to try and accommodate his wishes and not offend him.
HE was intimidating especially since he usually sat silent
The delatores
played against his fears of people conspiring against him
defendants
wished to appear as the saviour of defendants
he should have showed his clemency earlier on
