Treason (Maiestas) Trials: The "Reign of Terror"

Question 1

What was Cicero’s definition of treason?

Answer 1

• “an attack on the dignity and greatness of the Roman people”

Question 2

What was Tacitus’ definition of treason?

Answer 2

• “official misconduct damaging the Roman state, such as the betrayal or an army, or the incitement to sedition”

Question 3

What was Augustus’ definition of treason?

Answer 3

• an offence or affront to the princeps

Question 4

What did Tiberius used to exclaim in Greek as he left the senate which highlights the sycophantic nature of the senate?

Answer 4

• “how ready these men are to be slaves”

Question 5

What does delatores mean?

Answer 5

• Informers

Question 6

How was information brought to the courts and the emperor?

Answer 6

• By individuals

Question 7

Who could bring cases against one another?

Answer 7

• Only individuals of the same class

Question 8

Who handles accusations of maiestas?

Answer 8

• The senate and the princeps

Question 9

What happened if the charge of treason brought forward by a delator was upheld?

Answer 9

• They were awarded at least 1/4 of the guilty party’s property. The remaining 3/4 went to the imperial treasury

Question 10

What were the three problems with the maiestas system?

Answer 10

• Delatores were encouraged to lie and manufacture evidence
• Allowed senators to eliminate their rivals
• A senator could make a lucrative career out of delator-ing

Question 11

Tacitus builds up a picture of continuous prosecutions culminating in a “reign of terror”, but what does careful examination of his account reveal?

Answer 11

• Over a 23 year reign no more than 52 individuals were charged with treason, with only 12 being put to death and Tiberius only ordering 8 of them. Four turned out to be innocent

Question 12

Did Tiberius mitigate the maiestas trials? How?

Answer 12

• Yes
• There are numerous incidents of Tiberius intervening when he thought accusations were nonsensical or unfair, and often lessened the severity of sentences

Question 13

What does Tiberius deserve blame for in terms of the maiestas trials?

Answer 13

• Failing to define the parameters of maiestas and checking the excessive activities of the delatores

Question 14

Why does Tacitus hate Tiberius so much?

Answer 14

• He was a Roman senator who survived the reign of the cruel and paranoid emperor Domitian
• Domitian reintroduced the maiestas laws, using the precedent set by the exploitation of the delatores during Tiberius reign to institute a new reign of terror
• The senate was the judge and jury and so Tacitus would have been forced to condemn friends and colleagues to death
• It is likely that Tacitus blames Tiberius for failing to stop the abuse of maiestas that ultimately caused misery and death for his own colleagues

Question 15

Give 3 individuals who faced treason charges according to Tacitus

Answer 15

• Lucius Ennius
• Considius Proculus
• Suilius

Question 16

What was Lucius Ennius accused of? What was the outcome?

Answer 16

• He melted down a silver statue of Tiberius and made it into a plate
• Tiberius used his tribunician power to veto and block the trial

Question 17

What was Considius Proculus accused of? What was the outcome?

Answer 17

• Worshipping Pompey the Great, an enemy of Julius Caesar

- Put to death

Question 18

What was Suilius accused of? What was the outcome?

Answer 18

• Receiving money for a judicial decision

- Banished from Italy and exiled to an island