Unit three: From Republic to Principate Flashcards
The problem with elite competition in Rome
Massive influx of money from defeated enemies, Roman leaders don’t know what to do with it so they spend it all frivolously on their own.
Tomb of Scipios
Tomb for the Scipios family bragging about their prowess and elite status.
Cato the Elder
Patricians who worked in the government did not like Caesar also a historian who controversially opposed the Hellenistic period.
Importance of landholding
Patricians use it to bribe soldiers to do what they want by promising land, then if they don’t have that land they are in deep shit.
Public land debate
Does public land need to be distributed among individuals or should it remain community land for all?
Sextian Lincian laws in terms of Public Land
Places a limit on the amount of land each person can have
Agrarian Law of 111
Problematic because former public land (that was occupied and owned by other people!) was given to colonists or sold to Roman citizens
Stipensiarii
Non-Romans who pay takes to Rome
Appian on the distribution of land
Offered ten percent for people who worked on the land so, people would have a large number of slaves in order to get filthy rich with land.
Italy in 133
Lots of problems; the land is distributed unequally among people, the Sicilian slave war is going on, allies are impoverished from the Hannibalic war, the city is growing and food supply cannot keep up = recipe for famine
Sicilian slave war
a series of slave revolts against the Roman Republic in Sicily that took place in the late Roman Republic
Hannibalic war
second Punic war
Gracchus public land policy
proposed a limit of 500 acres of land per person + 250 additional acres per son
Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus
Grandson of Scipio Africanus; distinguished pedigree, claims he wants to help people who are suffering in Italy; his enemies claim he is only saying this to get those people’s votes.
The politics involved of passing a bill in Rome
Take the bill to the council of the plebs, then plebians arrive in large numbers; so it’s the smart choice to appeal to them to gain their support (there’s powers in numbers)
Aftermath of Agrarian law
125, consul tries to get citizenship for Italians so they can try to regain their land.
Gaius Gracchus
attempts to surpass his brother’s plan and proposes a barrier in the magistrate, which is illegal; he established colonies, lex frumentaria, publicani, extortion, and embezzlement trials,
Lex Frumentaria
Law of corn; ensures that there is enough grain supply to feed the population
Publicani
Tax collectors in Asia, usually the over tax and profit the overflow.
Senatus Consultum Ultimum
permission to take whatever means necessary to get rid of a problem
Ex) Senate assassinates Gaius Gracchus
Appian on Agrarian law
Land should belong to the original owners however, they should be required to pay rent so that money can be used for the people (community aspect) .
Rise of Gaius Marius
157-86 BCE, plebian who steadily built his political career in the 110s, he served in war in north Africa, then attains consulship in 108 in office he recruits the poorest class promising plunder in land for exchange of military power; this means he has the support of a huge amount of people allowing him to get away with what he wants for a little bit , he goes a little to close to the sun and ends up being stoned to death through means of Senatus Consultum Ultimum.
Capite censi
the poorest class
Sallust
An author who wrote about the Jugurthine War, highly praised Gaius Marius as a Military genius, also fights on Caesars side of the war.
Jugurthine War
War between Rome and northern Africa, Gaius Marius was immensely vital in ensuring Romes’s success in the war.
Italian Allies
Italians were not poor and had lots of military power, they were not given citizenship Gaius Marius gave the good ones citizenship, then the consul after him took it away, then the consul after him tried to give in back and failed; so a big fat social war broke out. Which means Rome is in deep shit because Italy did all their dirty work.
Sulla’s reforms
Senate doubled in size so there was more competition in office, which means that more murder plots in office and attempts to rig elections by questionable measures. Including but not limited to killing competition, bribing the voters, and blackmail! people try to undo sullas reforms multiple times but fail
The consulate of Pompey and Crassus
70, restores the power of the tributane, juries formed by equestrians and senators, they expel 64 members of the Senate. Pompey veteran law for Spain fails- this action will have consequences.
proscriptions
a posted notice listing Roman citizens who had been declared outlaws and whose goods were confiscated
Equestrian
A wealthy roman plebian
Cicero
Equestrian who was in the magistrate for a long time was assassinated because he killed a bunch of citizens without a trial.
Catilinarian Conspiracy
a failed attempt by Lucius Sergius Catilina to overthrow the Roman consuls (cicero) in 63 BC
First triumvirate
deal between Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, Pompey and Crassus would get Caesar into office if he did want they wanted him to which is to; revise the publicani contracts in Asia and to get settlements for Pompey veterans. Pompey never got his settlements … again.
Caesar’s special command in Gaul
59, he uses this power to acquire wealth and soldiers who are loyal to him, he’s gaining the international loyalty that Pompey once had and is failing to honor.
Dio Cassius on Octavian/Augustus
Lately, Rome has been a massive shit show of violence and civil wars. Augustus represents peace.
“Restoration” of the Republic
In 29 BCE, Augustus says that he is reinstating the republic, but he is actually running Rome as a dictator. He appears humble by keeping a humble title however in actuality he has all the power in government at this time.
proconsul
provinces to govern for a period of time, 10 years usually
Imperial vs. Senatorial provinces
Imperial provinces have no strong standing military. Senatorial provinces did so they were seen as much more of a threat.
Senatorial province: Egypt
Augustus Res Gestae
Written by Augustus himself, it is a biography filled with self-flattery.
Cassius Dio on Augustus
He was paid by Augustus so his take on things is basically that Augustus is amazing and humble and the best military leader anyone has ever seen.
Situation in 23 BCE
Augustus is voted tribune for life and is even offered the dictator title however because he is so concerned with remaining humble and a restorer of the republic.
Julia’s affairs
Augustus did not want his daughter ruining his good name so when she had an affair on her husband and proceeded to give birth to an illegitimate daughter he killed both.
The succession problem
Caesar and Sulla left Rome an absolute MESS so now there are barely any successors left. The question becomes who is eligible. The successor ends up being Tiberius.
Tiberius
Son of Livia, Augustus’s wife from a previous marriage. Has been given military power from Augustus already. Naturally he succeeds his father.
Germanicus
Adopted son of Tiberius solely for purposes of Germanicus succeeding Tiberius
Realities vs Written Accounts
All the written accounts from this period are written by arrogant men who owe each other favors. Needless to say, not very objective. However, this period is the first time that men are threatened by women because they know that they have lots of power.
Marriage Politics in Rome
It’s a political transaction made by the husband and father, marriage for love’s sake is unheard of. BUT this does allow the wives of powerful men to be powerful by proxy, same goes for the rest of the family
Terentia
Wife of cicero, Cataline could not have happened without her work behind the scenes.
Roman “Families”
Anyone who is declared family by the emperor, often refers to the spouse children, slaves and allies of the emperor
Laudatio Turiae
A tombstone engraved with high praise of his wife for helping him survive and making deals with powerful men. Her husband sees her as an equal which shows important social change in Rome during the precipitate.
Livia
While she has no official functions she runs the Augustus household, so she does most of the political work
