Week 6 Augustus and the beginning of the Imperial Period Flashcards
Caesars Funeral
The senate allowed for a funeral and allowed Mark Antony to give a speech
Julius Caesars will
◦Named his grand-nephew Octavian as his heir
◦Left every Roman citizen 300 sesterces cash from his personal wealth (gathered from conquests)
◦The average daily pay for a soldier was about 3 sesterces
of course this angered the plebs
Octavian opportunity
he used Caesars death to to his advantage by gaining favor with the people.
Antony in trouble
Antony assaulted and besieges one of the conspiracists at mutina, which then forced the senate to send out forces to relieve the siege Octavian coming with the relieve force. Octavian won forcing Mark Antony in to the west.
Octavian for consul
he wanted to be consul but at the time he was only 19 years old, the senate refused to Octavian marched on Rome with his army, the senate did not want to oppose him. Which Octavian noticed.
Octavian outlaws the assassins
condemned and outlawed assassins.
sought reconciliation with Antony.
Lepidus acted as mediator
The second Triumvirate
Octavian
Antony
Lepidus
A joint 5 year dictatorship
The Roman world divided
◦Lepidus had southern Gaul and the Iberian provinces (brown) and 3 legions
◦Antony had northern Gaul and Cisalpine Gaul (green) and 20 legions
◦Octavian had Africa, Sicily, and Sardinia (purple) and 20 legions
◦Brutus and Cassius held the east
Financial difficulties
Triumvirs could not afford to pay their huge armies.
They also needed land to promise to their veterans.
They were not conquering new territory
Each man proscribed his personal enemies as Sulla had done.
They killed their enemies and seized their assets
The Battle of Philippi, 42 BCE
◦Octavian fought with Brutus, while Antony attacked Cassius
◦Cassius committed suicide, believing Brutus already dead
◦Brutus was defeated by Antony and Octavian (he also committed suicide)
new division of Roman territory between the triumvirs◦Octavian was given Italy and the western provinces◦Lepidus controlled Africa◦Antony had the eastern provinces
◦Octavian was given Italy and the western provinces
◦Lepidus controlled Africa
◦Antony had the eastern provinces
The divine Julius
Octavian (Augustus) had Julius officially deified by the Senate
◦Quintiliswas re-named Julius
◦This effectively made Octavian the son of a god
Cleopatra
She got Antony’s attention and gave him three children, but Antony could not have a legal marriage with her because she was not a legal roman citizen
The situation in 36 BCE
◦Octavian controls the West
◦Antony controls the East
◦Octavian wants to rule it all
Octavian was looking to take the land form Antony
Armenia
Antony won land form Armenia and wanted a triumph in Alexandria but the Senate would not allow it so he made one for himself anyways and gave the newly conquered lands to Cleopatra’s children. Octavian used this as a case against Antony.
The case against Antony
◦Octavian seized Antony’s will
◦Accused him of leaving Roman possessions to Cleopatra
Enemy of the state
Octavian declared war on Cleopatra, which made Antony stand by her side. The ensuing battle between Octavian and Antony took place at Actium.
The final war of the Republic
Antony hoped Octavian could not pay for his own troops, but Agrippa attacked Antony’s fleet.. Most of Antony’s allies either left or joined against him. Antony decided to leave for Alexandria with the war chests. But Agrippa was patient and waited for Antony. Antony then attacked Agrippa and his center of ships eventually lost, which caused Cleopatra to leave and soon after Antony. Mark Antony had lost and he and Cleopatra committed suicide. In 27 BC Octavian named himself Augustus and became the first Roman Emperor.
After Actium
Rome annexed Egypt after the war and made all enemy soldiers swear loyalty to Octavian.
How to rule Rome
Caesar’s autocratic rule as dictator for life (not a good choice).
Sole rule depending on support of his army (maybe not the best idea).
Create a new form of government from the traditional Republican framework
The return of Power and control
authority returned to the Senate and the people of Rome
◦He maintained control of several provinces for 10 years
◦Spain, Gaul, Cilicia, Cyprus, Syria, and Egypt
◦He reserved the right to appoint his own legates to rule over these provinces
◦This means he would need to remain consul for 10 years
◦The governorship of other provinces continued to be given to ex-consuls and ex-praetors as before
He also appointed Agrippa as his co-consul
The Birth of Augustus
The Senate bestowed the title “Augustus”, revered one, on Octavian
◦The month of Sextiliuswas renamed “Augustus” in his honour
Power without seeming to take power
He resigned his consulship in 23 BCE and took up a Tribuneship instead
He also kept his imperium.
In 12 BCE he took the office of Pontifex Maximus.
He was referred to as imperator but preferred the title princeps.
He gave all the power to the Senate, but controlled it through his auctoritas.
Controlling the Senate
Augustus acted like a censor, choosing who became Senators and who was expelled.
He reduced their numbers back to 600 (as in Sulla’s time).
The Senate was expected to approve anything he requested
A new class emerges
Augustus elevated the Senate to a new, exclusive social class.
1,000,000 sesterces was the minimum level of wealth for a senator.
Senatorial class –included senators and their families.
This became the highest class in Rome
Controlling the empire
Augustus appointed equestrians as procurators (agents)
◦They took care of finances, legal matters, etc, managing properties under his control
◦Eventually, there were procurators in every province acting as Augustus’ personal staff
◦They became provincial governors and even commanded troops
Ensuring against new civil war
Augustus raised the pay of centurions in charge of legions.
He gave command of legions to non-aristocrats.
He made all soldiers swear an oath of loyalty to himself and his family, not to Rome, the Senate, or their own leaders
the senate could not see what he was doing and the ones that did were wiped from history.
Two types of province
Imperial
◦Controlled directly by the Emperor
◦Unstable or war-like states that needed armies to control them
◦These provinces had legions stationed in them
Senatorial
◦Controlled by the Senate
◦Stable and peaceful states
◦These provinces could be run by a civil administration without the need for legions
Augustus as princepes
completed construction of Julius Caesar’s temple for Venus.
He also built his own form perpendicular to Caesars which was larger, meant for propaganda.
Augustus Forum
Dedicated to Venus, mars and Julius, had pictures of ancestors like Aenaes people of the Julian clan. Augustus really wanted to show his piety.
Temple of Mars
Started construction to represent justice and revenge for Caesar. Was made from Luna, in order rival Pericles with his marble city. The triad on the temple included Venus, mars and divine Julius the first man seen as a god.
Augustus image
He loved Greek art, and wanted to be represented like a god, constantly being presented as young and healthy. (youth, vitality, and god-like, irreproachability)
Augustus Prima Porta
Was an original copy of bronze that stands 6 f, 8 inch tall, with bear feet like a god, found in Livia villa Augustus wife, many copies were made of the emperor, showed the attributes of Augustus (idealized), can identify his features through his statue, shows a new era where he shows hes more god-like and less human like. He wants to represent this god-like representation. He is adopting the Greek ideal trying to recreate the golden age of Greece. has cupid by his side, which is the son of Venus and Augustus is the son of Aenaeas as well as Julius, His breastplate he is wearing represents, the god of the sky and the goddess of the earth, in which all of the divine forces come together for Augustus’ rule. Also shows his victory over Parthia by having the Parthia returning his standard. Very powerful political propaganda. presents (his face as being timeless and powerful). The people who saw the statue was the only representation of Augustus. There are ideas that the statue was holding an item in one of his hands. the representations on the breastplate; Sol, Luna, Gallia, Diana, Apollo, Germania, Parthian returning standard to Rome. Implies that Romes enemies show respect and bow down to Caesar.
Augustus as Pontifex Maximus
he presented himself as a the pontifex maximus (high priest) head was made out of Greek marble and body was made out of Luna marble. He looks serene (other worldly), Has a distinct hair style which is consistently the same with all statues.
Livia
She was never shown to age, represented as a goddess,
Ara Pacis
Alter of Peace, dedicated to peace, the senate vowed to create an alter for making peace. It was found under a palace, Mussolini looked over the reconstruction, the alter shows a spiritual and political significance, it reestablishes traditional roman values and represents a golden age brought by Augustus. It has an order given to the plants (symbol of fertility thanks to Augustus) on the Ara Pacis. The interior was decorated by garlands of fruits and flowers and a bull skull (represent the sacrifices and piety from the emperor, 4 myths represented showing the ancestors of Rome.
Augustus want to say?
He is heroic and semi-divine.
He has a divine right to rule (as does his family).
He is a capable and powerful leader.
He brought peace and prosperity to Rome
