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
