Week 7 The Julio-Claudians Flashcards
Roman military reform
to prevent the teutoburg forest incident from happening again (Arminius), Rome made it illegal for soildiers to serve in their home territory to avoid betrayal.
Soldiers
Every soldier had to swear loyalty to Augustus, but after Nero’s death it went back to being loyal to generals.
Tiberius Claudius
was adopted by Augustus
son to Livia
brother to Nero Claudius
he was displayed with the same Augustan head shape
Vipsania Agrippina
Duaghter of Agrippa
She gave Tiberius a son
Tiberius was forced to divorce her
Tiberius’s Military career
Tiberius fought mainly with the Gaul’s on behalf of Augustus
He also brought back the standards captured by the Parthians
Tiberius and the Praetorian Guard
Was very paranoid about everything, he the Praetorian guard huge barracks and large amounts of money.
Sperlonga
One of Tiberius’s refuges
Was a villa built on top of a cliff
It was very large
Had a dining table on the inside of a grotto
Tiberius art
He constructed many pieces of art in the Hellenistic Greek style, based on the Iliad
Gaius (Caligula)
Son of the adopted son and nephew of Tiberius
Great grandson of Augustus.
Had a fever which gave him a seizure which made him go insane.
No one was allowed to look down on him, because of his bald spot.
He proclaimed that he was a god, Jupiter on earth and expected everyone to worship him .
He made his horse a senate, which was insulting
He put many people to death, mostly senators and praetorians.
The price of arrogance
The were several conspiracies against him
so the conspirators found a new heir his uncle Claudius
Claudius
Was not interested in being emperor, but more interested in history.
He gave each praetorian guard money, but this made the guards expecting payment upon each succesion.
He had a weak personality and was easily manipulated.
Also might have had cerebral palsy.
Portrayed himself as athletic and god like even though he wasn’t.
Claudius put to death any person his wife told him to.
He was the emperor to bring Britain into the roman empire.
He built aqueducts which brought water to many people in Rome and other parts of the empire.
Nero
Last of the Julian clans, he treated the senators poorly.
Wanted to associated with with his Julian ancestry and got mad when people referred to him as his father names.
He was obese, stank and poor breath.
Loved his pleasures.
Historians don’t paint a pretty picture, had orgies both in private and public.
He killed his mother and wives.
Accused of starting the roman fire.
He committed suicide after his accusation of treason.
The Domus Aurea
The Golden House
A large new imperial palace.
Built over the slum area.
Right next to the forum.
Had a large statue of himself and artificial lake.
The house was destroyed because everyone hated Nero.
Alongside this new buildings for Rome and larger city planning
State Religion
major gods, imperial cult, etc
Temples and shrine
Priesthoods and colleges
Private religion
Provinces had own beliefs and were free to continue.
Soldiers had own beliefs.
Some foreign beliefs brought to Rome.
Was Roman polytheism tolerant
Destruction of shrines of “foreign” deities.
Roman citizens banned from becoming priests of Cybele.
Persecution –of Jews and Christians.
Roman practices called religion, while foreign practices called superstitio.
None of this stopped people from worshipping in secret
Priests and priesthoods
Mostly men, but some women.
Top political figures often also top religious figures too.
•Flamen difficult because cannot leave Pomerium
Ritual knowledge widespread (not kept within colleges).
Consulting the Gods
Auspices
Inspecting of entrails
Observation of flight of birds, behavior of sacred chickens
Consultation of Sibylline Books
