Week 8 The Flavians

Question 1

Nero’s death

Answer 1

After Nero’s death civil war ensued.

Question 2

68-69 CE The Year of the Four Emperors

Answer 2

Galba
Otho
Vitellius
Vespasian

Question 3

Galba

Answer 3

Govenor of Hispania Tarraconsis
Got rid of Senators
and didn’t pay legions and praetorian guard

Question 4

Vitellius

Answer 4

Commander of a Legion in Germania
Otho commited suicide
so he became emperor
He bankrupted the state with his lavish speninding

Question 5

Vespasian

Answer 5

Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus
He was a pleb, and son of a tax collector
profesional solider
Commander of the legions in Judea
He defeated Vitellius, because Vitelliu’s own men killed him
And stability finally came to Rome.
Highly skilled general and administrator
First roman emperor to establish the Flavian dynasty
Hailed as the second Augustus
Displayed himself as roman verism, portrayed himslef as dignigtas and virtues
He looks old and is very transparent

Question 6

Titus

Answer 6

Son of Vespasian, left in Judea
Groomed to become the next emperor
Succeeded to emperor after Vespasian
Had a Jewish wife but sent her back after social pressure.
He lived through the construction of the Coliseum.
Built a large public bath complex over Nero’s house

Question 7

Vespasian Career

Answer 7

Long history of great military careers
conquered Britain
subjugation of Judea

Question 8

The Jewish wars

Answer 8

Most of Judea was fighting many civil wars,
Vespasian brought peace to the unrest.
Jerusalem was captured by Pompey and was added as a province.
The Jews did not like the Romans and were constantly trying to undermine them
There was also heavy tensions between Greeks and Jews
Nero had heard of the failures to bring back order to Jerusalem. He ten sent Titus Flavius Vespasianus to Jerusalem.
Vespasian’s son Titus went to Alexandria and picked up more men there.
Father and son then both marched to Jerusalem.
At first they were pushed back, but let the rival factions have war with each other. So slowly but surely Vespasian took back settlement after settlement.
After these settlements were set up, Titus was able to move a large army towards Jerusalem.
At Jerusalem the Jews were able to attack the 10th legion, but Titus was able to retreat the Jews.
Titus wanted to focus the attack between the psephenus tower and the western gate, they used siege engines and towers to break through the walls.
With rams the romans were able to batter through wall after wall, the romans were pushed back, and the jews were able to destroy the romans siege towers.
So Titus built a wall around the whole city with 13 fortresses, famine quickly descended on the city and eventually the romans slowly gained ground, but eventually held. Rome surrounded the City to overwhelm the Jews which worked by the Temple area. Once the Temple was taken the Legions poured through the city causing much slaughter and destruction.
Titus was granted a triumph

Question 9

Titus Flavius Josephus

Answer 9

Slave of Vespasian, and wrote the history of the Jewish wars.

Question 10

Vespasian as Emperor

Answer 10

Brought in peace and prosperity, and built a forum and returned many treasurers back to the people, and built the Coliseum.
Most infamous for his tax on urine, tax was placed on purchasing urine

Question 11

The forum of peace

Answer 11

Was built beside the forum of Augustus, and was the first public building you’d upon entering hte forum.
It was like a museum and library full of art and courtyards with fountains.

Question 12

Patron of Education

Answer 12

Vespasian created first paid professorship, appointing Quintilian to chair of literature and rhetoric.

Exempted doctors and teachers of grammar and rhetoric from taxes and from having troops billeted in their homes.

Question 13

Provincial concerns

Answer 13

Expanded empire into Wales, northern England, and part of southern Scotland (Caledonia).

Also expanded Germany between the Rhine and Danube.

Gave Latin rights to communities in Spain

Question 14

The Arch of Titus

Answer 14

Constructed by his brother, was constructed to commemorate the victory in Judea
suffered the greatest damage during the medieval period.
HWne entering the arch you would have seen the treasures gained by Titus and Titus with is procession.
Had signs displaying the names of the treasures and other important items from the Temple.
Titus is accompained by gods and representations of virtues.
On the top it displays Titus ridding on the back of the ealge to join the afterlife.
Had Hellenistic style on the outside

Question 15

Domitian

Answer 15

The last of the Flavians, younger brother of Titus, he strengthened borders and currency.
He started a massive reconstruction of the City, he never received any training and had never led an army in battle.
He as a very good administrator, but liek by the senate.
he taxed different religions.
He increased the pay of soldiers.

Question 16

Domitian Controversies

Answer 16

He demanded he be addressed as “dominus et deus” –Lord and God

He used a vague charge of treason (maiestas)to execute hundreds of people

Many of the people killed were his enemies of the Senatorial class (Patricians)

Question 17

Conspiracies abound

Answer 17

There were many conspiracies against him by the upper classes (the masses loved him).

He was murdered by a steward acting on behalf of his wife Domitia.

He was stabbed while reading a report of another (fictitious) plot against his life.

He left no children, no successors.

No senators were implicated in his murder.

The Senate then appointed a lawyer, Marcus Cocceius Nerva, his successor

Question 18

the aftermath

Answer 18

The Senate proclaimed “damnatio memoriae” against him.

There was a smear campaign against him

Question 19

Circus Maximus

Answer 19

Rumored to be the site of the Sabine women,
Pulvinar is were the emperor sat and used to be a temple of the gods
in the middle of the circucs was the spina
The track was around the spina where you would do laps.
To win the race you would have to complete seven laps.
The spina received many pillars and temple artifacts by emperors.
We know the rules about the dolphins and eggs because of the display on art.
Gladiatorial combat also took place as well as fighting animals.

Question 20

The Colosseum (Flavian Ampitheatre)

Answer 20

Lower levels were Doric/Tuscan
Above were the Ionic Colum’s
Above that were the Corinthian order
and finally at the very top are the Corinthian pilasters

Mainly built with concrete and many blocks, which were liked by medieval builders.

It held 50000 people, women and slaves were kept at the upper part of the colosseum

Entering and Exiting was very easy and efficient.

at the top there were poles that allowed for shades which provided air conditioning and shade for the viewers.

Question 21

Gladiators

Answer 21

There wasn’t always death, but it still happend
Gladiators said Morituri te salutatnt to the emperor.
All Gladiators would be armed and dressed differently.
Gladiators sometimes played against beasts, it was for the entertainment of the people
Public executions were also carried out for political enemies and religious minorities.

Another purpose of the games was to keep the population happy and dissuade them from revolting , included with the games was also added food sometimes such as bread.

Question 22

Spartacus

Answer 22

He served in the roman army but imprisoned for desertion and made a slave.
He was sent to Capua, and trained as gladiator, this training was very disciplined, he led other slaves out of to fight their out for freedom.

By this time was busy with war.

Praetor Claudius Gaber took an army of three thousand to block Spartacus, but Spartacus and his men climbed down the mountain to escape.

Spartacus used effective gorilla warfare against the romans to gain the upper hand.

His inspiring victories and his generous donations of booties soon had him gain more and more men.

the senate retaliated with two legions, but it was a costly victory for Spartacus.

Spartacus wanted to march out of Rome, but the his men wanted to march south to continue pillaging, at the very south of Italy Rome was able to catch up and defeated Spartacus and his army.

The romans crucified 6000 captives along the apian way.

Crassus won the war but Spartacus’s name lived on longer and more popular because of the fight for freedom.