Political success in rome

Question 1

What 4 things define roman political success?

Answer 1

• consulship
• rep, auctoritas and dignitas
• military glory, imperator, triumph
• becoming elite, wealthy

Question 2

Who advises against bribery and why?

Answer 2

Q cicero in com pet - may work for cicero but generally doesn’t

Question 3

3 instances of bribery in 63,62 and 59?
(By optimates)

Answer 3

• cataline conspiracy, rullan bill
• clodius trial (bona dea scandal)
• election of bibulus; “and cato himself admitted that this was an occasion when even bribery might be excused as a legitimate means of preserving the constitution” - suet.

also in 63: caesar bribes electorate with crassus’ money to be pont max and “catulus tried to induce him to abandon his ambitious pursuit, offering him large sums of money” - Plut.

Question 4

how does Q cicero in com.pet suggest using rhetoric?

Answer 4

• make good speeches in law courts, call in favours from friends
• “remind everyone in your debt they should repay you with their support”
  eg cicero with roscius defence

Question 5

Major example of corruption in 70 bc?

Answer 5

Verres provincial extortion trial - “1st years for myself, 2nd for my patrons and 3rd to bribe the jurors” - cic.

Question 6

What does Com pet say about slandering opponents and false promises you can’t deliver?

Answer 6

you should do both; eg “molested young boys almost in the laps of their parents” about cataline

Question 7

How should money be accrued and used when canvassing?

Answer 7

“seek out businessmen and the moderately wealthy” (com pet.)

Question 8

How does crassus use money politically?

Answer 8

• uses riches from sulla’s proscriptions to back caesar as aedile; goes on largess to get votes (suet)
• clodius + gang maintained by crass (milo by pomp)
• “be generous with hospitality” (com pet) cicero buys house off crass at cut price

Question 9

how does caesar use largesse to achieve political success?

Answer 9

gifts to poor: gallic slave to every citizen, triumphs accompanied by whole populus feasts (plut)

Question 10

how was the corn dole used until 59?

Answer 10

abolished by sulla in 81, reinstated by lepidus; then used by cato in 62 to gain support with inc. recipients (calm people after cat. con?)
then used by clodius to win support in 59 (plut)

Question 11

How did Bibulus counter caesars violent threat?

Answer 11

in 59, “bibulus… and cato with him, wee often in danger of being killed… so he shut himself up in his house and stayed there for the rest of. his term”

plut.

Question 12

how is mith. command transferred to marius in 88?

Answer 12

sulpicius uses mob violence to attack consuls and seize command from sulla

plut.

Question 13

What lead to pompey’s sole consulship in 52?

Answer 13

intimidation at milo’s trial which meant that cicero was scared into silence by pomp.s troops (he feared milo and presumably wanted him prosecuted) and couldn’t speak; marking the silencing of the last republican

(dio, plut)

Question 14

how did proscriptions induce political success and who used them?

Answer 14

• eliminate opponents and make money legally
• sulla (1600 equites, 40 senators - 520 proscribed over days) and the second trium. (2000 equites, 300 senators)

“sulla now devoted himself to… butchery”
plut.

Question 15

examples of alliances (not necessarily friendships) in rep?

Answer 15

• pomp and crass consulship
• 1st triumvirate
• 2nd triumvirate
• alliances with tribunes

mostly served to dominate and bypass senate

Question 16

Why is cicero a weird politician?

Answer 16

rarely bribes, little to no military auctoritas, novus homo

Question 17

What was the difference between sulla’s use of army for political success and pompey’s?

Answer 17

sulla actually marches on rome, pomp. threatens - ie. to bring war back from spain, snide comments to sulla to get a triumph, even uses pilitary in east to gain prestige and respect but doesn’t actually fight with soldiers -only threatens “to come up against sword” (plut)

Question 18

How did caesar use army for political influence?

Answer 18

• marches on rome (49)
• floods rome with vets. on leave in 55 and instructs them to elect pomp and crass consul
• leverage - “retain at least illyricum and 1 legion” until could stand for consulship (suet) in 56

Question 19

3 ways tribs used to bypass senate?

Answer 19

• pomp.s lex gabinia and manilia
• lex vatinia and titta for triumvirates
• clodius’ law to exile cicero (58)

Question 20

how can amicitia be used to succeed politically?

Answer 20

Com. pet:
- get a crowd of followers by going to forum at same time each day, make anicitia in the senate to win the election, but look after you collegium (marriages, family etc.) properly

Question 21

How does cicero use amicitia?

Answer 21

writes to pompey (scipio comparison), uses atticus for support, intention to defend cataline to gain his support (ad att)

Question 22

How did caesar cement his alliance with pompey and when was this ended?

Answer 22

married julia to him (plut) though when she died, pomp married cornelia, a scipio, marking his transition into elite and away from caesar
pomp did attempt to marry cato’s niece in 60 bc

Question 23

How did ant and oct secure alliance?

Answer 23

Ant married oct.s sister, octavia (40 bc) - who was blown out for cleo

Question 24

Who was terentia?

Answer 24

cicero’s (very rich) wife

Question 25

What law aimed at political equality in 367?

Answer 25

at least 1 consul had to be plebian, but in reality it was still limited to only wealthy aristocrats

Question 26

What path was often followed after consulship?

Answer 26

provincial governorship - profitable sinecures which could be used via extortion to amass wealth

Question 27

What did mary beard say about the senate?

Answer 27

“The senate was dominated by the ancient equivalent of the old boy network.” Beard S.P.Q.R. politically useful to be from the elite