The Principate Flashcards
(41 cards)
1
Q
Gaius Octavius
A
Born 63BC, father was a moderate senator, mother was Atia, niece of Julius Ceasar
2
Q
The ‘first triumpvirate’
A
- Julius Caesar, pompey, and Crassus were the most important men in Rome in 60BC
- formed an alliance that they were going to rule Rome together
- Pompey marries Caesar’s daughter Julia
- political violence in Rome, Julia dies in 54 and Crassus killed by Parthian’s in 53
3
Q
Civil War
A
- the pair drift apart, Caesar victorious as Pompey is killed in 48
- 44BC, Caesar becomes dictator perpetus, dictator for life
- assassinated on the ides of march, Brutus and Cassius leading conspirators
- following thus, many vying for power
4
Q
Octavianus
A
- chaotic situation as caesars obvious heir was mark Anthony as he was his right hand man
- caesars will names Gaius Octavius as main heir and requires him to change his name
- was adopted into the army with Caesar at the age of 16
- Octavius in the Balkans, returns to Italy and welcomed by legions, but not seen as a threat as he held no political status
5
Q
Octavian vs Antony
A
- Antony and Octavian were rivals vying for the loyalty of the troops
- Antony falls out with the senate and senate hopes to use Octavian against him, Octavians army is sent against mark Antony’s causing Antony to flee
- 43BC, battke of Muntia, Anthony loses and Octavian marches on Rome
6
Q
The second Triumvirate
A
- late 43BC Antony and Octavian meet in Bologna to form the second Triumvirate with Lepidus
- proscriptions, a public list of enemies, 300 senators and 2000 equestrians targeted
7
Q
Triumpvirs vs Republicans
A
- Sextus Pompey siezes Sicily
- Brutus and Cassius in the east, brutal extraction of money from the people
- gather their armies in Macedonia
8
Q
Battle of Phillipi
A
- Octavian and mark Antony win, Brutus and Cassius commit suicide
- Octavian plays up his role in this battle but was largely inglorious in this as he was unwell
- roman world divided into east (A) and west (O)
9
Q
Antony in the east
A
- punishes supporters of Brutus and Cassius
- cleopatra queen of Egypt has a relationship with Caesar
- Antony falls in love and spends winter 41/40
10
Q
Octavian in the west
A
- allows for propaganda against MA causing tension
- problem of land for soldiers, veterans vs Italians
- account of Appian, Greek from Alexandria says most important variable in Rome is the army and to be in charge you must respect the army
11
Q
The Perusine War
A
- Octavian control in the west is not as strong as he is not experienced
- problem of land for the soldiers
- Lucius Antonius and Fulvia create opposition to Octavian
- Lucius Antonius and Fulvia move up north and are defeated
12
Q
Antony and Octavian as allies again
A
- Antony crosses to Italy and Pompey invades southern Italy
- Octavian marches to meet Antony
13
Q
Sextus Pompey
A
- makes peace with Antony and Octavian, granted control of islands and Peleponese
- defeats octavians fleet in 38
- attacks Sicily in 36 and is defeated
14
Q
Lepidus
A
- involved in war against Pompey
- confronted by Octavian and army deserts
15
Q
Drifting into civil war
A
- Antony tries to rebuild his position
- triumphs at Alexandria, new territorial settlement in the east
- 35-33 Octavian campaigns in Illyricum
- 32 triumvirate expires open breach between Antony and Octavian
16
Q
The war on Actium
A
- Antony in Asia Minor gathering forces divorces octavia, some supporters flee to Octavian
- Octavian opens Antony’s will. Helps him prevent him as an oriental monarch
- oath of allegiance to Octavian in Italy
- Antony moved army to Greece
- naval campaign by Agrippa, Octavian crosses to Actiym
- standoff between armies Antony flees
17
Q
The conquest of Egypt
A
- Antony and cleopatra flee to Egypt and the army in Lydia deserts to Octavian
- Octavian andvereces through Asia and by July approaching Egypt
- 1st August Antony defeated, he and cleopatra commit suicide
- year 29, doors of the temple of Janus are closed as a sign of peace
18
Q
Symbolism of the Augustan system
A
- was princeps, meaning leading citixrn
- was named Augustus by senate in 27BC
- avoided flaunting wealth and power
19
Q
The Augustan constitution
A
- restoration of the republic in 27BC
- consular emperium 31-23BC, wasn’t consul but had the powers
- granted province of Gual, Spain and Syria
- 23BC Augustus given wide ranging veto power
- was made pontifex maximus in 12BC (chief priest)
20
Q
The Army
A
- soldiers served for 20 years in the provinces with a pay of 900 HS
- aimed to keep separation of military from politics
- discharge bonus of initially land, but changed to 120000HS
- at first funded by Augustus himself: helps to depoliticise the army and binds them to him
21
Q
Material Benefits
A
- spent 2.4 billion
- sources of wealth: inheritance from Caesar, conquest of Egypt
22
Q
Dynasty
A
- continuity crucial to a long lasting regime: Augustus had poor health and no son, but a daughter Julia
- substitutes: Marcellus, Agrippa, Gaius and Lucius Caesar (grandsons) and Tiberius (stepson)
23
Q
Augustan Ideology
A
- social order and control with a conservative attitude to restore Rome
- conservative in religious policy
24
Q
Marriage and Family Policies
A
- perceived population decline strengthened the elites
- lex Julia (18BC) penalties for unmarried and childless
- lex Papia Poppaea (9AD) relaxation of penalties but encouraged childbearing
- wad unpopular and relaxed in 20AD
25
Slavery and Manumission
- roman slavery was unusual as freed slaves were automatically citizens
- 2AD, lex fufia, limits number of slaves who can be freed in a will
- 4AD, lex aelia sentia: restriction on freed slaves
26
Religious Conservatism
- respect for traditional religion, role of Pontifex Maximus
- restoration of temples, 83 shrines restored, construction of Forum Augusti, cult of Apollo on the palatine hill
27
Impérial glory
- power and might of the empire
- empire is said to encompass the enture world, expeditions Egypt
28
Rest Gestae
- achievements of the deified Augustus
- record of 44BC to 14AD, inscription set up outside his mausoleum in Rome on 2 bronze pillars
29
Ancyra
- bronze pillars melted down into other things
- temple of Augustus preserves a copyof the res gestae inscribed into walls and able to be translated
30
Key features of the Res Gestae
- Augustus describes his own public career
- presents himself as a roman superman who preserved the state
- built new temples but didn’t put his name on it as a respect fir Roman religion
31
Res Gestae: genre one
- res gestae as a funeral elogium
- comparison to roman funerals
32
Res Gestae: genre two
- a report by a magistrate, reflection of what he hand done with his role
- parallel to Cornelius Gallup’s, first governor of roman Egypt
33
Tacitus
- 56-120AD
- senator, probably from Gaul, active under Sominitan
- major works: Annals and Histories
34
Annals
- a commentary on Augustan System
- cynical view of Augustus, military dictatorship and hugely influential
- sympathises with the republic and senate
- principals has warped history writing, presents himself as impartial
35
Suetonius
- equestrian, active under Trajan
- lives of the twelve caesars
- broadly positive
36
Cassius Dio
- senator under the severan emperors
- from Bithynia (modern turkey)
- wrote the roman history in 80 books
- inspired by Thucydides, focus on war and politics
- generally positive attitude to Augustus , late republic a period of chaos and Augustus brought stability
- differentiates between Octavian and Augustus
37
Ronald Syme
- Camden professor of ancient history
- before Syme, views of Augustus were generally positive, held Dio’s opinion
- he had a negative view of Augustus, written in 1930s context
- was inspired by Tacitus
38
What was Moses Finley’s reaction to Syme
- American who worked in UK
- said the was no revolution as this is the wrong concept
39
What was Peter Brunt’s reaction to Syme?
- Camden professor of ancient history
- critic of Syme but did agree that there was a roman revolution
40
What was John North’s reaction to Syme?
There was a Roman Revolution, but Syme misunderstood it, Augustus was its Napoleon and preserved Rome’s social structure, Augustus not the revolutionary
41
What was Peter Wiseman’s reaction to Syme?
- optimates vs polulares, senate vs people
- oligarchy attempting to suppress democracy, popularis is Augustus standing up for ordinary romans
