The Republic Land and Empire Flashcards
The main land acts
the Ager Publicus
The Lex Lecinia Sextia of 376 BCE that was created to limit land ownership to 500 iugera (125 hectares)
the Lex Sempronia Agraria 134 BCE that snatched back land over the legal limit
The Republic comes under stress
First Emperors
Cause of Republican collapse
Civil War
Causes of internal conflict
This contradicted
Caesar , Augustus,
Some say 133BC hanging of the people’s tribune Tiberius Gracchus, others say 60BC the compact of Caesar, Pompey and Crassus, political norms changed from temporary tenure in posts to an indefinite one as consul etc. - avaricious power
49 BCE
Successful wars using Roman citizens/Italian peasantry led to the displacement and penury of the same citizen soldiers as rich landowners bought untended land whilst soldiers were away and created huge farms worked by non-citizen slaves who couldn’t serve in the army so underpriced the tenant farmer - no land, no work for the soldier-farmer
The Lex Lecinia Sextia of 376 BCE that was created to limit land ownership to 500 iugera (125 hectares)
Early origins of the army
First type
Type of men and length of service
But losses
Resulted in
Resembled the Athenian militias but qualification was via property in Rome, at least 2 iugera of land = 5047 square meters
A backbone of smallholding peasant farmers - Horace praised them as ‘manly comrades, yeoman soldiers’ could be mustered up to age 46 or six campaigns
In one battle at Cannae the Romans lost an estimated 50,000 men to Hannibal
Death, extended service, poor pay and loss of land due to it becoming dilapidated during long campaigns
Problems for ordinary soldiers
Death
Poor pay
Unable to tend farm
Cheap salve labour used by large estate owners
Bullying by large owners to buy their untended land
Voting rights also compromised because
As land ownership fell all the poorer citizens were contained within the 5th Proletarii century (proles all the had was children to give the state) - this had less votes than the richer landowners and business owners centuries
They also voted last so that the more powerful centuries coud obtain a majority well before they voted
Stress 2
The Gracchi -
What they did
What they created
Why they did it
Problem eventually solved by…
Tiberius Gracchus 133 BCE ( hanged by senators and accomplices) , Gaius Gracchus 123-122BCE (assassinated 121 BCE) noble family, mother Cornelian especially renowned, daughter of Scipio Africanus, virtuous Roman Matron and Philhellene - admirer of Greek Culture - her sons were her jewels not ostentatious wealth
Redistribute illegally acquired land ( the Ager Publicus) back to the soldier-farmers (30 iugera of it), finance the settlement via monies from the new Provence of Asia, by-pass the senate (he landowners). Land held above the legal limit of 500 inegra to be redistributed - the Lex Sempronia Agraria 134 BCE that snatched back land over the legal limit stated in the Ager Publicis but with compensation and sons allowed 250 iugera
The ‘people’ would become a rival to the senate via the ‘Tribune of the People’
Problems with army recruitment as peasants fell below the property qualification level by redistributing land back to them, more soldiers could be recruited as they would now have the land qualification
Lowering property qualification and eventually removing it - Marius 107
Stress 3
Result of no property qualification
Extreme example
The generals then did what
Poor males rested all hope on military advancement
/retirement and their benefactors/generals - resulting in generals now dabbling in politics with armed muscle behind them
Sulla (138-78 BCE) took Rome, refused to transfer troops at least twice - became a dictator - special office not rising through the admin ranks
Acted well out if their remit, e.g. Pompey I’m the East, from 71 BCE after demanding a triumph and permission to apply for consulship without previous qualification, coins with his image, religious cult, cities named after him with no reference to the senate in Rome
Key Dates
133 BCE
123 - 122 BCE
107 BCE
60 BCE
49 BCE
