Roman Quiz 2

Rostra-Date

It existed throughout the Republican and Imperial Periods.

Caesar-Date

100BC-44-BC

Cicero-Date

106 BC-43BC

Pompey-Date

106BC-48BC

Second Triumvirate-Date

43BC-33BC

First Triumvirate-Date

59BC-53BC

Octavian-Date

63BC-14AD

Antony-Date

83BC-30BC

Marcus Tullius Cicero

a.) Cicero and his family were Optimates. He rises to fame through a famous and risky legal defense despite the risk of upsetting Sulla. He later went on to play a key role in the Catilinarian Conspiracy by exposing Catiline's plot to overthrow the Roman Republic which in turn forced Cataline to flee Rome. He served as Consul in 63 BC. Clodius becomes tribune and forces Cicero to be exiled and he loses everything. After 1 year, Cicero is finally able to come back to Rome but he's afraid to speak again due to fear of retribution again. He writes philosophy and stays far away from politics. Later, he leaves Italy in fear that Caesar would take control and proscribe him. After the battle of Philippi proscriptions begin. The first person proscribed is Cicero and he is eventually killed. b.) Was alive from 106 BC-43 BC. c.) Cicero is significant to understanding Roman history due to his importance to almost every facet of Roman society. Politically, he served as consul and was involved in government and law. Socially, he was a philosopher that wrote many famous works. He was arguably one of the most important figures in ancient Rome because of this. In addition, he is an example of how brutal Roman leaders can be when it comes to proscriptions.

Gaius Julius Caesar

a.) Has a consulship in 59 BC→ but during his time as Consul he makes many enemies: Forces legislation instituting land re-distribution for Pompey's veterans, Ignores fellow consul (Bibulus), acts independently; Consulship of "Julius and Caesar." He immediately alienated the aristocrats with his reforms. His policies proved so controversial, the aristocrats attempted to prosecute him. However, Caesar proved too adept and his alliance with Crassus and Pompey too powerful for his enemies. In the end, Caesar enacted his reforms and avoided persecution. During this consulship, Caesar was also part of the First Triumvirate. The aristocratic opposition was horrified by the Triumvirate's tactics. They attempted to limit his power by giving him a really small command in Italy and limited the number of troops Caesar controlled after leaving office and also eliminated his ability to earn military glory and riches through conquest. Caesar finessed them though and managed to get governorship of Gaul. The governorship provided immunity from any prosecution for his actions as Consul. Caesar's presided over a heavy handed and controversial consulship. He intimidated his co-consul into irrelevance and used soldiers and mob violence to ensure the passage of his program. These tactics left him open to prosecution upon leaving office. However, he outmaneuvered his opponents leading to greater glory. Yet during the winter of 52, almost all of those leaders and tribes joined to expel the Romans from their lands. It was a serious political failure that resulted in the greatest military problem Caesar had ever faced. The result was a savage war on a massive scale, war that would test the limits both of the Roman general and his army. However, Caesar and his army were eventually able to conquer Gaul after years of fighting. Caesar did a lot of things as dictator from 49-45 BC: he fixed the debt crisis and coin circulation crisis, he recalibrated the calendar, curated many building projects. He was later assassinated by conspirators including Cassius and Brutus. Romans everywhere were very upset about this. Brutus: He was one of the conspirators that killed Caesar. Caesar continued to consolidate his power and in February 44 BC, he declared himself dictator for life. This act, along with his continual effort to adorn himself with the trappings of power, turned many in the Senate (including Brutus) against him. Sixty members of the Senate concluded that the only resolution to the problem was to assassinate Caesar. They thought he could become a REX or King.

Octavian

a.) He was born Gaius Octavius into an old and wealthy equestrian branch of the plebeian Octavii family. His maternal great-uncle Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, and Octavian was named in Caesar's will as his adopted son and heir. He,Mark Antony, and Marcus Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate to defeat the assassins of Caesar. Following their victory at Philippi, the Triumvirate divided the Roman Republic among themselves and ruled as military dictators.[note 4] The Triumvirate was eventually torn apart under the competing ambitions of its members. Lepidus was driven into exile and stripped of his position, and Antony committed suicide following his defeat at the Battle of Actium by Octavian in 31 BC. After the demise of the Second Triumvirate, Augustus restored the outward facade of the free Republic, with governmental power vested in the Roman Senate, the executive magistrates, and the legislative assemblies. In reality, however, he retained his autocratic power over the Republic as a military dictator. By law, Augustus held a collection of powers granted to him for life by the Senate, including supreme military command, and those of tribune and censor. It took several years for Augustus to develop the framework within which a formally republican state could be led under his sole rule. He rejected monarchical titles, and instead called himself Princeps Civitatis ("First Citizen of the State"). The resulting constitutional framework became known as the Principate, the first phase of the Roman Empire. The reign of Augustus initiated an era of relative peace known as the Pax Romana (The Roman Peace). The Roman world was largely free from large-scale conflict for more than two centuries, despite continuous wars of imperial expansion on the Empire's frontiers and one year-long civil war over the imperial succession. Augustus dramatically enlarged the Empire, annexing Egypt, Dalmatia, Pannonia, Noricum, and Raetia; expanding possessions in Africa; expanding into Germania; and completing the conquest of Hispania. Beyond the frontiers, he secured the Empire with a buffer region of client states and made peace with the Parthian Empiret hrough diplomacy. He reformed the Roman system of taxation, developed networks of roads with an official courier system, established a standing army, established the Praetorian Guard, created official police and fire-fighting services for Rome, and rebuilt much of the city during his reign. Augustus died in AD 14 at the age of 75. He may have died from natural causes, although there were unconfirmed rumors that his wife Livia poisoned him. He was succeeded as Emperor by his adopted son (also stepson and former son-in-law)Tiberius. b.) He lived from 63 BC- 14 AD. c.) He was significant to understanding Roman history due to the fact that he was Rome's first autocrat. He also did a lot for the city and helped develop it in more ways than one. In addition, his life is an example of how power-hungry all Roman people were. However, he came out on top of the power struggle.

Gaius Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great)

a.) Over time, his fame begins to increase due to some of the major accomplishments he had. He frees the Mediterranean of pirates, Final defeat of Mithradates (one of Rome's greatest and most successful enemies), and In effect added Western Turkey (Greek Ionia) to Roman empire. Pompey wants land for his veterans who had fought for him against Mithradates. He was from a Plebeian family but acclaimed as one as Rome's greatest generals. He was eventually elected Consul after all of his success and rise to popularity. He esentially bought the Plebian support. As Pompey was reaching the height of his power, an aristocrat named Gaius Julius Caesar started making waves in the Roman political scene. Unlike Pompey, Caesar was from an ancient patrician family. But he was also the nephew of Gaius Marius, the leader of the populares, whereas Pompey had been fighting on the side of the optimates. Pompey was a pleb fighting for the aristocracy, and Caesar was an aristocrat fighting for the plebs. Despite their different origins, both of these men tried to straddle the growing gap between the two classes. Recognizing this kinship, Caesar formed an unofficial alliance with Pompey by marrying his daughter, Julia, to the aging general (Julia and Pompey get married). Eventually, the First Triumvirate is formed consisting of Pompey, Caesar, and Crassus. Afraid of Caesar's growing power, Pompey turned against his old ally and formed an alliance with the Senate. The Senate declared Pompey sole consul and declared Caesar an outlaw. It is unclear whether the Senate and Pompey truly meant to threaten Caesar, or if this was all meant to be a bluff to bring Caesar in to line. But Caesar took it as a threat and, in defiance of Roman law and custom, marched his army on Rome. Caesar moved faster than anyone had expected, and in 49 BCE, he marched his army across the Rubicon. Unprepared and with only raw recruits at hand, Pompey and the Senate fled Rome, surrendering the city without a fight. He then flees to Greece so he can get more troops. Caesar eventually follows him to Greece where they fight at the Battle of Pharsalus in central Greece. Though Pompey led the larger force, Caesar's superior tactics won him the battle. His army destroyed, Pompey fled to Egypt, with Caesar hot on his heels. Then Pompey flees to Egypt where Caesar follows but discovers that Pompey had died. Caesar then takes over any lands that were loyal to Pompey or the Optimates in Rome. b.) Lived from 106 BC-29 BC. c.) This figure is significant for understanding Roman history due to his political importance. He did many good things for the people of Rome (especially the Plebeians), but also died a tragic death as a result of political conflict. Pompey serves as an example of how relations could change extremely quickly within ancient Rome.

Mark Antony

a.) Rise to prominence: Mark Antony became a cavalry officer after his youth and achieved victories in Palestine and Egypt. After this, he joined Caesar to fight in Gaul where Antony served as a staff officer. In 49 BC, he was elected as a tribune and served as a staunch defender of Caesar against his rivals in the Senate. During Caesar's first yearlong dictatorship, Antony was his second-in-command. By 48 B.C. he was in Greece, supporting Caesar's left wing at the Battle of Pharsalus. A year later, Antony's violent expulsion from the Senate by anti-Caesar factions gave Caesar's legion a rallying point as they crossed the Rubicon River, igniting the Republican Civil War. When Caesar assumed his fifth and final consulship in 44 B.C., Antony was his co-consul. Fall From Prominence/Cleopatra: Antony was a supporter of Julius Caesar, and served as one of his generals during the conquest of Gaul and the Civil War. Antony was appointed administrator of Italy while Caesar eliminated political opponents in Greece, North Africa, and Spain. After Caesar's death in 44 BC, Antony joined forces with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, another of Caesar's generals, and Octavian, Caesar's nephew and adopted son, forming a three-man dictatorship known to historians as the Second Triumvirate. The Triumvirs defeated Caesar's murderers, the Liberatores, at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC, and divided the government of the Republic between themselves. Antony was assigned Rome's eastern provinces, including the client kingdom of Egypt, then ruled by Cleopatra VII Philopator, and was given the command in Rome's war against Parthia. Relations among the Triumvirs were strained as the various members sought greater political power. Civil war between Antony and Octavian was averted in 40 BC, when Antony married Octavian's sister, Octavia. Despite this marriage, Antony carried on a love affair with Cleopatra, who bore him three children, further straining Antony's relations with Octavian. Lepidus was expelled from the association in 36 BC, and in 33 BC disagreements between Antony and Octavian caused a split between the remaining Triumvirs. Their ongoing hostility erupted into civil war in 31 BC, as the Roman Senate, at Octavian's direction, declared war on Cleopatra and proclaimed Antony a traitor. Later that year, Antony was defeated by Octavian's forces at the Battle of Actium. Defeated, Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt, where they committed suicide. b.) Mark Antony was alive from 83BC-30BC. c.) Mark Antony is significant to understanding Roman history due to the fact that he played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from an oligarchy into the autocratic Roman Empire. Once he killed himself, all of the power was essentially transferred to Octavian which made autocracy.

Ara Pacis

a.) The Ara Pacis The Ara Pacis Augustae is an altar in Rome dedicated to Pax, the Roman goddess of Peace. It was commissioned by the Senate in order to commemorate the return of Augustus to Rome after his fighting in Gaul and to symbolize that there was now peace after those wars. It is essentially an altar surrounded by walls and on the walls were various depictions of scenes. b.) Built in 9 BC.

First Triumvirate

a.) The First Triumvirate was an unofficial political alliance between Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus formed in 59 BC and lasted to 53 BC. The group was not really a union but a way for them all to benefit personally. Caesar wanted a consulship, Pompey wanted land for his veterans who fought for him, and Crassus wanted relief for tax collectors in Asia. They all agreed to take no action that would harm the interest of the others. Ultimately, Caesar gets his consulship, the legislation to give Pompey's veterans land is approved, and Crassus becomes governor of Syria (Asia) where he could implement tax relief. The First Triumvirate begins to break apart once Pompey's wife dies (which strained his relations with Caesar). Crassus was also killed in 53 BC which was a big loss for the group. b.) Lasted from 59 BC- 53 BC. c.) This is significant for understanding Roman History due to the fact that it shows how political masterminds interacted with each other in ancient Rome. In addition, it proves that most ancient Roman politicians were only interested in their own personal gain and not necessarily the well-being of the group as a whole.

Res Gestae

a.) The Res Gestae Divi Augusti ("the achievements of the deified Augustus") are the official autobiography of Augustus, the man who had renovated the Roman Empire during his long reign from 31 BCE to 14 CE. The text tells us how he wanted to be remembered. It is best summarized in the full title: "the achievements of the deified Augustus by which he placed the whole world under the sovereignty of the Roman people, and of the amounts which he expended upon the state and the Roman people". In other words - it is propaganda. The text, which was inscribed on two columns near the Mausoleum of Augustus in Rome, has survived as an inscription in the temple of Roma and Augustus in modern Ankara (ancient Ancyra; satellite photo). The text, which was first published by the famous botanist Charles de l'cluse (or Clusius; 1526-1609), is not complete, but there are other copies (from Antioch and Apollonia in Pisidia); the first scholar to combine them and publish a scientific edition was Theodor Mommsen(1883�).

Rostra

a.) The Rostra was a large platform that orators and other famous/political figure used to speak to the public. It is named after the bronze ships that decorate the front of the structure. Five honorary columns were erected behind it that pictured famous Romans such as the Caesars. At the Rostra Antony delivered his funeral speech to Caesar and where the Triumvirs proscribed Cicero. b.) The Rostra was planned by Caesar but made into its final form by Augustus in 42 BC. It existed throughout the Republican and Imperial Periods. c.) The Rostra was significant for understanding Roman history due to its importance as an architectural structure. Not only was it a good looking structure but also many events took place here. In a way, the building serves as a tribute to the Roman need of publicizing everything whether that would be a speech or a proscription.

Second Triumvirate

a.) The Second Triumvirate was an official political alliance instated by law between three dictators: Lepidus, Antony, and Octavian. Their objective was to hunt down the conspirators of Caesar's assassination and bring them to justice. They had a group of troops totaling around 200,000. They fought the army of Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Philippi. After they win the battle, people are proscribed such as Cicero. When Antony became involved with Cleopatra (Egypt's pharaoh) and decided to fight Rome, Octavian played a part in defeating Antony's forces. Once Antony was out of the way and Lepidus was forced to retire, Octavian was free to become Augustus Caesar. b.) Lasted from 43 BC- 33 BC. c.) This is significant for understanding Roman History due to the fact that it shows how political masterminds interacted with each other in ancient Rome. It also shows some of the repercussions of Caesar's death and how other powerful men within Rome reacted.