Ancient Rome Module 10

Which of the following were motives for Rome to annex Britain? Mark all correct:

Mineral Wealth Enhancing Claudius' Prestige Slaves The two main attractions were slaves (people they captured in war) and mineral wealth. Rome went to Britain on the pretense of responding to a summons from an ally; but, in truth, it was an opportunity to Claudius to play the part of the military commander.

Claudius was groomed for the role of princeps from an early age.

False Claudius was not groomed to be emperor, despite his royal pedigree. He was born with physical deformities and suffered from ill health. His family saw him as a "monster" and dull-witted, and they hid him away from public view, especially at an age at which he should have been making a name for himself on the public/political stage.

True or false: Vespasian came from a noble family of high distinction, with many ancestors serving in prestigious offices at Rome.

False None of Vespasian's family had served in office at Rome before him; he was a novus homo, or "new man".

True or false: reverence for major political figures as divine or quasi-divine began with the Roman emperors.

False The tradition of treating rulers as though they were gods or semi-divine has a long history before the rise of Roman imperial cult. The specific traditions that accompanied Roman imperial cult, however, are recognizably found in ruler-worship from Alexander the Great onwards.

Briefly explain how a marriage to Agrippina the Younger would help Claudius strengthen his connections to the Julian side of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

Agrippina the Younger was the daughter of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder. Thus she was a direct descendent of Augustus through her grandmother Julia. Augustus was her great-grandfather.

From which major historical figure from the Greek East did Romans draw inspiration from in their reverence for their rulers?

Alexander The Great

Who were the children of Messalina and Claudius? Mark all correct:

Britannicus Octavia The marriage produced two children, both of whom lived to adulthood: Octavia and Britannicus. Remember these names! They will reappear in the next part of Module 10.

What historical event do you think this relief is intended to evoke?

Claudius' conquest of Britain The image is a symbolic representation of Claudius' conquest of Britain. Such symbolic representations of ethnic or geographical groups as women was commonplace.

True or false: "apocalyptic" literature anticipates the continuation of the status quo.

False Apocalyptic literature, which emerged as a genre of Jewish religious literature in the late 3rd century BCE, is usually framed as a prophecy with a vision for the end times, expressed as the return of the rule of God and the deliverance of His people from oppression.

Why do you think the support of Egypt was so important to Vespasian's success?

Egypt supplied Rome's grain, which meant that Vespasian could threaten a famine Since Egypt was Rome's breadbasket, control of the province could effect a famine, literally starving an emperor of Rome of his support. Once Vespasian secured the support of Egypt, most of the Eastern empire quickly followed suit.

True or false: the transition between Vitellius and Vespasian's reigns at Rome was peacefully observed in the capital.

False

True or false: in the absence of a clear successor to Domitian, Rome fell once again into civil war.

False Although there was no plan for peaceful transition, the Senate quickly identified an interim successor, the aged senator Nerva. Succession took place without incident.

Nero had matured to adulthood by the time he became emperor.

False Becoming princeps when he was just seventeen, Nero was even younger than Caligula when he became the most powerful person in the Roman Empire.

Who was Tiberius' successor to the imperial throne?

Gaius or "Caligula"

In which province was Ancyra, the location of the Temple of Augustus and Rome where the Res Gestae was inscribed?

Galatia

Following Vindex's lead, who successfully rebelled against Nero, won the support of the Senate and Praetorian Guard, and dethroned Nero?

Galba Though the events leading to Nero's downfall are confusing, it was the Spanish governor Galba who eventually won the Senate's and the Praetorian Guard's support. When Nero panicked and abandoned Rome, he was named emperor, but it would not be long before he too would be unseated.

Order the four emperors chronologically by the proclamation of their rule at Rome:

Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian

In what parts of the empire were there ongoing revolts at the time of Vespasian's accession? Mark all correct:

Gaul Judaea In addition to the ongoing revolt in Judaea, Vespasian also had to suppress an uprising in Gaul, where a Romanized Gaul named Civilis had taken up arms against Roman rule as a continuation of the Julius Vindex revolt at the end of Nero's reign.

Who was the first Roman to be formally divinized (i.e. made into a god) by an act of the Senate?

Julius Caesar Many Romans believed that Julius Caesar's divinity was confirmed when a comet was seen in the sky during the first annual games held in his honor after his assassination in 44 BCE. The belief was not ratified by the Senate, however, until 42 BCE, under pressure from the Second Triumvirate and Octavian in particular. Once Julius Caesar had been deified, Octavian enthusiastically took up the title "son of a god" (divi filius).

Why do you think they would do this? Why would they feel better served by the Principate than by the (supposedly) more democratic Republic?

Most Romans would have had no personal memory of the Republic; and the memories of their relatives would have been shaped by the civil wars of the last 100 years of the Republic. As well, for less wealthy Romans, they had no less power in the Principate than they did in a Republic--a reminder of just how much the Republic served the interests of the wealthy and ignored the middle-class and poor.

Who did Vespasian prefer to employ in his administration? Mark all correct answers:

Senators equites (equestrians) Vespasian conspicuously returned administrative powers to senators and equestrians which had previously been deferred by predecessors like Claudius and Nero to freedmen within the emperor's personal staff. As such, Vespasian made the business of government more transparent within the ruling class, and anticipated the rise of a more fully organized imperial bureaucracy.

Why did Claudius divorce Messalina?

She married another man Ancient historians give varied accounts of the events but it seems that Messalina conspired with another senator, Silius to overthrow Claudius. She could not have actually married him before divorcing Claudius, but seems to have planned to have Claudius killed and then marry Silius and push for him to be emperor.

Which of the following were identified as the Messiah by Jewish sects in the 1st-2nd centuries CE? Mark all correct:

Simon Bar Kokhba Jesus (or Yeshua)

Which Christian ideas do you think would have been most incompatible with Roman political ideology? Explain your answer in a few words.

The attitudes of Christians towards the Roman Empire, and vice versa, are difficult to assess for the earliest period. However, the claim of Jesus' followers that their leader was the "son of God", as well as radical notions of equality, often appear to be direct confrontations of Roman doctrines about the divine status of the emperor and his position at the top of a highly stratified social hierarchy.

Briefly evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Augustus' plan for succession to be determined by descent. How did this play out in the reigns of Caligula, Claudius and Nero? What factors determined their downfall?

The biggest problem facing the Julio-Claudian dynasty in selecting emperors by family lineage rather than talent was the small size of the pool of possible candidates. This led to at least two figures singularly unequipped to rule: Caligula and Nero. Although Claudius seems to have been competent, he also faced another difficulty raised by this distinctive method of succession, the intense internal politics of family succession, which led to him bypassing his own son for the imperial throne, and, probably, his own murder.

True or false: the revolt of Arminius (also known as the "Varian disaster") achieved its objectives by ensuring that Rome never again tried to extend its empire into German territory.

True After the Varian disaster in 9 CE brought about by the revolt led by Arminius, Augustus served an imperial edict that Roman power should not extend beyond its current frontiers along the northern limits.

True or false: the iconic Roman monument, the Colosseum, was originally known as the "Flavian Amphitheater".

True Although construction of the Colosseum began under Vespasian, the project was finally completed during Domitian's reign, along with many other important and ambitious building projects.

Claudius regularly sought the opinion of the Senate on various matters.

True Somewhat to the surprise and concern of the Senate, Claudius regularly sought their opinion on matters of empire. They weren't quite sure what to make of this and suspected him of dissimulation.

True or false: Vespasian, the fourth emperor of 69 CE, was suppressing the revolt in Judaea when he was proclaimed princeps by his troops.

True Vespasian was the commander in charge of suppressing the First Jewish Revolt, which had broken out in the closing years of Nero's reign. Vespasian abandoned the campaign to pursue his ambitions at Rome, but left its successful conclusion to his son, Titus.

True or false: the most intact copy of Augustus' "autobiography", the Res Gestae Divi Augusti ("the Deeds of Divine Augustus") was not found in Rome.

True In fact, the most intact copy of the Res Gestae was inscribed on the wall of the Temple of Augustus and Roma, which was constructed in Ancyra (modern Ankara, Turkey), which was at the time the capital of the Roman province Galatia.

How did Titus come to power?

Vespasian named Titus as his heir

Given the unreliability of written historical accounts of emperors like Tiberius and Caligula, what can we do to try to recover a more objective history of their reigns?

We can turn to other sources of evidence, including coins and architecture. We can also do critical readings of the historical accounts to attempt to tease out the pure invective and to separate the acts of the emperors from the historians' negative interpretations of those acts.

Vindex was: (mark all correct)

a Roman governor of Gallic heritage of senatorial rank The lines were muddied between whether Vindex's revolt was a Gallic rebellion against the Romans or a senatorial rebellion.

Which of the following was an event that marred Titus' reign? Mark all correct:

a devastating fire in Rome the eruption of Vesuvius The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 and the fire in Rome in 80 occurred under Titus' short reign. He responded by mobilizing relief efforts, using funds from the Roman treasury. For this, he was seen in a positive light, especially in comparison to Nero after the Fire of 64.

What was the Pisonian Conspiracy?

a group of Romans from all backgrounds who conspired to overthrow Nero Though our historians tell us that the members of the conspiracy came from all backgrounds, it was named after a senator. It appears to have been yet another effort of the senatorial aristocracy to try to restore the power of the Senate and the Republic.

Which of the following factions did NOT support the choice of Caligula as emperor?

all of these factions supported Caligula All the major constituencies at Rome were initially enthusiastic supporters of Caligula, largely due to Caligula's successful broadcasting of his connections to the imperial family.

Which of the following is NOT true about the Great Fire of 64?

all of these were associated with the Fire The Fire of 64 was likely accidental and was exacerbated due to the lack of fire codes for buildings in the crowded downtown residential areas of Rome. Nero is blamed for setting it, and also blamed for blaming the Christians for starting it. Whatever happened, it caused a social and economic crisis as many Romans were left homeless. Nero had to act to feed and house these Romans, as well as rebuild the parts of the city that were damaged.

Where were the Agri Decumates?

along the border between Germany and Roman territory Efforts were undertaken by both Vespasian and Domitian to fortify the German frontier in these sensitive areas.

Which of the following is characteristic of Caligula's "insanity"? Mark all correct:

appearing in public as a god performing in public in sports and song attempting to have his sister deified planning a consulship for a racehorse There are many accounts of Caligula's insanity; they range from political transgressions (like the horse-consul proposal) to the moral (obsession with his sisters, to the point of deifying Drusilla and reported acts of incest) and the general tendency towards excess and exuberance (public performance, which was considered distasteful for high-born Romans).

How did the introduction of imperial cult express Rome's imperial intentions towards a conquered province?

by marking the introduction of amenities like urbanization and irrigation by accompanying aggressive military expansion by providing a means for local elites to demonstrate their loyalty by providing opportunities for public benefaction, in the form of festivals and dispensations

What group did Claudius use to assist him in managing the bureaucracy of the Roman Empire?

freedmen (i.e. former slaves) Although Claudius attempted to involve the Senate in the management of the empire, and also relied on Equestrians, he especially relied on freedmen. Under Claudius in particular, freedmen came to have tremendous influence on Roman politics.

Which of the following did Agrippina do to strengthen Nero's position after the marriage of Claudius and Agrippina? Mark all correct:

had Nero adopted by Claudius married Nero to Octavia, daughter of Claudius and Messalina Shortly after the marriage, while Britannicus was still too young to be named an heir, Agrippina had Claudius adopt Nero; and then strengthened Nero's position by marrying him to his step-sister Octavia.

What did Claudius do to secure the loyalty of the Praetorian Guard after Caligula's death, according to Suetonius?

he bribed them with cash Claudius was the first emperor to rely on bribes to secure his succession, if we trust Suetonius and other ancient historians.

How, according to Suetonius, did Nero arrange Agrippina's death? Mark all correct:

he ordered her death, accusing her of treason she drowned in a staged shipwreck he attempted to poison her he tried to build a machine to kill her in bed The historians preserve a number of variations on the death of Agrippina, but one common story seems to be that Nero supposedly staged some sort of shipwreck (made sure the boat she was traveling in would fall apart). Agrippina survived but realized Nero was trying to kill her. She tried to make peace with him, but failed. Back at Rome, her death was presented as Nero protecting the state from a traitor. Only later, after the Fire of 64, did Nero's detractors accuse him of matricide.

Which of the following are accurate statements about the first emperor of 69 CE, Galba? Mark all correct:

he was a governor in Spain (Hispania Tarraconensis) he was recognized as princeps by the Senate he came from a distinguished patrician family

What was Caligula's claim to legitimacy within the Julio-Claudian dynasty? Mark all correct:

he was a great-grandson of Livia, Augustus' wife, through Germanicus he was Germanicus' son (who was also Tiberius' nephew) he was the great-grandson of Augustus, through Julia (Augustus' daughter)

With what did Claudius occupy himself before he accepted the duties of princeps?

he was a scholar, and wrote histories Claudius was an intellectual who devoted himself to the writing of histories, including a history of Augustus's reign and a history of Etruscan culture (none of which survive).

How did Caligula die?

he was killed by a conspiracy of the Praetorian Guard He was killed (stabbed to death) in a conspiracy of the Praetorian Guard, led by the prefect, Cassius Chaerea. We will later learn about another emperor, Domitian, who was also assassinated by the Praetorian Guard.

What is the main reason usually given for Galba's failure as princeps?

he was not generous with money, and failed to pay off the Praetorian Guard, the people, and the soldiers stationed on the frontier Galba's failure and ultimate assassination is usually attributed to his refusal to offer pay-outs (or donatives) to his constituencies, particularly the Praetorian Guard and the troops stationed along the northern frontiers. These donatives were customary for new emperors, although Galba had inherited an imperial treasury depleted by Nero's disastrous reign.

Which of the following has NOT been suggested as a cause for Caligula's apparent psychotic break?

he was sexually abused Soon after he was made emperor, Caligula fell ill; whether his ensuing antics were related to his illness is unknown. Modern scholars have made arguments for various neurological and psychiatric causes for the mental instability that was portrayed in ancient accounts. Caligula certainly had a difficult childhood -- Tiberius was suspected of killing his parents and brothers -- and he had a hard job as emperor. See Boatwright p. 204 for more.

How was Domitian killed?

he was stabbed in the groin by a member of his palace staff In Suetonius' account, Domitian's death involved freedmen and slaves in the imperial household, praetorian guards, and perhaps even members of his own family.

Which of the following were ways in which Domitian was reminiscent of Nero? Mark all correct:

his alienation of the Senate his populist leanings his death as a result of a palace coup involving the praetorians

Who guided Nero early on in his reign? Mark all correct:

his mother, Agrippina the senator and philosopher, Seneca the Praetorian Prefect, Burrus Nero's advisors were his mother Agrippina, his tutor, the Stoic philosopher, Seneca; and the Praetorian prefect, Burrus. Despite their close relationship to Nero, two of the three of these advisors died under suspicious circumstances.

Which of the following did Domitian do during his reign? Mark all correct:

increase legionary pay engage in civic patronage embarked on defensive campaigns along the northern frontier The general tenor of Domitian's accomplishments was populist and military, with ambitious improvements in both Roman city amenities and the state of the soldiery.

Why was Claudius' construction of a large, artificial harbor at the mouth of the Tiber river significant?

it increased the size and weight of the ships that could use the harbor This large harbor could accommodate much larger and heavier ships, which greatly increased the amount of grain each transport ship could bring from Egypt. As well, it allowed the grain (and other imports) to come directly to Rome rather than via Sicily or Campania.

What good deeds were associated with Caligula's early reign? Mark all correct:

measures to restore senatorial authority the publication of an imperial budget Caligula's early rule was marked by popularity and good deeds. In addition to measures to diminish the secretive and brutal nature of the late Tiberian Principate, the imperial biographer Suetonius records the pietas ("piety, devotion") that he devoted towards members of his family -- the reverence he showed towards the deceased, especially in the form of burials and honors. He also provided entertainment to the people, paid out Tiberius' legacies, stopped the treason trials. He made a great effort to reverse many of Tiberius' most unpopular administrative policies.

When was Galatia added to the empire as a full Roman province?

near the beginning of Augustus' reign The province was added to the Roman empire when its former ruler, a client king, died in 25 BCE. Augustus oversaw the transformation of the region into a province during the beginning of his reign.

How did emperor Titus die?

of natural causes Although Titus died prematurely, there is no reason to suspect that he died from anything but natural causes. The throne passed without incident to his younger brother, Domitian.

Aside from tensions between Jews and Greeks, what prompted the outbreak of violence in Jerusalem in 66 CE?

the breaching of the Temple by Romans to collect taxes from its treasury The catalyst for the revolt was the breaching of the Temple by soldiers serving Florus, the governor of Judaea. Florus had been levying high rates of taxation for Rome (as a result of Rome's economic disasters under Nero), and when the people of Judaea failed to meet these demands, Florus ordered the Temple to be looted. It was forbidden for non-Jews to enter the Temple, and the offense provoked the disgruntled Jews into open revolt.

What did the emperor Caligula do to express his displeasure with Vespasian's performance at this job?

stuffed dung down his toga The story goes that Caligula stuffed dung down Vespasian's toga, presumably because there was too much dung on the streets.

Who did Nero reportedly blame for setting the fire in Rome in 64?

the Christians Nero is said to have blamed the Christians for the Great Fire of Rome, initiating the first Roman persecution of Christians. In some Christian traditions, it was this persecution that was responsible for the deaths of the apostles Peter and Paul.

What is the primary cause of the historical bias that we find in the histories of certain emperor's reigns?

the authors of the history were senators, who felt poorly treated by the emperor The cause is, as the podcast notes, senatorial bias--that is, emperors who in some way failed to maintain the favor of the Senate throughout their reign were treated badly and portrayed as crazy lunatics by the senatorial historians.

What military triumph does the Arch of Titus commemorate?

the defeat of the First Jewish Revolt

Which of the following revolts took place in the later years of Nero's reign? Mark all correct answers:

the revolt of Julius Vindex the First Jewish Revolt

In the Principate, what social & cultural functions did the lavish spectacles and games have? Mark all correct:

they gave the emperor the opportunity to play the role of patron to the citizens they reminded the citizens that the emperor had control over life and death In the first century CE, these games and spectacles were sponsored by the emperor. They reminded the citizens that the emperor was, ultimately, their patron; and provided a way for the emperor to curry favor with the Roman people. They also reminded the citizens that the emperor controlled life and death.

How did senators respond to Claudius' increasing reliance on freedmen for assistance in administering the Roman Empire?

they were resentful As the podcast notes, the senators and equestrians resented losing power and influence to former slaves, whom they perceived as unsuitable for such an important task. It also caused them to think about ways to overthrow Claudius.

What was the purpose of the lex de imperio Vespasiani ("law regarding the command of Vespasian")? Mark all correct answers:

to clarify that the emperor ruled by imperium rather than merely auctoritas to ratify Vespasian as princeps

Agrippina the Younger was: (mark all correct)

was the great-granddaughter of Livia the granddaughter of Julia Gaius' ("Calgula") sister the niece of Claudius Agrippina the Elder had close ties to both the Julian and the Claudian side of the family. She had the particular advantage, from Claudius' point of view, of being a direct descendent of the Julian family. She was Augustus's great-granddaughter.