The Senate under the Principate

Did Augustus and Tiberius refer many, if not most, matters to the senate? What would they forward?

Yes. Petitions.

How does Tacitus say Tiberius dealt with his most important private concerns? According to Dio, did Tiberius vote on business like any other member?

He referred them to the senate. Yes.

How much freedom did senators have under Augustus, according to Suetonius?

A lot of freedom - they were encouraged to express their views freely.

How does Augustus in the Res Gestae suggest he relies on the Senate for power?

He constantly says they have ratified things he has done, and says that he hopes he will have their approval for the rest of his life.

According to Suetonius, what did Augustus do before elections?

He would canvass for his candidates.

What happened to elections under Tiberius? According to Tacitus, what is Tiberius' involvement in them? What is his evaluation of Tiberius' actions?

They moved from the people to the senate. Tiberius says the names he passed to the consuls were the only ones that put themselves forwards, but anyone confident enough could put himself forward. He says it is all for show - the apparent freedom masks the oppressive slavery the state is under.

When did senatorial decrees become laws?

n/a - sometime during the early empire.

When did Augustus actively intervene in the senate? Did the new posts created like the aediles cereales benefit the senate?

He abolished quorum of 400, which meant that decrees could be passed regardless of how many there are in a senate meeting. He also passed a law in 9 BC which tightened the fines on non-attendance. · Brought in new administrative posts where normally the senate would have dealt with it (people in charge of aqueducts and corn supply etc) - but does give these positions to senators.

Which group of senators really benefitted from the Augustan regime? Why did this deprive the senate of power as a whole? How did this benefit Augustus? Who talks about this?

The senators who were chosen by lot to become members of the consilium, as they were part of a small group of people who actually had the ability to change or discuss legislation before it was passed by the senate. The debate was often just for show and proposals very quickly became legislation - meant Augustus' bills were fast-tracked through the regular senate meetings. Senate knew it had been fast-tracked by Aug and so were probably scared to disagree with it. Suetonius and Cassius Dio

Did Tiberius copy Augustus' concilium? What did he accuse the Senate of being, according to Tacitus?

No - this gave the senate as a whole more freedom. Men "fit to be slaves."

How does Claudius get rid of the naughty senators, according to Tacitus?

He gives them the opportunity to leave quietly and without disgrace.

How many times did Augustus trim down the senate? What number did he want to read, according to Dio?

3 times. 300 senators.

According to Cassius Dio and Suetonius, if someone couldn't afford the new property qualification for senators, would Augustus help them out? According to Tacitus, does Tiberius help out Marcus Hortalus when he asks for some money to spoke his house from sinking into poverty?

Yes. Initially no - only when he notices the disapproval of the senators does he agree to give him some money.

Why did Augustus let sons of senators wear the broad purple stripe at a young age? (Suetonius)

He wanted to mark them out as being morally superior

The lex Julia permitted that senators had to be married by what age? Were they allowed to marry prostitutes or actresses, or perform on stage?

23. No.

Under Augustus, which new posts were created to increase the worthiness and importance of the senators in the res publica?

Praefectus urbi, curator alvei Tiberius, curator aedium sacrarum

How could equestrians be admitted into the senate?

The emperor could bestow the latus clavus on young men of non senatorial birth who could serve as prospective senators. They had to be elected to the quaestorship first though

Who was the most liberal emperor in terms of membership of the senate? Had the policies of Augustus and Tiberius already gone beyond Italy? Why was Claudius' innovation so radical?

Claudius. Yes. People who came from Spain during Augustus' reign weren't too foreign cos it was a highly Romanised area. Place Gauls were coming from was thought to be barbarian/ hostile to Rome (had waged war a couple of decades recently). Controversial!!

Did the emperor need the approval of the senate for passing his measures?

Yes. Even if he is presented in our sources as the main agent, the senate was actually behind many of the new regulations (tho obv he still influenced it with recommendations...)

Who asks Tiberius in what order he should vote, according to Tacitus? What does this suggest about free speech in the Tiberian period?

Cneius Piso. Proper debate became almost impossible because of senatorial flattery.

From Tacitus, how do we know that Tiberius was getting bored of "such grovelling patience in his slaves"?

He shouts "These men - how ready they are for slavery!" As long as senatorial careers considerably depended on emperor's favour and good will, the senate would naturally consist of a body of yes men and vessels of the emperor. Very few would dare to go against his opinion.

Why was Claudius keen to please the senate? What did he allow the senate to issue for the first time since Augustus? In which chide the senators about their reluctance to debate bills introduced by himself?

Because of his shaky accession. Bronze coinage. A speech now known as the Berlin papyrus.

Why did Claudius eventually end up giving more jobs to his freedmen, like the administration of financial affairs?

People from the senate kept trying to kill him so he needed to reduce their power for the sake of efficiency. He was also motivated by his respect for the senators. Claudius did not want free-born magistrates to have to serve under him, as if they were not peers.

Under Claudius, who become the secretary of correspondence... of the treasury... of justice?

Narcissus... Pallas... Callistus