Imperial Culture & Society References

Tac ann 14.17

Conflict between Pompeian and Necerian citizens in amphitheatre (AD 59)

Paul Veyne 1

Spectacles as ‘court ceremonial’ and ‘tete a tete’ between emperor and ‘court of citizens’

Veyne 2

Devoted time and money to service of the people, ‘humbling’ himself before them

pliny pan 47-51

contrasts secrecy of Domitian with Trajan’s public lifestyle, Nerva declared palace ‘open house’

Fronto letter to Lucius Verrus

bread and circuses

pliny pan 51

they will be permitted to see not just the emperor’s box but the emperor himself, seated among his people (5,000 additional seats Circus Max)

suet nero 25

he never addressed the soldiers except by letter or in a speech delivered by another, to save his voice

Dio 63.26

vied in prowess with some athlete on hearing of Vindex’s revolt, in Neapolis (AD 68)

suet aug 45

attended games and gave his whole attention

Veyne 3

Augustus disliked games personally but cautious, thought it civile to mingle in the pleasures of the vulgus

Juv sat 10

bread and circuses - suppressing the masses

martial liber spectaculorum

details Roscian laws, seating (Colosseum AD 80)

Martial 5.14

Nanneius trying to sneak into reserved seating, hiding his face

juv sat 3

this seating is reserved for sons of pimps, born in whatever brothel

juv sat 6

no woman to love without anxiety in our shows with all their tiers

HN 36.14

augustan egyptian obelisk on circus maximus

Zajac

dangers of seeing baths through modern lens, philanthropic

gibbon

glamorous thrills and sensory satisfactions

HN 36

logistics of transporting ‘mountains’ by sea, thermae ‘miracula’

HN 36.121

Aqua Claudia & Novus supplying all 7 hills ‘never been anything more remarkable’

Tiberius claudius secundus

baths, wine and sex ruin our bodies, but bathing, wine and love make life worth living (1st c AD epitaph)

historia augusta (Hadrian 22,7)

balnea mixta, bathing separate for men and women, sick bathe first

HN

volcanic springs around bay of Naples miracula for healing

BJ 1.8

criticises previous accounts disparaging jews

BJ 1.9

aims to faithfully recount, but will express sympathy for his people, excuses Titus’ actions

Tac hist 5

majority of account lost, prelude preserved, revolt caused by mismanagement

AJ 18.25

Florus by overbearing and lawless actions provoked desperate rebellion

tac hist 5.9

Felix cruelty and lust, power of a king with instincts of a slave

tac hist 5.10

jews ‘patience’ lasted until Florus became procurator, Cestius tried to stop

BJ 2.3

3 million jews denounced Florus to Cestius Gallus (gov, AD 65) assured he would moderate

BJ 2.184-6

appeal to petronius not to set up Caligula statue, he agreed

BJ 2.342-404

request embassy to Nero, denouncing Florus for massacre, long & persuasive speech of Agrippa II (AD 65/66)

Philo, Embassy to Gaius

jewish embassy to Tiberius reporting crimes of Pilate, positive response

tac hist 5.9

caligula ordered jews to set up statue in temple, resorted to arms but stopped by his death (AD 41)

BJ 3.2

Vespasian soldier from youth, pacified Roman rule in the west, added Britain to the empire

tac hist 5.12

founders of Jerusalem had foreseen many wars because the ways of their people differed so from their neighbours

war scroll of qumran

eschatological war with kittim, ushering in messianic age (1st c BC/AD)

AJ 18.7

followers of Judas of Galilee (sicarii) spread violence to Jerusalem under Felix

AJ 18.2

3 philosophies: Essenes, Sadducees and Pharisees (Josephus), 4th sect established by Judas of Galilee concerned with passion for liberty, prone to violence

BJ 253-4

rise of sicarii and false prophets under Felix, murders in daylight (Jonathan high priest)

BJ 2.425

burned archives of Jerusalem (AD 66)

BJ 2.427

cancellation of debts in Jerusalem

BJ 4.139-48

Zealots under John of Gischala, ‘brigands from the countryside’ took control of High priest elections, elected undistinguished men of no family

tac hist 5.12 (Jerusalem)

Constant sedition between jewish parties within city, separate areas controlled during siege (Simon, John & Eleazar)

BJ 7

Masada, heroic sicarii speeches & suicide

BJ 2.338

Jerusalem (AD 65/6) before Agrippa speech, owners of property and desirous of peace, understood the benevolent intention of the king’s reprimand

BJ 2.533-7

Ananus (high priest) attempted parlay with Cestius, promised to open the gates, insurgents drove him and allies into their homes with stones

BJ 4.414

Gadara: for the leading men had, unbeknown to the rebels, sent and embassy to him [Vespasian] offering to capitulate, alike from a desire for peace and from concern for their property

Fiscus Iudaicus

(AD 70) Vespasian directed jewish tax towards reconstruction of temple of Jupiter optimex maximus, replaced maintenance tax for destroyed jewish Temple

BJ 7.397

finding that all were slain, set the palace ablaze, and then collecting his strength drove his sword clean through his body and fell beside his family

Magness

Material evidence for siege largely corroborates Josephus account, 8 camps, 15 towers on wall, siege ramp (unfinished?) notable absence of catapult shot

Legio X Fretensis

milestone recording station of 10th legion, remained garrisoned at Jerusalem

Alfoldy

Reconstructed Colosseum inscription

Pfanner

arch of titus commemorative not triumphal, posthumous (AD 81, disagree)

tac hist 4 & 5

Batavian revolt, Vitellius removed legions, Julius Civilis lead

Caesar Bello Gallico 7.13-14

druid authority operates on an entirely different value system to Roman magistrates, had to cease being druids to persist under Rome

Tac ann 14

Iceni revolt (AD 60-1), death of king Prasutagus, violation of Boudicca & daughters by centurions, killed/displaced 70,000, razed temple of Divine Claudius

Bloomberg (AD 62) Marcus Rennius Venustus

Hired Gaius Valerius Proculus to transport provisions from Verulamium to Londinium, trianomia of Roman citizens

Dannicus Cirencester (1st c AD)

Raurici tribesman celebrated as auxiliary cavalryman, served 16/25 years, not a citizen, lacks trianomia

tac agricola 21

little by little they strayed to the seductions of vice - porticoes, baths and the refinements of dining. In their ignorance they called this culture, when it was part of their enslavement.

Mattingly & Reece

criticises Romanisation problematic paradigm, over-simplified, imperialistic, but acknowledges truth of unprecedented change in British material culture under Roman rule