Classics Level 2 Roman Society

who fought in the battle of actium?

Octavian and Mark Antony with Cleopatra

when was the battle of actium?

31 BCE

where is actium?

a point on the West coast of Greece and the entrance to the Ambracian Gulf.

why did octavian and mark antony fight the battle of actium?

because they both wanted to rule Rome alone.

Who won the Battle of Actium?

Octavian

Octavian quote about Actium?

"I conquered at Actium." - Octavian

what was tiberius Gracchus' role?

populares tribune of the plebeians (vetoe power)

Main law tiberius gracchus proposed

to limit personal land ownership, taking land from the rich and giving it to the poor.

what happened to tiberius gracchus?

the senate beat him to death and drove 300 of his followers off a cliff.

laws gaius gracchus brought in

age limit on army conscription, and the state had to pay for the soldiers' weapons.

What happened to Gaius Gracchus?

the senate forced him to commit suicide before arresting and killing 3000 of his followers.

Appian quote on tiberius gracchus

"Tiberius Gracchus… lost his life because he followed up an excellent plan in too lawless a way." - Appian

limitations on sources by appian

Appian was a Greek, born in Alexandria, Egypt. Though he gained Roman citizenship, he was not raised there and did carry biases, often choosing sources to support his views on the importance of Alexandria. He was conservative, so was often critical and unsympathetic toward Republican institutions and popular movements. Appian wrote during the mid-2nd century CE, 200-300 years after the events he described. He used Augustus' lost Autobiography as well as lost sources that were more sympathetic of Mark Antony. However, the more times information is retold, the less accurate it is.

when was gaius marius elected consul?

107 BCE

main changes gaius marius introduced

He removed the rule that you had to own land to join the army, and he made generals provide land for their soldiers at the end of their service, meaning that poor, unemployed plebeians could join the army and gain land to make money from.

how did gaius marius' reforms backfire?

Because the generals were responsible for the pay of their soldiers, they became the general's clients and became loyal to the generals rather than to the state of Rome, becoming private armies.

role of a patron

A patron would represent his client in court, lend money or food, and offer protection and favours. The more clients a man had, the greater his auctoritas

role of a client

the client would vote for the patron and follow him around to offer support during a political campaign, offer physical support in a scuffle, and pledge his family to that of his patron.

auctoritas

'spiritual authority' and social standing

Plutarch Parallel Lives primary source on patron/client relationship

"For the patrons advised their clients (…) and represented them in courts of justice… while the clients were devoted to their patrons, (…) in cases of poverty, helping them to dower their daughters and pay their debts."

Plutarch limitations

he's greek and (if from parallel lives) he was looking for ways in which Roman life was similar to that of the Greeks. This means that some of his descriptions may be incomplete or twisted to suit his purpose.

who did marius have beef with?

sulla

what roman value are private armies violating?

The armies violated the Roman value of pietas by showing loyalty to their generals instead of their state.

pietas

duty to the gods, state, and family, in that order

when did sulla become dictator?

81 BCE

caesar's full name

Gaius Julius Caesar

when was caesar born

12 july 100 BCE

how was caesar put on to the populares ideology

his parents both held to it

when did caesar's father die?

when caesar was 16

what action cemented caesar as a true populares?

when he was campaigning for pontifex maximus, he went over the heads of the senate and straight to public assemblies

why was caesar exiled from Rome?

sulla became dictator and had beef with caesar so he exiled him

what did caesar do while exiled from Rome?

join the military and make his name in battle

when did caesar return to rome after being exiled

when sulla died

who were caesar's buddies in the 1st triumvirate

crassus (rome's richest man) and pompey (rome's greatest general)

when did caesar win the campaign for pontifex maximus (high priest)?

63 BCE

when was caesar elected praetor?

62 BCE

what happened in 60 BCE?

caesar returned to rome from spain as consul

how was the 1st triumvirate cemented

pompey married caesar's daughter julia

how did the 1st triumvirate work (politically)

Caesar made decisions in favour of Pompey and Crassus, who would help him push laws through the senate using Crassus' money and Pompey's military power. Caesar became a client of both Pompey and Crassus.

how did crassus die

killed in battle

why did pompey and caesar break up

Pompey had drifted toward the Optimate ideology and was upset because Caesar had taken his glory as Rome's greatest general. Also, his marriage to Caesar's daughter Julia ended when she died in childbirth, so he had no reason left to support him.

when and where did caesar defeat pompey

battle of pharsallus, 48BCE

How did Pompey die?

fled to egypt after battle of pharsallus and was assassinated

suetonius on caesar and cleopatra

"he often feasted with Cleopatra till daybreak and would have gone through Egypt with her in her royal barge almost to Ethiopia had not his soldiers threatened mutiny."

where was suetonius from

rome

when was suetonius born

between 69 and 74 CE

what was suetonius job

scholar more so than historian

why did suetonius have access to so many sources

he was chief imperial librarian

limitation of suetonius

He was also known to enjoy scandalous stories, so he may have slightly altered his recounts to make them more exciting.

when was caesarion born

47BCE

when was caesar appointed dictator for 10 years

46BCE

Who fought in the Battle of Actium and when?

Octavian vs Mark Antony (with Cleopatra), in 31 BCE.

Where was the Battle of Actium fought?

At Actium, on the west coast of Greece at the entrance to the Ambracian Gulf.

Why did Octavian and Antony fight the Battle of Actium?

Both wanted to rule Rome alone.

Who supported Antony in the Battle of Actium?

Cleopatra and her Egyptian forces, plus some Roman supporters.

Why was the Battle of Actium significant for Rome?

Octavian's victory made him sole ruler, allowing him to establish the Pax Romana, start a dynasty, and set a model of leadership for future emperors and rulers.

What did Octavian say about the Battle of Actium?

"I conquered at Actium."

How did Rome's rapid expansion contribute to the rise of generals?

It gave military generals huge political power and private armies.

What was Rome's economy and society originally built on?

Small farmers who fought in short campaigns and then returned to tend their farms.

Why did the farming system collapse as Rome expanded?

Campaigns began lasting over 10 years, leaving farms without their male workers.

Why couldn't women maintain the farms while men were away fighting?

Women had to hire workers, which pushed families into debt.

What happened to farmers who fell into debt during long campaigns?

They sold their land, and soldiers returned to find themselves poor, homeless, and unemployed.

According to Appian, what did wealthy Romans do with unassigned lands?

They seized most of it, often believing they'd never be forced to give it back.

How did wealthy patricians and generals expand their estates?

By purchasing or violently taking over the small farms of poorer neighbors.

What labor force did the wealthy use on their large estates?

Slaves, as laborers and herders.

Why did wealthy Romans prefer slaves over free Roman citizens?

Slaves worked for free, while free citizens would have to get paid.

What was the impact of slave labor on Roman citizens?

Rising unemployment and increased poverty among the lower classes.

What did Appian say about wealthy Romans acquiring land?

"…for the wealthy, getting hold of most of the unassigned lands, and being encouraged through the length of time elapsed to think that they would never be ousted, and adding, part by purchase and part by violence, the little farms of their poor neighbors to their possessions, came to work great districts instead of one estate, using to this end slaves as laborers and herders, because free laborers might be drafted from agriculture into the army."

Who was Appian by birth?

A Greek, born in Alexandria, Egypt.

What citizenship did Appian gain later in life?

Roman citizenship.

Why might Appian's background create bias in his writings?

He was not raised in Rome and often emphasized Alexandria's importance.

What was Appian's political outlook?

Conservative.

How did Appian's conservatism affect his views?

He was often critical and unsympathetic toward Republican institutions and popular movements.

When did Appian write his histories?

During the mid-2nd century CE.

How long after the events he described was Appian writing?

Around 200-300 years later.

Which important lost work did Appian use as a source?

Augustus' lost Autobiography.

What other kinds of sources (apart from augustus' autobiography) did Appian rely on?

Lost sources more sympathetic to Mark Antony.

What is a general issue with information being retold many times, as in Appian's case?

The more times information is retold, the less accurate it tends to be.

Why should Appian's account of Roman history be questioned?

Because of his cultural bias, political outlook, reliance on lost sources, and the time gap between events and his writing.

What was Octavian's political arrangement before Actium?

He shared rule of Rome with Mark Antony.

What immediate political result followed Octavian's victory?

He became the sole leader of Rome.

How did becoming sole leader affect Octavian's ability to shape Rome?

It allowed him to shape Rome the way he did.

Did Octavian's leadership model influence only Rome?

No, it influenced many future rulers around the world.

Summarise why Actium is significant to Rome

It made Octavian sole leader, enabling Pax Romana, a dynasty, and a leadership model for future rulers.

Summarise the causal chain from expansion to social crisis

Fast expansion, long campaigns, wives must hire labour, debt, land sales, dispossessed returning soldiers.

What happened to many Roman soldiers after Rome's expansion?

They became unemployed and homeless.

Why couldn't unemployed/homeless men join new campaigns?

To fight in the Roman army, you had to own land.

What was a direct consequence of the land-ownership requirement for plebeians?

Most plebeians couldn't afford to have children.

While plebeians' birth rates declined, which group continued to grow?

The slave population.

Why did the slave population increase while plebeians' did not?

Slaves were still having children, as they did not have to provide for them.

What two combined requirements caused plebeian decline?

Loss of land ownership + inability to afford families.

How did Rome's land-ownership rule for military service backfire?

It excluded dispossessed citizens from the army, weakening Rome's soldier base.

Who was Tiberius Gracchus?

A populares tribune of the plebeians.

What does being a populares mean?

He drew support from the Roman public rather than the wealthy upper class.

What reform did Tiberius Gracchus propose?

A law to limit personal land ownership.

What was the intended effect of Tiberius' land reform?

To take land from the rich and give it to the poor.

Why did the Senate oppose Tiberius Gracchus' reform?

The Senate was made up of rich patricians and generals who would lose land.

How did the Senate respond to Tiberius Gracchus?

They beat him to death.

What happened to Tiberius Gracchus' followers?

300 were driven off a cliff.

Who was Gaius Gracchus?

Tiberius' younger brother.