CN: Lecture 22: The World of Imperial Rome - The Year of the Four Emperors and the Rise of the Flavian Dynasty

Nero:

came into power through the manipulation of his mother

gets Claudius to adopt Nero even though he has his own children

Regents/advisors:

Afranius Burrus

L.Anneaeus Seneca (tutor)

Agrippina (younger) exerts her influence

Nero falls for Poppaea Sabina (mistress) - causes problems

Nero married to Claudia - daughter of Claudius

Agrippina murdered - by Nero

downward spiral has began

Burrus died and Seneca retired (62CE):

Ofonius Tigellinus

Treason trials

Octavia is divorced in 62CE

Arts - performances - lots of them

they flourish - he was preoccupied with the arts rather than politics

he performs on the stage - was not something a emperor would do

he would win a lot of festivals

he was fixated outside of ruling and managing Rome

Fire of Rome

19 June 64CE totally destroyed 3 out of 14 districts

only 4 districts untouched

burns for over a week

Rumour that 'at the very time when the city was burning he had mounted his private stage and sung the fall of Troy, making present evils like ancient disasters' (Tac Ann. 15.39)

he had set up relief however since he claimed a large amount of lang people accused him of starting the fire

Nero outside of Rome performing

pay for troops fell into arrears

provincial problems e.g. Judaea

the year of the four emperors:

Servius Sulpicius Galba

gains power in 68, adopts Piso

Otho assassinated Galba and Piso

Marcus Salvius Otho - Nero old drinking buddy

challenged by Vitelllius

Aulus Vitellius

Rhine legions rebel promoting Aulus Vitellius

Defeats Otho in April 69 CE (first Battle of Cremona or Bedriacum)

first Roman emperor to assassinate someone to gain power

Otho position is not secure - he was being challenged by others - mainly Vitellius

success indicated that other military leaders could do the same

Otho wanted him to rule together - maybe son in law

Vitellius doesn't want this - civil war breaks out

Battle9s0 of Cremona/Bedriacum

First battle between Otho and Vitellius

second battle between Vitellius and the Flavian Army

Titus Flavius Vespasianus Vespasian [AD 69-79]

legions in East swore for Vespasian

Mucianus [the governor of Syria] advances

Antonius Primus moves against Vitellius

Night battle at Cremona

Vitellius abdicates in favour of Vespasian...

but:

conflict on the streets of Rome

Vitellius flees, captured and executed

in those legions he is the emperor not Vespasian

you had to be in a good/ powerful position to rule

Mucianus is loyal to Vespasian and does not try to take over and become emperor

Mucianus goes to Egypt - source of wealth and power- grain

wants to maintain that

the Danube legions under Antonius Primus move against Vitellius

many of the soldiers defect just before the final battle

battle at Cremona is violent and destroys everything

Vitellius is defeated

he is still alive

enters negotiations - says he is in favour of Vespasian

Vitellius is forced back to Rome by his followers

Flavain party gets to Rome - thinks they will be welcomed - were not and had to fight

Vitellius fled, he was captured and executed

Vespasian

secures his position

Rule well regared

secured the provinces

secured the support of the army

establishes peace and dynasty

parallels to Augustus

Restores Empire's finances

new taxes - raised taxes

Expenditure reduced

Invested in infrastructure

Nero had wasted almost all of Rome's wealth

Vespasian sets in place ways to rebuild Rome by restoring the treasury

he increased pay and reduced expenditure

he wasn't wasting money

repairs damages from the civil wars

constructs the colosseum

he taxes urine - was used and collected for

in urban areas - pots (urinals) inside of different shops

Urine is then put in various collection points

they were collected and volume was paid to the shop

senators who forcibly took land had to give it back or had to sell it back

Titus is in Judaea - takes Jerusalem in 70, thereby ending the Judaean revolt

Consul every year except 73 and 78

shared consulship with his son Titus six times

law is pasted that grants his powers and Emperor - find name

Vespasian died in 79CE

wants his sons to follow into leadership - mainly Titus

wants to prepare Titus

makes Titus his Praetorian

Suetonius proclaims him the best loved of all Rome's Emperors:

"the darling and delight of mankind" [H/O - suet. Titus 1]

Titus follows his fathers lead - is loved by all because of it

Disasters:

Mt Vesuvius erupted - Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius

Great fire and plague in Rome in 80CE

Titus provides support for those in who lost everything

he is praised for how he deals with the issues and gives support

his personal health was poor and died 13 sept 81CE

he had no son

Titus never shared any powers with Domitian

even though Titus didn't name Domitian he was the next choice to be Emperor

most info was written by his enemies

Domitian [81-96CE]

extant sources very hostile

poor relationship with the Senate, condemns many - e.g.

Salvius Cocceianus celebrated Othos birthday

Aelius Lamia told a joke

very autocratic - Treason Trials

supported by the army

raised pay

Popular with the people:

Extravagant shows

building programme

distributed money

Domitian initially surrounded himself by good advisors

he becomes paranoid - starts to distance himself

seems distance, isolated, paranoid

any hints of mistakes could lead to execution

people didn't want to be around him

would give advice they thought he wanted to hear

infighting returns into the senate

trials lead by senators

he maintained strong military support

93 onwards things breakdown for him

would even attack members of his family

leads to his assassination

presented ad if it was a family affair