JUICY DETALS

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JUICY DETALS
Vespasian
Nero
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SUCCESSION

• In theory, the position of emperor was not
  hereditary
• It was not passed down automatically from father
  to son
• According to law, when an emperor dies, his power
  reverted back to the people of Rome and they
  could then give this power to whomever they liked
• Yet Augustus, throughout his reign, planned for a
  hereditary succession and attempted to pass his
  power to his heir while he was still alive
• Most Romans accepted this principle without
  serious opposition
• Saw it as the only alternative to the bloody
  civil wars of the Late Republic

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JULIO-CLAUDIANS
Tiberius
Claudius
Gaius (Caligula)
Nero
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YEAR OF THE FOUR EMPERORS
Galba
Otho
Vespasian
Vitellius
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FLAVIANS
Domitian
Titus
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ANTONINES I
Nerva
Hadrian
Trajan
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ANTONINES II
Antoninus Pius
Marcus Aurelius
Commodus
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START OF THE SEVERAN DYNASTY
Pertinax
Septimius Severus
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THREE THINGS NECESSARY TO BECOME AN EMPEROR

• Some sort of relationship with the previous ruler
• Either through blood or adoption
• Formal recognition by the Senate and its granting
  the new emperor full legal powers
• Could be obtained by force or intimidation if the
  senators were hesitant to do so voluntarily
• An expression of loyalty by the armies and
  especially by the Praetorian Guard
• Often obtained through bribes

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PSYCHOLOGICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Emperors frequently embarked on massive
  propaganda campaigns to prove that they were
  strong and wise enough to be ruler
• Often used military victories to shore up their
  image
• Often engaged in the quick elimination of any
  possible contenders for power once on the throne
• Tiberius, Caligula, Nero, Domitian, and Hadrian
  all did this

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SUPPORT

• To remain in power, emperors needed to retain the
  support of three powerful factions
• His staff
• Including the Praetorian Guard
• The army
• Wealthy aristocrats who made up the Senate

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PRAETORIAN GUARD

• 5000 stationed in camp outside of Rome
• Only several hundred used in the palace at any
  one time
• Rotated on a routine basis
• Guarded the emperor and his family
• To retain their crucial support, emperors
  (beginning with Claudius) gave them monetary
  gifts and periodic bonuses
• Failure to do so was often fatal

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THE ARMY

• Had to have loyalty of troops on the frontier
• Emperors exerted great effort to accomplish this
• Made sure they were always present at major
  campaigns
• Gave generous veteran benefits and periodic
  bonuses
• Continually transferred commanders

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SENATE ARISTOCRACY

• Senate no longer had any real power
• Only existed because the emperors allowed it to
  exist in order to legitimize their rule
• But it did include the wealthiest and most
  prestigious men in Rome, provided the government
  with key administrators, and still had a powerful
  impact on public opinion
• No emperor could afford to alienate them as a
  result
• Was not powerful enough to overthrow an emperor
  by itself
• But when its opposition was added to that of the
  Praetorian Guard or army, that was usually it for
  an emperor

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THE PEOPLE

• They did still occasionally riot
• But not as often as they had during the Republic
  due to the relative improvement of their
  condition
• They also occasionally shouted and demonstrated
  in front of the emperor at chariot races or
  gladiator fights
• But they never overthrew or even seriously
  threatened the power of an emperor
• Not a serious factor in imperial politics as long
  as they received free food and entertainment

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HARDWORKING GUYS

• A few emperors did goof off but most were busy
  men who took their jobs seriously
• Administered justice, directed war, supervised
  imperial administration, maintained unity of
  empire
• Also served as Romes chief patron of culture
• Had to listen to endless round of speeches,
  complaints or praise from provincial delegations,
  countless speeches from the Senate, etc.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

• Emperor and his family in the spotlight
• Subject to both vicious gossip and graffiti as
  well as unbelievable continual public adulation
• What is remarkable is not that some emperors
  became mad with power and acted like
  irresponsible tyrant but that most of them
  resisted this temptation and ruled well and fairly

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THE ROMAN ARMY

• Basic principles laid down by Augustus and his
  military aide, Marcus Agrippa
• Army consisted of professional, long-term
  soldiers who were paid relatively good salaries
• Under Augustus, the had to be Roman citizens but
  later non-citizens were allowed to enlist
• And receive citizenship after 20 years of service
• Given choice at retirement of either 12,000
  sesterces cash bonus or its equivalent in land

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MILITARY STRENGTH

• Augustus established 28 legions
• About 6000 men each
• Trajan increased number to 30 legions and
  Septimius Severus increased it again to 33
  legions
• Most stationed along frontiers of the empire
• 2/3s in the western provinces and the rest
  scattered in the east and North Africa
• Rome also had several fleets
• Two stationed along Italian coast, squadrons
  stations off coasts of Egypt and Syria, and one
  each on Danube River, Rhine River, Black Sea and
  the English Channel

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LOYALTY

• Army loyal to emperor in normal times
• But no emperor ever took this loyalty for granted
• All generals and many lesser officers appointed
  by and responsible to the emperor
• Commanders continually shifted from place to
  place
• Governors were prohibited from raising their own
  armies and discouraged from contacting each other
• Not allowed to pay troops or reward bonuses

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SPIRITUAL CONNECTION

• All soldiers were spiritually bound to the
  emperor
• Swore oath of allegiance when they enlisted in
  which they vowed to perform with enthusiasm
  whatever the emperor commands, never to desert,
  and not to shrink from death on behalf of the
  Roman state
• Also observed numerous religious holidays in
  which the current emperors and selected past
  emperors were honored
• Not easy to incite soldiers to rebel
• Average rank-and-file soldier was fairly
  trustworthy (during first 200 years of empire)

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CONDITIONS

• Conditions of service were pretty tolerable
• Soldiers were paid fairly well
• Dangers they faced were not particularly great
• Commanders were expected to win through caution
  rather than by boldness
• There were occasional disasters
• Such as total destruction of 3 legions commanded
  by General Varus by Germans during reign of
  Augustus
• But this was rare

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ACTIVITIES

• Most soldiers spent their long service in
  peacetime activities
• Going on marches and training exercises
• Building and maintaining roads, forts, walls, and
  bridges
• Acting as police force in territories where they
  were stationed
• This job could get burdensome

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POLICE PROBLEMS

• Bandits and brigands were a problem
• As were pirates on the Mediterranean Sea and
  major rivers
• Runaway slaves were another big problem
• Special brigades created just to catch them
• Rebellions also sometimes occurred
• Used broke out within first 20 years after a new
  territory had been conquered
• Most rebellious people in the empire were the
  Jews
• Masada Revolt (66-75 AD)
• Even worse revolt (133-135 AD)

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THE PRICE OF REBELLION

• Open challenge to imperial system was simply not
  allowed
• If troops were called in to quell a revolt or
  riot, they could leave a town or city in a
  shambles
• Destroyed Cremona, Lyon, and Byzantium after
  soldiers put down minor revolts

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THE FRONTIER

• Emperors generally content to keep what they held
• Preferred diplomacy to war and usually garrisoned
  troops on established frontiers rather than
  engage in more conquests
• They intelligently realized the technological,
  logistic, financial, and military limits of Roman
  power and that it was wise to stay within them
• Some exceptions
• Claudius conquest of Britain and Trajans
  conquest of Dacia
• But they basically still realized that to conquer
  more territory would have been a losing
  population in terms of money and manpower