The High Principate Revision

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The High PrincipateRevision

• AH1001 Introduction to Roman History

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Relevant litterary sources on the Roman Empire

• Seneca the Younger (BC 4-65 AD)
• Petronius (ca. 27-66) Pliny the Elder (23-79
• AD)
• Martial (4-102 AD)
• Flavius Josephus (ca. 37/8-after 93)
• Tacitus (56-120 AD)
• Pliny the Younger (61-111)
• Suetonius (ca. 63-after 120 AD)
• Juvenal (60-127 AD)

• Plutarch (ca. 46-120)
• Dio Chrysostom (c. 40-after 112 AD)
• Pausanias (ca. 115-180)
• Aelius Aristides (117-181 AD)
• Apuleius (ca. 125-after 160)
• Cassius Dio (155-235?)
• Herodian (ca. 170-240 AD)
• Historia Augusta (end of the 3rd century AD)

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The arcana imperii and the Year of the Four
Emperors AD 69

• The unsuccessful revolt of Vindex (governor of
  Gallia Lugdonensis) againt Nero unveiled for the
  first time the secrets of the imperial power.
• His example was followed by Galva (Governor of
  Hispania Tarraconensis), who marched to Rome
  after provoking Neros suicide.
• He was murdered in 69 by Otho, his former
  lieutenant, himself defeated by the German
  legions of Vitellius at the Battle of Cremona.
• In the meantime, Vespasian was acclaimed emperor
  by his troops in Judea and Alexandria, where he
  first took control of the grain supply to Rome.
  His supporters ruled Rome until he finally
  entered victorious the capital in autumn of AD
  70.

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Tha arcana imperii unveiled

• Tacitus, Histories 1, 4
• An Emperor could be created elsewhere than at
  Rome
• Consequences
• Rome and Italy were no longer the centre of the
  Imperial power. Why?
• Importance of the provincial power and the
  control over the resources (metal, grain,)

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• The High Empire and the splendour of Rome

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Who were the five good emperors?

• Concept coined by Niccolo Machiavelli (1503) in
  reference to Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus
  Pius and Marcus Aurelius.
• The expression refers to the fact these emperors
  were adopted and did not inherited the Empire
  like the Julio-Claudians or the Flavians.

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• The second century AD has been traditionally
  considered as economically and politically the
  most flourishing period of the Roman empire. Why?

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Edward Gibbon
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Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
(1776-1788)

• If a man were called to fix the period in the
  history of the world during which the condition
  of the human race was most happy and prosperous,
  he would, without hesitation, name that which
  elapsed from the death of Domitian to the
  accession of Commodus, Chapter 1

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Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
(1776-1788)

• The forms of the civil administration were
  carefully preserved by Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian and
  the Antonines, who delighted in the image of
  liberty, and were pleased with considering
  themselves as the accountable ministers of the
  laws. Such princes deserved the honour of
  restoring the republic had the Romans of their
  days been capable of enjoying a rational freedom.
  Chapter 1

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Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
(1776-1788)

• Of the various forms of government which have
  prevailed in the world, an hereditary monarchy
  seems to present the fairest scope for ridicule.
  Chapter 7

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• Gibbon and the prosperity of the Roman Empire as
  the Beginning of the End

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Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
(1776-1788)

• It is scarcely possible that the eyes of
  contemporaries should discover in the public
  felicity the latent causes of decay and
  corruption. This long peace, and the uniform
  government of the Romans, introduced a slow and
  secret poison into the vitals of the empire. The
  minds of men were gradually reduced to the same
  level, the fire of genius was extinguished, and
  even the military spirit evaporated. Chapter 2

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Commonplaces on the roman Empire

• Can we sill speak on the five good emperors?
• - Historiographic commonplace, originated by the
  senatorial tradition and later modelled by
  Machiavelli and Gibbon, but still in use.
• Was the 2nd century really the most prosperous,
  peaceful and stabile period of the Roman history
  ?
• - This is, again, a topos to be revised, like the
  one considering the 3rd century a period marked
  by a global crisis affecting all sectors of life

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Introduction to Roman History Highlights

• 1. History, ancient historians, historiography
  and the use of literary sources
• 2. Between Myth and History the Foundation of
  Rome and the Kings.
• 3. The Republic. Political structure,
  institutions, cursus honorum, and social
  struggles.
• 4. The Early Republic Rome and Italy
• 5. Rome and Carthage The First, Second and Third
  Punic Wars

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Introduction to Roman History Highlights

• 6. Rome and the East Macedonian Wars, war
  against the Seleucid Empire, the conquest of
  Achaea
• 7. Consequences of the Roman conquest of the
  Mediterranean political, social and economic
• 8. Slave revolts in Italy. Spartacus
• 9. The Late republic the reform of the Gracchi,
  the Social War, Civil War Marius and Sulla

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Introduction to Roman History Highlights

• 10. The fall of the Republic the conflicts
  between powerful politicians and commanders.
  Crassus, Pompeius, Cicero, Cato the Younger,
  Caesar, Mithridatic War, the First triumvirat,
  Civil War, Caesars power, reforms and death.
• 11. Octavian, Antony and Augustus will,
  Philippi, Second Triumvirate, Sextus Pompeius,
  Antony and Cleopatra, Actium

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Introduction to Roman History Highlights

• 12. The Augustan Principate political reforms,
  the Augustan propaganda, the Res Gestae,
  Augustus succession.
• 13. The Julio-Claudians Tiberius and Germanicus,
  Caligula, Claudius and the imperial
  administration, Nero as public builder
• 14. The Empire, the Emperor and the
  administration of the provinces. Egypt

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Introduction to Roman History Highlights

• 15. The Principate and its institutions the
  army, the senate, imperial bureaucracy, state
  finances.
• 16. Roman imperialism
• 17. Military and political Strategies

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Introduction to Roman History Highlights

• Seminars readings
• S1 Livys Ab urbe condita and Early Rome
• S2 Caesar and the Gallic Wars
• S3 Ciceros Correspondence and politics of the
  late Republic the first Triumvirate, the Civil
  Wars between Pompey and Caesar, Caesars
  dictatorship
• S4 Sallust and the Conspiracy of Catiline
• S5 Virgils Aeneid, the tradition the fate of
  Rome
• S6 The Res Gestae and the Augustan propaganda
• S7 Augustus and Tiberius according to Veleius
  Paterculus
• S8 Nero according to Suetonius