DOCSLIB.ORG

Senatus Consultum De Agris Mytilenaeorum Sherk, Robert K Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Fall 1963; 4, 4; Proquest Pg

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Senatus Consultum De Agris Mytilenaeorum Sherk, Robert K Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Fall 1963; 4, 4; Proquest Pg Senatus Consultum de Agris Mytilenaeorum Sherk, Robert K Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Fall 1963; 4, 4; ProQuest pg. 217 Senatus Consultum de Agris Mytilenaeorum Robert K. Sherk N A LETTER to Paul Viereck dated October 20, 1938, Hiller von I Gaertringen mentions the discovery of an important inscription from Mytilene: In den Nachtragen von Peek aus Lesbos zu dem Supplementum des IG XII, das wir jetzt seit fast zwei Jahren drucken, befindet sich ein Fragment, das zu Evangelides 'ApX' LlEATlov IX (1924/25), 7T'ap. 46ff, fig. 9, zu gehoren scheint und damit zu einer Urkunde, die noch ein SC tiber die Befreiung von Lesbos durch Pompeius (und Theophanes) darstellt.1 Both of these inscriptions appeared the following year in the Supple­ ment to IG XII, that of Peek on page 208, no. 11, and that of Evange­ lides on page 12, no. 11. Since it is Peek's inscription which I will discuss in detail, it will be convenient to present it in full exactly as it is found in the Corpus. -- rva'ios IIol1:1T7'jLos rvJalov viaS" Mcf.y[vos -- \ ~ I I 'Y -- 7T'Ept TT)S" Xwp Jas 07T'WS., €XW"[ O'LV KaTEXWO'LV Kap7T'L~WV- Tett -- \' ~ ] , -- 7T'€PL TOVTOV TOV 7T'paYfl-aTos 0'- - -- \TWV O'V/L{JOVALO -- 5 -- aVTovJO/Llap TOVTOLS" TOils -- -- MJ VTtI\T)vaLOLS\' Kat\ TOtS~ -- -- oj, 7T'pOYEY Jp.a/L/L€VOL Ti}v 7f'()ALV MVT[LAl1vaLwv -- -- 07T'WS €XWO'tV KaT€XW ]O'LV Kap7T'l~wVTat O'VVE~f[VY/L€VWS -- -- Tl1 T€ ~ 7T'OAtT€La- MVTtA[ l1vat -- 1 This letter, a part of which is quoted here, was found among the material assembled by Viereck for a new edition of his famous book Sermo Graecus quo senatus populusque Romanus magistratusque populi Romani usque ad Tiberii Caesaris aetatem in scriptis publicis usi sunt examinatur (Gottingen 1888). After his death this material passed into the hands of Profes­ sor James H. Oliver and the present writer who hope to produce a work of their own along similar lines. His material consists mainly of excerpts from the many books and articles bearing on the subject which had appeared since the publication of his own work. It is very far from complete, however, and in the case of the documents discussed in the present article he had only progressed to the point of transcribing the inscriptions as he had received them from Hiller. 217 218 SENATUS CONSULTUM DE AGRIS MYTILENAEORUM \ ) , .... -- Kat a7TOKaTaaTaat~ TW!' -- -- EEpOVtALO~ 'TLJLTJTat -- -- aypwv, .... T07TWVJ 0 "[t KWV -- -- oEgaJLEVW!' -- 1S -- OEKaV[pWT -- The stone is described as coarse grained marble, broken on the left and bottom, with a maximum height of 0.44 m., width of 0.40 m., thickness of 0.23 m. The letters are 0.02 m. high. In his accompanying note Hiller adds that this inscription belongs to the same monument as the one discovered by Evangelides, for the two of them are en­ graved on the same type of marble, have the same height and form of letters and are somewhat similar in content. A squeeze was made but unfortunately no photograph has ever been published. The inscription of Evangelides appears to be a letter written by some high Roman magistrate to the city of Mytilene. It was engraved in at least two columns, of which we possess the last few words of the lines in the left-hand column and the first few words of the lines in the right-hand column. Thus a large part of the stone contains nothing but the empty space between the two columns. The first thirty-five lines contain such very tantalizing references as the following: the Romans, great danger, envoys, flight, Cornelius Sulla, somebody's mother, a gift of land, and a woman. The last lines (36-41) are im­ portant for our present purposes and may be given here: 7TpOJlOJLtaJl K.\E --- Ka(}c1~ rvat[o~2 ----------- eX7TO au",] - {1ov.\tov YVWJLTJ[~ yvwJLTJv eX7TE¢TJvaJLE(}a --- " ._[ ., I ] OVTW~ TE VJLWV ---- EXELV KaTEXELV TE 40 Kap7Tt,w(}a{ [TE EgEtvaL - - - - - - - - ] Kat\ 7TEP'\ TOV- K ----- If both of these inscriptions actually belong to the same monument, and I believe this to be true, then there is a strong possibility that the monument was erected to honor some individual who was connected in some way with the events described in the inscriptions. We can only speculate on his identity, but Theophanes of Mytilene would be 2 This is the reading made of this line by Silvio Accame in his article, "Roma e la Lega dei Lesbi," in Riv.Fil. 74 (1946) 112. Evangelides had read Ka(Jws y[p]a,[ - - - - • ROBERT K. SHERK 219 a likely candidate.s Although only fragments remain, yet I think that Peek's inscription will allow us to make several observations on Mytilene's history in the troubled period of the Mithridatic wars. From the very beginning Hiller believed the document was a senatus consultum and that it was referred to in lines 37-40 of Evangelides' inscription.4 In this he is almost certainly right. Peek's document is a decree of the Senate, although the formulae of lines 3-4 are very odd. Hiller also believed that it concerned Mytilene's grant of freedom by Pompey. In this I think he is mistaken. Let us examine the question of Mytilene's freedom first and then analyse the language and phrase­ ology of the decree itself. At the beginning of the First Mithridatic War in 88 B.C. Mytilene had been a free city and had enjoyed all the rights and privileges that went with such a status.5 But with the coming of Mithridates she foolishly betrayed Rome and welcomed the Pontic king. After the capitulation ofMithridates she refused to surrender and a long siege by Roman forces was started. In 80 B.C. she was finally captured and im­ mediately reduced to the status of a subject city, a civitas stipendiaria.6 However, in 62 B.C., at the conclusion of the Third Mithridatic War, the victorious Pompey stopped at Mytilene and restored the city's freedom. Theophanes, citizen of Mytilene and close friend of Pompey, was instrumental in persuading him to grant the city such a favor.' 3 It could have been, for example, a monument similar to the one erected in Mytilene to honor Potamon. See IG XII.2, 35. The facts about Theophanes may be found conven­ iently assembled by F. Jacoby in F.Gr.Hist. II B no. 188, pp. 919-923. For the facts of his life and high reputation see R. Laqueur in RE s.v. Theophanes, cols. 2090ff; Hiller von Gaertringen in Gott.Ge/.Nachr. I, phil.-hist. Klasse, Fachgruppe I (1934-36) 109ff; D. Magie, Roman Rule in Asia Minor, 2 vols. (Princeton 1950) 1230, n.28. Tacitus Ann. 6.18.5 says that he received divine honors after his death, a statement confirmed by coins (Head, Historia Numoruml [Oxford 1911] 563) and inscriptions (SIG3 753 and 755). For his wife on the coins of Mytilene see L. Robert in REA 1960, p. 286. Such a man, therefore, would be a likely can­ didate for a monument on which would have appeared the copies of documents which mentioned him or his achievements. " In his admirable summary of notable events in the history of Mytilene which Hiller printed in IG XII Supp!. (1939) he mentions this decree on p. 72 in an entry inserted between 66 and 62 B.C. He says: Nuperrime accessit senatus consulti pars, eiusdem fortasse, cuius re­ liquias iam n.11 exhibet, a Peekio nobiscum communicata, quam in edendis edemus. Exhibet Pompei et Servilii censoris nomina, aVTovop.{av Mytilenaeis restitutam, agrum Mytilenaeis redditum. 5 This is inferred from the fact that she lost her freedom in 80 B.C., but it is substantiated by the fact that she had previously aided Rome in the war against Antiochus and therefore would have been one of those cities which Rome freed because of their services in the war. See Magie, op.cit. 958, n.75. 6 For the capture of the city see Plutarch, Lucullus 4.2-3; Livy, perioch. 89; Suetonius, Divus Iulius 2. Cf Magie, op.cit. 245-46. 7 Plutarch, Pompeius 42.4 and Velleius Paterculus 2.18.3. Cf. Magie. op.cit. 365. 220 SENATUS CONSUL TUM DE AGRlS MYTILENAEORUM But this restoration of freedom was only one of many acts of Pompey in Asia Minor. Since he had relied only on the general terms of the lex Manilia and had not been assisted by the usual Senatorial commission, his acts required confirmation by the Senate or the People.8 When he returned to Italy therefore at the end of 62 B.C., his first thoughts were for his soldiers and the ratification of his eastern acta. He made his re­ quest of the Senate first, but a combination of political and personal enemies opposed him.9 In frustration and bewilderment he turned to the Assembly of the People. His enemies, however, contrived to check his efforts even there. With his own dignitas at stake he finally joined with Caesar and Crassus in order to use the collective powers of all three of them to ratify his acts and secure his future. The facts of this First Triumvirate are too well known to require repetition here. It will be enough to say that Caesar outmaneuvred the Senate simply by avoiding it in favor of the Assembly.lO It has been justly observed that from that time begins the final decay of Senatorial authority, for Caesar pushed through the Assembly a whole series of leges Iuliae without obtaining the usual prior approval of the Senate,u In fact he communicated nothing further to the Senate in his official capacity as consul but brought directly before the People whatever he wished.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Late Republic in 5 Timelines (Teacher Guide and Notes)
    1 180 BC: lex Villia Annalis – a law regulating the minimum ages at which a individual could how political office at each stage of the cursus honorum (career path). This was a step to regularising a political career and enforcing limits. 146 BC: The fall of Carthage in North Africa and Corinth in Greece effectively brought an end to Rome’s large overseas campaigns for control of the Mediterranean. This is the point that the historian Sallust sees as the beginning of the decline of the Republic, as Rome had no rivals to compete with and so turn inwards, corrupted by greed. 139 BC: lex Gabinia tabelleria– the first of several laws introduced by tribunes to ensure secret ballots for for voting within the assembliess (this one applied to elections of magistrates). 133 BC – the tribunate of Tiberius Gracchus, who along with his younger brother, is seen as either a social reformer or a demagogue. He introduced an agrarian land that aimed to distribute Roman public land to the poorer elements within Roman society (although this act quite likely increased tensions between the Italian allies and Rome, because it was land on which the Italians lived that was be redistributed). He was killed in 132 BC by a band of senators led by the pontifex maximus (chief priest), because they saw have as a political threat, who was allegedly aiming at kingship. 2 123-121 BC – the younger brother of Tiberius Gracchus, Gaius Gracchus was tribune in 123 and 122 BC, passing a number of laws, which apparent to have aimed to address a number of socio-economic issues and inequalities.
    [Show full text]
  • Expulsion from the Senate of the Roman Republic, C.319–50 BC
    Ex senatu eiecti sunt: Expulsion from the Senate of the Roman Republic, c.319–50 BC Lee Christopher MOORE University College London (UCL) PhD, 2013 1 Declaration I, Lee Christopher MOORE, confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis. 2 Thesis abstract One of the major duties performed by the censors of the Roman Republic was that of the lectio senatus, the enrolment of the Senate. As part of this process they were able to expel from that body anyone whom they deemed unequal to the honour of continued membership. Those expelled were termed ‘praeteriti’. While various aspects of this important and at-times controversial process have attracted scholarly attention, a detailed survey has never been attempted. The work is divided into two major parts. Part I comprises four chapters relating to various aspects of the lectio. Chapter 1 sees a close analysis of the term ‘praeteritus’, shedding fresh light on senatorial demographics and turnover – primarily a demonstration of the correctness of the (minority) view that as early as the third century the quaestorship conveyed automatic membership of the Senate to those who held it. It was not a Sullan innovation. In Ch.2 we calculate that during the period under investigation, c.350 members were expelled. When factoring for life expectancy, this translates to a significant mean lifetime risk of expulsion: c.10%. Also, that mean risk was front-loaded, with praetorians and consulars significantly less likely to be expelled than subpraetorian members.
    [Show full text]
  • Cicero a Study of Gamesmanship in the Late
    CICERO A STUDY OF GAMESMANSHIP IN THE LATE REPUBLIC A Thesis Presented to the faculty of the Department of History California State University, Sacramento Submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in History by Eugene H. Boyd FALL 2018 © 2018 Eugene H. Boyd ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii CICERO A STUDY OF GAMESMAN SHIP IN THE LATE REPUBLIC A Thesis by Eugene H. Boyd Approved by: __________________________________, Committee Chair Nikolaos Lazaridis, PhD. __________________________________, Second Reader Jeffrey Brodd, PhD. ____________________________ Date iii Student: Eugene H. Boyd I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University format manual, and that this thesis is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to be awarded for the thesis. __________________________Graduate Coordinator ___________________ Jeffrey Wilson, PhD Date Department of History iv Abstract of CICERO A STUDY OF GAMESMANSHIP IN THE LATE REPUBLIC by Eugene H. Boyd Roman politics during the final decades of the Late Republic was a vicious process of gamesmanship wherein lives of people, their families and friends were at the mercy of the gamesmen. Cicero’s public and political gamesmanship reflects the politics, class and ethnic biases of Roman society and how random events impacted personal insecurities. ______________________ _, Committee Chair Nikolaos Lazaridis, PhD. ____________________________ Date v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The process of obtaining a Master’s degree, I have found, is not an independent, isolated experience. Citing a contemporary adage, “It takes a village.” Truer words have never by spoken. To that end, I would like to recognize in the most warmly and thankful manner, the people in my “village” who helped me through the graduate study program and eventual master’s degree.
    [Show full text]
  • The Underlying Reasons for the Bacchanalia Affair of 186 BC
    9. Sarah Limoges Expansionism or Fear: The Underlying Reasons for the Bacchanalia Affair of 186 B.C. The Bacchanalia Affair has sparked much debate on the part of numerous prominent schol- ars. As a result, two very polarized opinions have emerged. Erich S. Gruen and Jean Marie Pailler have argued that the Bacchanalia Affair was a conspiracy on the part of the Senate, and that behind the veil of religion lay a desire to extend Roman hegemony across the whole of Italy. Pailler argues that the Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus found at Tiriolo is concrete proof that the suppression of the Bac- chanalia was a result of Rome’s desire for expansion rather than fear of the cult. Henrik Mouritsen, on the other hand, argues that the Senatus Consultum de Bacchanalibus was erroneously believed to per- tain to all of Italy, when in fact it concerns only the areas under Roman jurisdiction. He argues that Livy’s narrative is further evidence that the repression of the Senate pertained only to the ager Ro- manus. Mouritsen states that there is no evidence to suggest that the allies were included in the ban. As both opinions are equally valid, it will be necessary to examine the context in which the Bacchanalia occurred in 186 B.C.1 By the end of the Second Punic War (201), the Roman state had arguably become the most powerful entity in the Mediterranean. Once the Carthaginians no longer constituted a serious threat, Rome established her dominance militarily throughout the eastern Mediterranean. In 188, with the Peace of Apamea, Rome brought Antiochus III into submission, thus significantly reducing the power of the Seleucid Empire.2 Such political and military dominance on the part of Rome has led some scholars, such as Erich Gruen, to argue that the Bacchanalia could not have been repressed due to fear of the cult.
    [Show full text]
  • “Roman”: Creating Identity in an Expanding World by Claudia I. Arno
    How Romans Became “Roman”: Creating Identity in an Expanding World by Claudia I. Arno A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Greek and Roman History) in The University of Michigan 2012 Doctoral Committee: Professor David S. Potter, Co-Chair Professor Nicola Terrenato, Co-Chair Professor Bruce W. Frier Professor Raymond H. Van Dam © Claudia I. Arno 2012 To my family and friends, whose support is invaluable. ii Acknowledgements I owe a great many individuals and institutions thanks for their support and assistance during the years I have been researching and writing this dissertation. I would first like to thank the University of Michigan Interdepartment Program in Greek and Roman History, which promotes the interdisciplinary study of Classics and History, and with which I am very proud to be associated. I am also grateful to the University of Michigan History and Classics Departments, whose cooperation makes IPGRH possible. I would especially like to thank my graduate colleagues in IPGRH, Classics, and History, who have made my graduate experience so enjoyable and rewarding. The staffs at the Univeristy of Michigan and UCLA libraries, as well as the UCLA History Department, and in particular Professor David Phillips, were critical in helping me obtain access to research materials while I was living in Michigan, Los Angeles, and Boston. I would also like to express my deep admiration for Dr. Susan Lipshutz, who I unfortunately never had the opportunity to meet, but whose devotion to the success of women in academia inspired the creation of an award fund from which I received valuable support.
    [Show full text]
  • Cricat-3.4.1 Gamebook.Pages
    THE CRISIS OF CATILINE ROME, 63 BCE GAME BOOKLET Bret Mulligan VERSION 3.4.3 (August 2017) THIS MANUSCRIPT IS CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT AS PART OF THE “REACTING TO THE PAST” INITIATIVE OFFERED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF BARNARD COLLEGE. Reacting to the Past™ and its materials are copyrighted. Instructors seeking to reproduce these materials for educational purposes must request permission via email to [email protected] and [email protected]. Permission requests should indicate the following: (1) Name of Instructor, Institution, and Course in which the materials will be used; (2) Number of copies to be reproduced; and (3) If the printed booklets will be distributed to students at no cost or at cost. For additional information about the “Reacting to the Past” Series, please visit http:// barnard.edu/reacting. Table of Contents Introduction 1 The Necessity of Action 2 Rome in 63 BCE 3 A Tense Night in Rome (Historical Vignette) 4 How to React to the Past 11 Your Speech 15 Historical Context 19 The Growth of Rome and its Empire 19 Rome’s Empire in the First Century BCE 22 The Crises of the Republic 24 A Note on the Crisis of 64-63 BCE 34 Roles & Factions 35 Roles by Faction 37 Non-Voting Roles 37 Album Senatorum 38 Public Biographies 39 Rules & Traditions of the Roman Senate 45 Special Actions and Gambits 48 Map of Roman Italy 51 List of Primary Sources 52 Cicero — First Oration Against Catiline (In Catilinam I) 54 Appendix 1: Glossary of Roman Terms 61 Appendix 2: History of the Senatus Consultum Ultimum 63 Appendix 3: Roman Virtues 65 Appendix 4: Sample Speech (Capito’s Full Speech from “A Tense Night”) 68 Acknowledgements 72 !1 It is the year when Marcus Tullius Cicero and Gaius Antonius Hybrida are consuls.
    [Show full text]
  • Aus: Zeitschrift Für Papyrologie Und Epigraphik 92 (1992) 181–195 © Dr
    RICHARD J. EVANS – MARC KLEIJWEGT DID THE ROMANS LIKE YOUNG MEN? A STUDY OF THE LEX VILLIA ANNALIS: CAUSES AND EFFECTS aus: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 92 (1992) 181–195 © Dr. Rudolf Habelt GmbH, Bonn 181 DID THE ROMANS LIKE YOUNG MEN? A STUDY OF THE LEX VILLIA ANNALIS: CAUSES AND EFFECTS I That the cause of the lex Villia annalis of 180 BC was intended to forestall the ambitio of young members of established senatorial families, who might have hoped to emulate the successful, but quite irregular careers, of politicians such as P.Cornelius Scipio Africanus (cos. 205) and T.Quinctius Flamininus (cos. 198), remains the consensus of opinion.1 It seems quite apparent from Livy's account, however, that the lex Villia was not promulgated in response to the single problem of young men acquiring high office. Indeed it is evident that this law was the last in a series of measures, enacted at Rome from the beginning of the second century, which were concerned with the question of how and when a politician might hold the senior positions in the cursus honorum.2 Thus: ca. 197: The praetorian college was enlarged from four to six members (Liv. 32.27.6). ca. 196: Plebeian aediles were probably obliged to wait at least one year before campaigning for the praetorship, for instance, Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus, aed. 196, pr. 194, cos. 192.3 184: The senate ruled that a politician might not hold two curule offices simultaneously, probably a reinforcement of a previous tradition (Liv. 39.39.4). ca.
    [Show full text]
  • The Text of the Senatus Consultum De Agro Pergameno Robert K
    The Text of the "Senatus Consultum De Agro Pergameno" Sherk, Robert K Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Winter 1966; 7, 4; ProQuest pg. 361 The Text of the Senatus Consultum De Agro Pergameno Robert K. Sherk N 1877 there appeared in several local periodicals of Smyrna the I text of a Greek inscription found in Adramyttium which proved to be part of a letter sent by some high Roman magistrate. It con­ tained the report of a decision made by a Roman official, almost certainly the praetor urbanus, in the matter of a dispute over land be­ tween the publicani and the city of Pergamum.1 Although the details of the decision itself were missing, the inscription did contain a list of members of the consilium which the Roman official had consulted before reaching his decision. The consilium was surprisingly large, 33 names recorded before the stone broke off. The whole docu­ ment was variously dated by scholars after the Lex Sempronia of 123 or 122 B.C. One of its most important features was the fact that the names of the Romans forming the consilium were given quite fully: praenomen, nomen, filiation and tribe. An invaluable aid to prosopo­ graphical research in the Republican period. Then in 1934 F. Miltner and Selahattin Bey published another copy of the same inscription, this one found in the agora of Smyrna.2 It was considerably larger than the one from Adramyttium, but was still incomplete at the beginning and end. Unfortunately the editio princeps 1 G. Earinos, 'IwY{a 1877, no. 111, and ·OJL'TJPO~, September 1877, p.396 (cf also Movuei'oy I(a~ Bt{1>'to8-q1<'T} rij~ Eva'Y'Ye>""di~ Exo>'fi~ I (1875) 137; T.
    [Show full text]
  • Constantine: the Legal Recognition of Christianity and Its Antecedents El Reconocimiento Legal Del Cristianismo Y Sus Antecedentes
    Constantine: the Legal Recognition of Christianity and its Antecedents El reconocimiento legal del cristianismo y sus antecedentes Ilaria L.E. RAMELLI Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo A. Gemelli 1, Gregorianum 3rd floor, 20123 Milan, Italy Durham University, UK / [email protected] [email protected] Abstract: As Gallien seems to have done before him, but Resumen: Ya antes de Constantino hubo intentos de invali- with a partial and temporary effect, and as Hadrian, Seve- dar los efectos del senatus consultum (35 D.C.) sobre la ilicitud rus Alexander, and Elagabalus may have intended to do, del cristianismo, como parece haber hecho Galieno, aunque Constantine reversed the effects of a senatus consultum con un efecto parcial y temporal, y como habían intentado from A.D. 35, transforming Christianity from a superstitio tal vez Adriano, Alejandro Severo y Elagabalus. Pero quien illicita to a religio licita in the empire. I study the implica- realmente invirtió los efectos de esa decisión senatorial fue tions of that senatus consultum, which is attested not only Constantino, al transformar el cristianismo de una religio illi- in Tertullian, but also in a Porphyrian passage, besides the cita en una religio licita en el imperio. En el presente artículo Acts of Apollonius. I endeavour to contextualise it in the se estudian las implicaciones de ese senatus consultum, que political and religious framework of the Tiberian age and está atestiguado no sólo en Tertuliano, sino también en un the relationship between Tiberius and the Senate. pasaje de Porfirio, además de las Actas de Apolonio.
    [Show full text]
  • Fear, Anger, and Hatred in Livy's Account of the Struggle of the Orders DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the R
    Fear, Anger, and Hatred in Livy’s Account of the Struggle of the Orders DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Henry S. Blume Graduate Program in Greek and Latin The Ohio State University 2017 Dissertation Committee: William Batstone, Advisor Dana Munteanu Nathan S. Rosenstein Copyrighted by Henry Storm Blume 2017 ABSTRACT This dissertation explores the way in which emotions affect the course of Roman politics in the first six books of Livy’s account of the history of Rome. The expulsion of Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome, and the transition to the Republic fundamentally transformed the relationship between the two orders of Rome, the patricians and the plebeians. For the first time, the two orders existed without a ruler and mediator; in other words, the shape of the Republic compelled two different societal classes, whose interests often did not align, to work together for the common safety and prosperity of the city and its citizens. In the years that followed the death of Tarquinius Superbus, the two orders engaged in a struggle over libertas, “freedom,” and dignitas, “prestige,” with the plebeians striving to gain a greater amount of freedom and the patricians endeavoring to preserve their privlige. Historiographical analyses of the books of Livy that cover the so-called Struggle of the Orders (494 B.C. to 367 B.C.) primarily focus on exemplarity, the character of particular individuals, or abstract concepts such as libertas, dignitas, virtus, etc. These forms of analysis are all valid, and, indeed, find support in Livy’s own directives for reading his history.
    [Show full text]
  • Gregory K. Golden, Crisis Management During the Roman Republic: the Role of Political Institutions in Emergencies
    Gregory K. Golden, Crisis Management during the Roman Republic: the role of political institutions in emergencies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Pp. xvii + 245. ISBN 978-1-107-03285-9. In this book, Golden seeks a better understanding of how the Roman Republic functioned in practice by looking at its responses to crisis situations, the systems and flaws in those responses, and the strains upon the Republic under such circumstances. In the Prologue and again in the first chapter, Golden lays out well the major issues, the differences between external as opposed to internal crises, the challenges posed by the growth of empire as well as senatorial ambitions, and the ineffectiveness of crisis responses when not backed up by force. He also points out how “crisis-centered” has been the approach of historians to the period of the Republic, gives a precise definition of crisis, and identifies his focus as military and political crises (since it was not typical of the Roman government to address other sorts of crises and we possess fairly solid sources for a rather thorough investigation of this subject). In the second chapter, the author investigates cases when the official Roman position of dictator was utilized to respond to external threats (such as the “tales” of Cincinnatus and Camillus, which, even though heavily mythologized, still relate Roman expectations for crisis management and reasoning behind failures to manage crises), as well as internal threats. Analysis of the “data” collected by Golden (which includes an interesting table with examples from the dictatorships of the fourth century B.C.) illustrates the frequent use of this extraordinary office (approximately every three years in that century) to handle crises during this truly formative period of the Republic.
    [Show full text]
  • THE ROMANS Founding of Rome
    THE ROMANS Founding of Rome ■ Foundation Myth: ■ Romulus & Remus – 753 BCE – Mars – She-wolf Ancient Italy was home to several groups. Both the Etruscans in the north and the Greeks in the south had a major influence on the development of Rome. Roman Republic ■ Tiber River – Latium Plain ■ Etruscans – Etruria (625-509 BCE) – urbanization ■ Forum, Via Apia – temples – augury – toga – fasces – triad of gods (Jupiter, Juno, Minerva) ■ Adopted from Greeks – alphabet ■ Adopted from Greeks ■ Greeks (750-550 BCE) – Magna Graecia The City of ■. Rome Roman Republic ■ Romans’ Foundation Myth of the Republic: – 509 BCE – Rape of Lucretia & Overthrow of Etruscan King ■ Patricians & Plebeians – Patricians were aristocratic landowners who held all political power. ■ They were the minority, but were the only ones who could be elected to political office. – Plebeians were the commoners, the farmers, merchants, artisans who were the majority of the population. ■ They could vote, but could not hold political office. ■ Government – Consuls – 2 men elected each year, commanded the army and ran the government. ■ Could only hold office for 1 year and could not run for office a 2nd year in a row. ■ Possessed imperium “the right to command.” – Senate – 300 men who held office for life, controlled the budget and gave permission for men to run for office. ■ They were an advisory body, made up of elder statesmen who offered guidance. ■ Their advice, senatus consultum, had the force of law, but was NOT law. – Assemblies – Legislative bodies ■ Centuriate Assembly – Made up of all the soldiers, made laws, & voted for consuls and other political offices. ■ Tribal Assembly – Made up of non-soldiers/commoners, made laws Roman Republic ■ Roman government ran on Patronage – the Patron/Client relationship ■ Twelve Tables – first written law code for Rome.
    [Show full text]