NOBILES POWERPOINT 2-8.Pptx
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The Senate: Advisory Power The Magistrates = execu ve power
• From Kings to Republic: Advise Two annually elected Consuls (509): imperium • Previous magistrates: about 300 un l 1st cent. • State Religion • Convened by magistrates only • Command of army (at least two legions) • Pedarii: feet-voters • Convene senate and assemblies • Why such power? • Issue edicts with force of law - Con nuity • Enforce punishment - Space for deba ng Symbols of power: - Pres ge: patres, auctoritas, senatusconsulta colored toga; curule chair; lictors with fasces
Fasces Lincoln Memorial and the fasces
US Senate Seal
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More magistrates Checks & Balances • th Quaestor (5 century), finances Tremendous power, but… System of checks: • th Censor (5 century), census • All magistracies collegial at Rome – enroll ci zens in census classes acc. to $ • Veto – morality & religious purifica on • – elected every five years; serve 18 months Time limit in office • Aedile (4th century), city and public games • Cursus honorum (course of honors) • Praetor (4th century), jus ce and army Sets sequence of magistracies in a career-path and prescribes appropriate intervals between – Second in rank a er consuls offices. – Had imperium and carried fasces
Cursus Honorum More about checks & balances (Course of Honors: Career Path) • 10 years of military service Strengths: • Quaestor age 30 • Disperse power, no concentra on • Aedile age 36 • Consensus • Praetor age 39 Weaknesses: • Consul age 42 • Amateurism • Danger of paralysis • Age-ist system
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Wild Cards in Roman Cons tu on Rome as militaris c state?
1. Dictator > dictum (word) • Equa on of ci zenship and property ownership • Emergency with military service • elec on needs senate, consul, and assembly • Popular assembly organized as army • 10 yrs military service before public office • Specific task and limited me, 6 months max • Highest magistracies defined by imperium • Dangers • Discipline and reward system of army! 2. Tribunes of the Plebs • Propose legisla on in Plebeian Assembly = excep onal unity at home and on ba lefield • Intercessio; veto
Nobility: nobiles < nosco (I know) A Roman funeral
• Nobiles = men who are known or noteworthy • Inherited, expected to be born with nobility and talent: ingenium • BUT– s ll requires a lot of you as you live up to your family reputa on.
• Esp. in military service!
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Peter Paul Rubens, Death of Consul Decius Mus, c. 1618 Publius Decius Mus Moral: in mate involvement of aristocracy and warfare -Three genera ons spanning 4th & 3rd centuries BC
-Ba le of Sen num 295 BC vs. Samnites
- Devo o
Peter Paul Rubens Decius Mus Addressing the Legions c. 1616
Poli cal monopoly of nobiles HBO series: Rome. Caesar’s Triumph
• Novus homo (new man) = first of family to be consul (eg. Marius and Cicero) • If you were elected consul as a “new man”, your family became “noble” • Hard to do: (res novae) Between 232-133 BC, 50% of consuls were from ONLY 10 GENTES • Military glory/fame = laus and gloria
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Relief from Arch of Titus: spoils from Rome’s annual engagement with war? sack of Jerusalem • Increase territory (key in agrarian economy) • Slaves (key in agrarian economy when free men are away figh ng) • Plunder • Collec ng taxes on new territories • Compe on among aristocracy • Defensive Imperialism?
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