I.27 BC - AD 14, The Augustan Empire A.Octavian as Augustus 1.IMP.AUG. D.F.J.C. P.M. P.P. T.P. COS. S.C. B.The Principate 1.Augustus as Princeps "First Citizen" 2."Restores" Res Publica in 27 BC 3.Works carefully with the restored Senate (600 members) 4.Made certain that he controls the armies & administration 5.SPQR willing to go along with the pretense a.Governorships & wealth from the provinces for the senators b.Governorships & military commands for old Patrician families c.Military commands & government jobs for Equestrians d.Bread and Circuses for the Plebs C.Augustan Reforms 1.Government: much centralization, yet localization a.Regularizes administration, begins professionalization b.Relies heavily on Equestrians as governors & procurators etc. c.Imperial freedmen and imperial servants staff bureaucracy 2.Currency: high quality gold & silver & bronze coins 3.Provinces: imperial & senatorial provinces, accountability 4.Army: Establishes the Frontier system a.legions reduced to 28 (25 after Varus disaster) b.Establishes military colonies throughout provinces 5.Infrastructure: roads, aquaducts, urban renewal 6.Citizenship: limits it to Italians, with some exceptions 7.Morality: encourages traditional Roman virtues a.But bounces his daughter Julia from husband to husband for political purposes b.Then exiles Julia, and later a granddaughter, for immorality 8.Religion: promotes traditional Roman gods a.builds many temples throughout empire, especially in Rome b.prohibits some eastern religions (Magna Mater) from Rome 9.Warfare: restores Roman dignitas (usually) a.Conquers NW Spain (1)Gold in Galicia and Cantabria (2)Slaughter & enslavement to "pacify" NW Spain b.Conquers Danuble lands: Rhaetia, Pannonia, Moesia c.Diplomatic coup against Parthia/Persia d.Major defeat in German provinces 10.Building Programs left Rome a "City of Marble" a.Temple of Mars Ultor b.Ara Pacis Augustae D.Augustan Failures 1.The German Frontier, Arminius defeats Varus, AD 6 2.The Problem of Succession E.The Augustan Legacy 1.The Emperorship 2.Administrative & Military reforms last 200 years 3.Greco-Roman Civilization in Mediterranean Basin a.civilization in depth 4.The Pax Romana a."they create a desert, and call it peace" 5.Emperor Worship a.Worship of Caesar b.Worship of living emperors begins in the east 6.Praetorian Guard (9 cohorts) stationed permanently in Rome a.Led by the Praetorian Prefect b.Plays a major role in emperor creation in later years II.27 BC - AD 68, Julio-Claudian Emperors A.Augustus, 27 BC - AD 14 (empress = Livia, 2nd wife) B.Tiberius, 14-37 (son of Livia) 1.Growth of imperial bureaucracy [rise of Sejanus] 2.Installs the "Imperial Cult" at Tarraco [Spain] C.Caligula (Gaius), 37-41* (grandson of Agrippa, ggson of Livia) D.Claudius, 41-54* (grandson of Livia) 1.Growth of imperial bureaucracy: secretariats & freedmen 2.Conquest of Britain, gradual consolidation E.Nero, 54-68* (gson of M Antonius; ggson of Germanicus; gggson of Livia) III.A.D. 69, Year of the Four Emperors (counting Vespasian) A.Galba (proclaimed in Spain)* 1.Raises VII Galbae in Spain, later called VII Gemina B.Otho* C.Vitellius* IV.69-96, Flavian Emperors A.Vespasian, 69-79 1.Growth of imperial bureaucracy 2.consolidation of imperial conquests a.Leaves only VII Gemina in Spain, at Legion [Leon] b.municipia flavia in Spain (1)ius latii (homogenizes legal practice) (2)imperial cult (3)forum in Tarraco c.provinces a source of imperial admins (1)Ulpii & Aelii families in Baetica [Spain] (2)Dusumii family in Corduba [Spain] (3)Pomponii family in Tarraconensis [Spain] 3.wars against Marcomani and Chatti in Danube lands 4.conquests in Germania superior 5.Judea capta B.Titus, 79-81 C.Domitian, 81-96* 1.wars against Marcomanni & Chatti in Danube lands 2.persecution of Christians 3.Increasing autocracy, "dominus et deus" V.96-180, The "Good Emperors" A.Nerva, 96-98 1.Chosen by senate 2.adopts Trajan as associate and successor B.Trajan, 98-117 1.Born at Italica, in Spain 2.major building programs throughout empire, esp Rome & Spain a.Forum & Libraries [Rome] b.Bridge at Alcantara [Spain] c.Aqueduct at Segovia [Spain] d.Sanctuary at Munigua [Spain] 3.Conquests in Armenia, Assyria, Mesopotamia, Arabia 4.Conquests in Dacia, Germania interior 5.Persecution of Christians 6.Jewish rebellions in east and Egypt, 115-138 C.Hadrian, 117-138 1.132-135, Bar Kochba rebellion, anti-Christian & anti-Roman 2.Jewish rebellions put down in the east and Egypt a.Jerusalem destroyed, rebuilt as Aela Capitolina 3.Retrenchment and consolidation in the new conquests 4.Assyria and Mesopotamia effectively abandoned 5.Administrative & municipal reforms & reorganization 6.Major building programs throughout empire, esp Rome & Spain 7.Hadrian's Wall in northern Britain 8.Became autocratic and brutal in later years D.Antoninus Pius, 138-161 1.wars against Persia deplete troops in west 2.Extensive Mauretanian raids into Baetica [Spain] 3.wars against Germanic tribes in Danube lands 4.150 - Judaism prohbited E.Marcus Aurelius, 161-180 1.wars against Persia deplete troops in west 2.wars against Germanic tribes in Danube lands 3.Major plague (from Persia) kills 1/3 or more 4.Savage persecution of Christians 5.Beginning of severe financial crisis a.population down, economy weak b.not enough tax revenue to support the huge army F.Lucius Verus, 161-169 (co-emperor with Marcus Aurelius) 1.administers the east, wars with Persia 2.dies after a severe stroke in 169 VI.180-193, Decline, Corruption and Civil War A.Commodus, 180-193* 1.Treaty with Germanic tribes in Danube 2.autocratic & brutal at Rome, assassinated B.Pertinax, 193* 1.proclaimed Emperor in Rome by Praetorian Guard and Senate 2.killed by Praetorian Guards C.Didius Julianus, 193* 1.purchased emperorship from Praetorian Guards D.Prescinnius Niger, 193* 1.proclaimed emperor in Syria by his troops 2.defeated & killed by Septimus Severus E.Clodius Albinus* 1.proclaimed emperor in Britain by his troops 2.defeated & killed by Septimus Severus VII.193-235, Severan Emperors A.Septimus Severus, 193-211 1.proclaimed emperor by his army in the Danube a.VII Gemina at Leon supported Severus, afterwards called VII Gemina Pia (faithful) 2.had been in Baetica in 170/171, also in Spain in 177 3.Supported by Judah the Prince, Jewish leader a.All Jews in empire made subject to Judah the Prince b.Pudah the Prince *may* have edited the Mishnah 4.Born in Africa, near Tripoli & Leptis Magna 5.Militarization of the Empire a.Keep the soldiers busy and well paid 6.Diminished reliance on the Senate 7.Increased role for Provincials, esp Equestrians a.Provincial Equestrians recruited to army commands b.Provincial Equestrians recriuted to Imperial Service 8.Wife: Julia Domna, Syrian priestess B.Geta, 211* 1.murdered by Caracalla, his brother C.Caracalla, 211-217* 1.Persecution of Jews in Egypt 2.212, Edict of Caracalla: citizenship to all free men a.simplifies judicial administration b.one law code, one set of courts c.increases tax base of people & municipalities 3.under heavy influence of Julia Domna & Julia Maesea D.Macrinus (not Severan family), 217-218* 1.Born in Mauretania E.Elagabalus, 218-222* 1.under heavy influence of Julia Maesea & his mother 2.Tried to impose his Syrian religion on Rome 3.Eccentric and obscene behavior provokes assassination F.Alexander Severus, 222-225* 1.under heavy influence of Julia Mamaea 2.wars in Danube lands and against Parthia 3.assassinated by the army VIII.Problems of the 3rd Century A.Succession: Civil Wars & Assassinations B.The Army: Largely Out of Control C.Economy: Coinage debased from 161 onwards D.External Enemies: Germanic tribes, Persians E.Decline of towns & commerce in Spain & elsewhere in the empire IX.235-284, The Barracks Emperors, 235-284 A.Almost Continuous Civil War between contending emperors 1.Yet few large-scale battles between Roman armies 2.Instead, the soldiers tended to assassinate emperors or pretenders who were likely to lose in an all-out civil war 3.This keeps the Roman Frontier armies largely intact in the 3rd century B.Fifty Years and Twenty Emperors (more or less) 1.Maximinus Thrax, 235-238* a.First Emperor who was not a citizen at birth 2. Gordian I * Gordian II, 237* a.appointed by Senate to fight Maximinus 3. Balbinus, 238* 4. Pipienus, 238* 5. Gordian III, 238-244 a.War against Sassanians 6. Philip the Arab, 244-249* 7. Decius, 249-251* a.savage persecution of Christians 8. Trebonianus Gallus, 251-253* 9. Aemilianus, 253* 10. Valerian, 253-260* a.Captured by Sassanians, dies in captivity 11. Gallienus, 253-268* a. Retrenchment and consolidation (as under Hadrian) b. Frankish raids into Gaul, through coastal Spain [Tarraco], across to Africa c. Temporary fragmentation of Empire (1) Postumus (Gaul, Britain & Spain), 259-269* (2) Macrinus (Asia Minor & Syria), 260-261* (3) Quietus (Asia Minor & Syria), 260-261* (4) Zenobia (Palmyra, Egypt & Asia Minor), 267-272 (5) Aureolus (Italy), 268* 12. Claudius Gothicus, 268-270 (died of plague) a. Victorinus (Gaul & Britain), 269-271* 13. Aurelian, 270-275* a. Restitutor Orbis: recovers Gaul & Palmyra b. Savage Persecution of Christians 14. Tacitus, 275-276* 15. Probus, 276-282* 16. Carus, 282-284* 17. Carinus, 282-285* 18. Numerianus, 282-284*