JUICY DETALS

1. JUICY DETALS Vespasian Nero

2. 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

3. JULIO-CLAUDIANS Tiberius Claudius Gaius (Caligula) Nero

4. YEAR OF THE FOUR EMPERORS Galba Otho Vespasian Vitellius

5. FLAVIANS Domitian Titus

6. ANTONINES I Nerva Hadrian Trajan

7. ANTONINES II Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius Commodus

8. START OF THE SEVERAN DYNASTY Pertinax Septimius Severus

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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 Rome’s chief patron of culture • Had to listen to endless round of speeches, complaints or praise from provincial delegations, countless speeches from the Senate, etc.

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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)

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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)

25. 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

26. 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 Trajan’s 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