Overview of History (49BCE–69CE)
- The "Imperatorial" Period (49–31 BCE)
- Caesar and Pompey
- What was the reason for the civil war between Caesar and Pompey?
- When did it start?
- What are the important reforms of Caesar?
- What trend did he start that Octavian continued?
- Whom did Caesar name as his heir and adopted in his will? (trend here?)
- The Second Triumvirate
- Who were the members of the second triumvirate?
- How did they split up the Roman world?
- What were the tasks in front of them?
- Where and when did Octavian defeat Antony?
- What happened in the end to Antony and Cleopatra?
- The Augustan Age (31 BCE–14 CE)
- The Political Reforms of Augustus
- What are the key titles/powers that Octavian/Augustus used?
- What did he offer to do on Jan 13, 27 B.C. and what was the Senate's response three days later?
- What role/powers did the Senate have in the new government?
- What role/powers did governors have in their provinces?
- How were governors picked and why was there a difference in the selection process?
- How was Egypt treated differently that other Roman territories?
- Whom did Augustus turn to to provide "new blood" into the ruling class?
- The Religious and Social Reforms of Augustus
- What was the nature of Augusus' religious reforms inside of Rome? outside of Rome?
- What are some of the ways that Augustus tried to improve the moral climate of Rome?
- Were any of his social reforms successful?
- Augustan Art and Architecture
- What are some of Caesar's building projects in Rome that Augustus completed?
- What are some of the new building projects of Augustus in Rome?
- How Augustus used symbolism on his art & architecture to promote his programs & ideals?
- the Fora,
- the Horologium
- the Ara Pacis,
- the Prima Porta statue,
- coinage
- What are two of ways that Augustus promoted his programs in the provinces via art (i.e. what did he use for "sound bytes")?
- The Early Empire (13–69 CE)
- Imperial Succession:
- key requirements for succession;
- what happened to bad emperors
- Determination of Policy:
- role of senate,
- amici,
- emperor
- Machinery of governance:
- at local level
- at provincial level
- Army:
- size (see Augustan lecture)
- terms of service: length, pay, restrictions
- retirement: bonus, position in society
- duties of service: peacetime; wartime
Families
- Key terms: familia, paterfamilias, patria potestas
- What were relations between parents and children like? Why sometimes distance between mothers and children? How did the low life expectancy effect these?
- What were the virtues of an ideal mother?
- What were some of the ways to limit family size? Effective?
- What were some of the ways Augustus tried to increase family size? Successful?
- How were children expected to behave? Who often took care of them? Effects of this?
- How did the law and public opinion change about infanticide and orphans
Marriage
- Who picked the marriage partners?
- Typical age for first marriage for girls? Boys?
- What is the dowry?
- What is the purpose of marriage?
- How could husbands treat their wives? Could/did wives ever stand up for themselves?
- What were the virtues of an ideal wife?
- When were "affairs" punishable (if caught) or not? Specifics?
- What was involved in divorce--reasons, dowry, children? How did Augustus change this?
Women in the Roman World
- Childhood: What was it like? What were the virtues of the ideal daughter?
- What were the virtues of the ideal "woman"?
- What were the vices of the "unacceptable" woman?
- What did they consider as the causes, symptoms, and treatment of hysteria
- What freedoms did women have?
- What occupations could they engage in?
- What were the effectiveness and or dangers of cosmetics & hair dyes, who used, etc.?
Possible Essay Questions
- Social: The Roman term familia refers to all that are under the authority of the father (pater)--i.e. the wife (sometimes), the sons (plus wives and children, if any), unmarried daughters (and sometimes married), slaves, and clients to some degree. Supporting your conclusions with good citations from the primary evidence in Shelton and evaluating the evidence in Shelton on both sides of the issue, answer the following question: How was the treatment of wives by their husbands similar to and different from the treatment of slaves?
- Politics: It has been observed that Augustus transformed the Roman state from a Republic into an Empire, but paid close attention to what worked for his great-uncle Julius Caesar and what did not work. With this in mind, compare/contrast Augustus' approach with that of Julius Caesar.
- FYI: don't forget how to organize a comparison/contrast paper!
