Download Introduction to Greek and Roman History

Introduction to Greek and Roman History
Lecture 13
i. Mistress or master? Roman imperialism and Hellenisation
ii. The growth of Rome: agrarian crises and the rise of individual
Delos, hub of Mediterranean trade
Delos and Rome
Strabo X.5.4
Although Delos was so famous, yet it became still more so, and flourished
after the destruction of Corinth by the Romans. For the merchants resorted
thither, induced by the immunities of the temple, and the convenience of its
harbour. It lies favourably for those who are sailing from Italy and Greece to
Asia. The general festival held there serves the purposes of commerce, and
the Romans particularly frequented it even before the destruction of Corinth.
Bilingual dedication to Hercules. Delos 113 BC. A
collegium (6 freedmen, 6 freeborn)
The Via Egnatia
Polybius XXXIV.12.2
The road from Apollonia to Macedonia is called the Via Egnatia, which has
been measured in miles and marked out with milestones as far as
Cypselus and the River Hebrus, a distance of five hundred and thirty-five
miles. Reckoning eight and one-third stades to a mile, the number of
stades will be four thousand four hundred and fifty-eight. The distance is
exactly the same whether you start from Apollonia or Epidamnus.
Dedication to Hercules by L. Mummius 144 BC CIL.1 626
From Temple of Hercules Victor in Rome (now in the Vatican, travertine).
Victory Temples
T. of Hercules Victory
Temple of Portunus
Victoriatus coin. mid 1st c BC: Rome, Jupiter
and Nike with Tropaion.
Tomb of the Caecilli Metelii
Roman Coins: Macedonian derivations???
Lex Villia Annalis (180 B.C.)
Consulship (42 years)
Preatorship (39 years)
Quaestorship (25 years?)
Minimum two-year interval between offices
Tribunate and aedislhip facultative
Property qualification for the
assidui
•First half of the II century: from 11,000 to 4,000 asses
•Ca. 145: from 4,000 to 1,500 asses
Assidui: The citizens who
possessed the property
qualification necessary to serve
in the legions
The problem with Empire
• Growing competition between
member of the elites.
• Personal relations between
commanders and foreign leaders.
• Regularize personal competition.
• Clash between personal ascendancy
and oligarchic establishment.
• Rise of the Equestrian class.
Tiberius’ tribunate – 133 B.C.
•Election of a three-member commission to make a
survey of the distribution of public land.
•Reinforce the 500-jugera law.
•Redistribute land to small landowners.
Lucera
Plan of centuriation north-east of Lucera
The plan show centuriation on two alignments, one perhaps
dating from the foundation of the colony, one perhaps
reflecting Gracchan assignations.
Tiberius’ reform and census
142
328.442
136
317.933
131
318.823
125
394.736
Trouble with Italian non-Roman allies
T. Gracchus was steadfast in helping citizens, but
ignored the rights and treaties of allies and Latins
(Cic. De Re Publica III.41)
125: Marcus Fulvius Flaccus
proposes the extension of
Roman citizenship to Italian
allies.
124: Revolt of Fregellae
Caius’ legislation: a popularis’ agenda
•Law preventing anyone who had been deposed from a
magistracy to be appointed to another one (withdrawn).
•Law prohibiting the passing of judgement on Roman citizens
without the consent of people.
•Law authorising state sale of grain at 6 2/3 sesterces for
measure.
•Law prohibiting the enrolment of soldiers younger than 17
y.o.
•Law on juries for the trials on the cases of provincial extortion
(judges not to be chosen from the senators).
•Law on consular provinces.
However, he soon saw
that the senate was
hostile to him out and
out, and that the good
will of Fannius towards
him had lost his edge,
and therefore again
began to attach the
multitude to himself by
other laws, proposing to
send colonies to
Tarentum and Capua,
and inviting the Latins to
a participation in the
Roman franchise. Plut.
Gracc. XXIV.1-2
New colonies in Italy
Capua
Tarentum
New colony on the site of Carthage
I should regard as the most pernicious aspect of the legislation of C.
Gracchus the planting of colonies outside Italy. Earlier generations had
carefully avoided that, since they saw that many colonies had become
more powerful than their mother cities […]. But Carthage was the first
colony founded outside Italy.
Velleius Paterculus II.7.7-8
Caius’ road building
But he busied himself most
earnestly with the
construction of roads, laying
stress upon utility, as well as
upon that which conduced to
grace and beauty. For his
roads were carried straight
through the country without
deviation, and had
pavements of quarried stone,
and substructures of tightrammed masses of sand.
Plut. Gracc. XXVIII.1
Roman Milestones : Antioch 89 AD; Roman Britain:ca. AD 130