The Pisonian Conspiracy: Activity

All Tacitus bar No.5

1. What common motives do the conspirators have for plotting against Nero?
• Nero's criminal record
• His abolition of the Senate's rights (41 Senators were involved in this plot)
• The way in which he lowered the tone of the imperial position
• He stripped the power to mint coins from the Senate
  
2. What concerned the conspirators were they to successfully remove Nero?
• They didn't know what they would do next. They didn't know if they would attempt to return to the Republic or choose another emperor from their own
• Additionally, they weren't sure if others in Rome would accept such an assertion (the plebs might not want the Republic back, as they didn't once before)
• Another issue was that Piso's party was not the only faction and there was the worry that another Senator, Lucius Silanus, might assume "a command which would be readily offered to him by people whom the conspiracy had not touched"
  
3. Why would Piso's marriage to Antonia be an important step in overthrowing Nero? What does this tell us about the importance of Imperial women?
• As she was Claudius' daughter, marrying her would help to secure Piso's claim to the throne
• However, Tacitus acknowledges that the details surrounding Antonia's involvement are somewhat suspect, citing Pliny the Elder as his source
• This tells us that Imperial women were quite important, as they could offer blood legitimacy that could not be acquired in any other way
  
4. How did Nero capitalise on the failure of the conspiracy for his own gain?
• A freedman of Scaevinus, Milichus, betrayed the plot
• Scaevinus gave everyone else up, including Seneca (even though there was no evidence) - he was potentially included because Nero wanted rid of him
• Nero used the conspiracy to execute dozens of Senators and Equestrians. This was a highly visibile means of reasserting his authority and the confiscated property provided much needed funds
• "After the massacre of so many distinguished men, Nero finally coveted the destruction of Virtue herself by killing Thrasea Patea and Marcius Barea Soranus. He had long hated them both" - They had not been involved in the plot, but were outspoken against Nero. Thrasea Patea most famously for walking out of the Senate during Nero's speech outlining the murder of his mother
  
5. What does Suetonius say was Nero's underlying purpose in retaliating against the Senate?
• "Often he hinted broadly that it was not his intention to spare the remaining Senators, but would one day wipe out the entire Senatorial order"
• Tigellinus had the power to destroy leading Romans without even the pretence of a trial
• Some years of his tyrannical rule almost annihilated the Senatorial class
  

Nero's Reign Worsens

Nero's Character Worsens

What began as reckless eccentricity became more sinister...

This is perhaps most evidenced by Nero's treatment of his wives:

• Octavia: Sister to Britannicus, she had been arranged to marry Nero under Agrippina's advice. With Agrippina dead Nero and his mistress Poppaea instead plotted to rid themselves of Octavia. She was first banished, but this attracted huge criticisms from the public, who pitied Claudius' daughter. Nero, rather than give in to the public outcry, ordered her death. She was forced to commit suicide, and her head was then cut off and brought to Poppaea as a gift
• Poppaea Sabina: According to Tacitus, she had been instrumental in Agrippina's death, promising Nero marriage if he committed the deed. She became one of Nero's close advisers alongside Seneca and Burrus. Nero, in a notoriously horrific incident, kicked Sabina to death in a fit of rage. She was pregnant with Nero's daughter at the time
• Statilia Messalina: This marriage was purely political, as she was the great-granddaughter of Statiilius Taurus, a decorated general under Augustus. Since Statilia was already married, Nero forced her husband to commit suicide before marrying her

The Great Fire, 64 AD

• Public outrage at the scandals unfolding within the Imperial Household were radically worsened with the events of 64 AD
• Fire, which was a common problem in an ancient city such as Rome, broke out on the 18th or 19th of July. Fires were exacerbated by the poor housing conditions in the city, mostly built of wood
• However, this fire was unparalleled in its scale. It lasted six days. Only four of the fourteen Augustan districts were untouched, and three were entirely destroyed
• Nero's handling of the fire was condemned as a sign of his inability to rule, and some even claimed Nero himself had a hand in beginning the fire for his own gain

The Great Fire: Activity

• What do the sources believe regarding Nero's involvement in the fire? Do they claim he is to blame for it?
• Tacitus, 15.38-44
• Nero took to the stage when the city was burning and sang about the fall of Troy
• "a disaster followed, whether accidental or treacherously contrived by the emperor, is uncertain"
• Nero blamed the Christians and tortured them. There was "mockery", they were "covered with the skins of beasts", "torn by dogs", "nailed to crosses" and set on fire
• Claims that Nero wasn't even in Rome when the fire started. Apparently he was in Antium
  
• Suetonius, Nero, 38
• "He brazenly set fire to the city"
• He was "disgusted by the drab old buildings"
• When someone said "when I am dead, be Earth consumed by fire", Nero quipped "Nay, while I live"
• Nero took to the stage during the fire and sang about the sack of Ilium
• Many ex-consuls reportedly caught Nero's attendants sneaking around with burning torches. He also had siege engine break down the walls of granaries to set fire to them from the inside
  
• What steps did Nero take following the fire? What do each reveal about Nero as a ruler?
• Tacitus, 15.38-44
• Supplies were brought in from Ostia and other neighbouring towns and the price of corn was reduced to three sesterces a peck
• "He threw open to them the Campus Martius and the public buildings of Agrippa, and even his own gardens and raised temporary structures"
• He made some improvements to the city and its safety by imposing height limits on buildings, improving access to water throughout the city, placing spaces between buildings and erecting colonnades
• "these policies were not only practical buy they beautified the city"
• He also built the Domus Aurea (Golden House) on top of the rubble of residential blocks "in which jewels and gold...were not so marvellous as the fields and lakes"
• Side note - his building the Domus Aurea furthered the suspicions that he started the fire
  
• Suetonius, Nero, 38
• "He bled the provincials white" by increasing taxes for a fire relief fund
• He offered to remove corpses and rubble free of charge but would not allow anyone to search the ruins so he could loot everything
• He wanted "all the spoils and beauty possible"
  

Nero's Handling of the Crisis

Though some positive steps were made by Nero for fire-prevention in the future, the rest of the crisis was handled terribly:

• Nero's palace, the Domus Aurea (Golden House) demonstrated the indifference he had for the people
• Nero's scapegoating of the Christians backfired, as many pitied their cruel fates and saw his punishments as a sign of barbarity rather than justice

The Pisonian Conspiracy 65 AD

Unsurprisingly, opposition to Nero began to arise in the wake of his crimes, the most significant of which was the "Pisonian Conspiracy" of 65 AD

• The conspiracy was headed by Gaius Calpurnius Piso
• He capitalised on the growing discontent at Nero's reign to pull together would-be revolutionaries from across Roman society, including Senators, Equestrians and members of the Praetorian Guard
• The plot was ultimately foiled, and the retaliations exerted by Nero were brutal
• However, the plot is considered the beginning of growing opposition to the emperor that ultimately brought about Nero's downfall in 68 AD
  

The Mother of Nero

Coinage

• Propagandistic coins were released with the obverse showing "Agrippina Augusta, Wife of the Divine Claudius, Mother of Nero", and the reverse showing "Nero, son of the Divine Claudius, Augustus Caesar Germanicus, Emperor with Tribunician Power"

Agrippina's Influence, the Early Years

• Nero was 16 when he ascended the throne in 54 AD
• As we saw, Agrippina was not only influential but critical to Nero's rise to power. Her marriage to Claudius, scheming to make Nero his heir, and the assassination of Claudius all intended to achieve this
• Since Britannicus, Claudius' natural born son, was still alive, Nero is technically a usurper to the throne, despite his connections to Augustus
• Because of this, Nero owed his position to Agrippina, and in the early years of his reign she enjoyed an extraordinarily privileged position within empire as a result

Nero's Reign, First Five Years

• Generally Nero's reign is presented negatively by the sources
• However, his early years, called the Quinquennium Neronis Aureum (Five Golden Years of Nero) were surprisingly positive
• Kept in check by two close advisers, the negative aspects of Nero's character were supressed:
• Seneca: famous stoic philosopher who tutored Nero on living nobly
• Burrus: head of the Praetorian Guard

Quinquennium Neronis

"To make his good intentions still more evident, he declared that he would rule according to the principles of Augustus and he let slip no opportunity for acts of generosity and mercy, or even for displaying his affability. The more oppressive sources of revenue he either abolished or moderated. He reduced the rewards paid to informers against violators of the Papian law to one fourth of the former amount. He distributed four hundred sesterces to each man of the people, and granted to the most distinguished of the senators who were without means an annual salary, to some as much as five hundred thousand sesterces; and to the praetorian cohorts he gave a monthly allowance of grain free of cost." Suetonius, Nero, 10

What are the principles of Augustus?:

• Courage, Clemency, Justice, Piety
  

Claudius' Deification

• In honour of his (adopted) father, Nero began by deifying Claudius

"Divine honours were decreed to Claudius, and his funeral rites were solemnized on the same scale as those of Augustus; for Agrippina strove to emulate the magnificence of her great-grandmother, Livia. But his will was not publicly read, as the preference of the stepson to the son might provoke a sense of wron and angry feeling in the popular mind" - Tacitus 12.69

• However he would later abandon these divine honours for his father. Why?
• Because he didn't want anyone to look into Claudius' death, and so wanted to draw as little attention to him as possible
• Also Britannicus could have gained popularity as Claudius' son

Nero's Philhellenism

• Nero, like all men of the imperial household, was highly educated
• In particular, he had a love of Greek theatre and arts (Philhellenism), something unusual for Roman men, who were meant to be stoic and masculine

Activity

Suetonius 20-23, 26-7, 30, 53:

• What characteristics are attributed to Nero?
• Profligate - he admired Caligula for spending a lot of Tiberius' wealth + "he believed that fortunes were made to be squandered" + "True gentlemen always throw money about"
• God Complex/Unstable - he would attack men on their way home from dinner, stab them if they fought back, and drop their bodies into the sewers + He molested the wife of a Senator and was almost beaten to death - he believed that he could do whatever he wanted with no consequences
• Vain/Narcissistic/Jealous - "Nero never wore the same clothes twice" + "His greatest weaknesses were his thirst for popularity and his jealousy for men who caught the public eye" + no one was allowed to leave his recitals - women even gave birth in the audience because they weren't allowed to leave
• Sneaky - "his insolence, lust, extravagance, greed and cruelty he at first revealed only gradually and secretly to be sure, as though only youthful mistakes" + as time went on people realised that it was a "fault of his character rather than his age"
• Lustful - He banqueted in public, waited on by harlots and dancing girls from all over the city
• Perverted - had a young boy called Sporus forcibly castrated and made him his "wife" who attended official events with him + if anyone confessed to any obscene vices, he would forgive them of all other crimes
• Childish - He was obsessed with singing and at the beginning of his reign he used to play with model ivory chariots on a board
• Obsessive - Obsessed with singing, even openly abandoning official business to work on his singing and perform
• Does Nero hold up his promise of following Augustus' principles? 
• .

The Colossus of Nero

• One defining image of Nero's greed and extravagance was the Colossus of Nero
• This was a giant statue of Nero, some 120ft tall, made entirely out of bronze
• Pliny (34.45-6) says he wished to make it out of silver or gold, but his death cut short his ambition
• The statute decorated the vestibule of Nero's palace
• After his death the statue's face was changed to the god Sol's, but it still kept its name
• A later building built next to it earned a nickname: the Flavian Amphitheatre, became known as the Colosseum

Changing Relationship with Agrippina

• In the early years, Agrippina held considerable influence, achieved through control over her son
• However, this influence and control began to wane as time went on
• There were a few reasons for this decline in influence:
• Seneca and Burrus tried to pull Nero away from his mother's control, seeing her as a bad influence on him
• His lover, Poppaea, used to slander Agrippina out of jealousy and rivalry for Nero's affection
• Agrippina was too controlling - Nero was a young man and wanted to be free of his mother's domineering to indulge in his own excesses

Agrippina's Declining Power

Quinquennium Neonis, 54 AD

Declining Influence, 59 AD

·       She had her own hand-picked German bodyguards       ·       She was allowed to sit in on Senate meetings, though behind a curtain to not offend Roman sensibilities       ·       She would amend and advise on decrees and edicts       ·       She had some minor administrative roles – she founded colonies for soldiers for example       ·       She had a wide network of associates who acted as Nero’s personal advisors and aides

·       She was stripped of her bodyguard       ·       She was expelled from the palace and forced to live in her own private villa, under house arrest       ·       She was not allowed contact with any of her associates unless under express permission of Nero and his advisers

Agrippina Tries to Reassert Control

• Her declining influence did not soften her ambitions or desire to control Nero
• Angered at falling out of favour with her son, she threatened to put Britannicus on the throne - who had still been kept alive
• Terrified that Britannicus still had a legitimate claim to the throne, Nero poisoned Claudius' son at a banquet shortly before his 14th birthday
• Nero blamed it on Britannicus' epilepsy, and then had him hastily buried that same night
• The immediate threat to Nero had been extinguished, but he soon realised that Agrippina was to dangerous to be left to plot and scheme
• In one of Nero's (many) infamous acts, he decided upon killing his own mother...

The Death of Agrippina

1. What were Nero's motives for killing Agrippina?
• Tacitus 14.1-11
• Poppaea (Nero's mistress) slandered Agrippina regularly
• He thought that she was "too formidable"
• He hated her - "the son's hatred would steal his heart to her murder"
• He was "convinced that she would be too formidable wherever she might dwell"
  
• Suetonius, Nero, 34
• "The over-watchful, over-critical eye that she kept on Nero was doing more than he could stand"
• "Her threats and violent behaviour terrified him into deciding that she must die"
  
2. What does the method Nero and his associates chose to kill Agrippina reveal to us about the power and influence she held at this time?
• Tacitus 14.1-11
• Simply having her killed wasn't guaranteed to work as whoever was chosen "might spurn the order", which shows that many were loyal to her, even above the emperor himself
  
• Suetonius, Nero, 34
• Nero tried to poison her three times, but she always took an antidote in advance. She was also forewarned when he rigged roof tiles to collapse on her whilst she was sleeping. This shows that she had a lot of influence over his staff and was as such able to learn about his plotting
• He made one of his captains stage an 'accidental' collision with the galley in which she sailed. When this didn't work, and she had swum to safety, he ordered one of his men to "surreptitiously" drop a dagger beside Agermus, whom he arrested at once
  
3. How did Nero try to justify Agrippina's death to Rome?
• Tacitus 14.1-11
• Nero sent to the senate and blamed Agermus for trying to assassinate him, saying that Agrippina had paid the price for planning it. He also spoke of Agrippina's previous attempts to gain power, and attributed the atrocities of Claudius' reign to her, too
  
• Suetonius, Nero, 34
• Nero told the people that Agrippina had sent an assassin to kill him, and committed suicide when the plan failed
  
4. What different reactions do the Romans have to Agrippina's murder?
• Tacitus 14.1-11
• "The neighbouring towns of Campania testified their joy with sacrifices and deputations"
• As soon as they heard about the 'accident', the beach was full of people who had come to wail and pray for Agrippina and even swim out to find her. 
• After her funeral, her freedman Mnester killed himself "either out of love for his mistress or fear of destruction"
• The nobles were keen to celebrate her death, and had her birthday designated as an "inauspicious" day
• Nero tried to improve his own image by returning people that Agrippina had banished and allowing Paulina's ashes to be brought back and buried
  
• Suetonius, Nero, 34
• Congratulations poured in from the senate, the army and the people
  

Administration of Imperial Rome

Administration refers to the day-to-day policies that affected the lives of the people of Rome. Though we tend to look at the extremes of each emperor's reign, such as conspiracies, wars or plots, it was these policies which had the most impact for the majority of Romans. A good administrator will tend to the needs of the Roman people: keeping them in jobs, keeping them safe, keeping them well-fed, improving their standard of living. In a bustling metropolis of one million citizens in Rome, alongside a further 45-60 million people in the empire, this task was monumental and would have taken up the majority of the emperor's time. How the emperor's dealt with this issue was therefore paramount to their legacy as emperor

Augustus

1. Outline what you think the five most important administrative developments of this emperor were
1. The division of Rome into 13 districts, placing them under the control of magistrates selected by lot, and then subdividing these into wards under locally elected supervisors ("masters")
2. He devised a system of stations of night watchmen (Vigiles) to guard against fires, along with preventative regulations
3. The widening and clearing out of the channel of the Tiber, in order to control the floods
4. The reformation of the financial structure of the empire. Aerarium Militare (military treasury). In the Republic, governors would embezzle taxes from the provinces. Augustus gave them an annual salary instead and centralised the tax system to stop this. He also gave a salary to the soldiers, as previously they had no wage, but were instead paid by the generals they served with the money from places they had conquered
5. Introduction of a severe property qualification which increased that required of a senator from 700,000 sesterces to 1 million (Augustus had realised that many had served at Actium against him and could not endure such disloyalty). 190 Senators were removed and by 18BC the total number of senators had dropped to 600

All of the above = Suetonius

1. For each of the developments, explain why you think it would be important for Rome, the empire, and its inhabitants
1.  
1. Allows delegates to pinpoint and address localised issues faster, and makes it easier for the people to reach authority, rather than having to travel all the way to speak directly with Augustus.
2. Local variation to meet local need
3. Increases representation
4. Chosen by lot so a fair system
2.  
1. Regulations helped to reduce the number of fires breaking out
2. The stations of night watchmen meant that the reaction to fires was quicker and so there would have been less damage overall. 
3. The general populace would have felt a higher self-efficacy over their community due to personal involvement. They would have felt a part of something bigger than themselves and so there would be a better sense of community
4. Gave everyone protection rather than the few who could pay
3.  
1. No floods (the river would usually flood every year)
2. Helped with general sanitation
3. Reduced malaria outbreaks
4.  
1. Made the tax system more efficient as funds were no longer disappearing
2. Reduced corruption within the empire, whilst also appeasing the governors as they still got paid
5. 
   
1. Improved efficiency by removing undesirable senators who didn't deserve the position, but also allowed Augustus to control who remained and who was kicked out
2. Giving a salary to the soldiers made them loyal to the state, rather than loyal to the generals they served
2. Summarise and explain - Do you think this emperor was successful in administering Rome? Justify with examples
1. Augustus began to sort out the mess left by the Republic, but he didn't deal with every problem the empire faced. For example, up until Claudius' reign there were issues with supplying enough grain, even though Augustus had put measures in place to improve the supply issues
2. He dealt with issues, instead of ignoring them or palming them off onto others
3. Velleius Paterculus - Augustus' policies were "to the general advantage"
4. Augustus created the centuries long Pax Romana, which ended major conflicts for a long period of time (around 25 BC to 180 AD) bringing peace and stability
5. He improved the lives of the plebs by reducing the dangers of their day to day lives (with the Vigiles and the work on the Tiber, improving both safety and public health
6. He didn't just do things for political reasons; he genuinely cared for the people. For example, when the people complained of the price of wine being too high, he told them that Agrippa had built aqueducts, and that they should drink from them instead, showing that he wasn't just focused on the way the people saw him
7. The sources don't go into much detail about how effective Augustus' administration was, as they had a more Senatorial perspective (Cassius Dio was a Senator, as was Tacitus, while Suetonius was an Equestrian) - they wouldn't have focused on the effect of policies on the plebs, as they probably wouldn't have cared all that much

Caligula

1. Outline what you think the five most important administrative developments of this emperor were
1. Removal of a 0.5% auction tax put in place by Augustus (mentioned common bronze coins dated 39 AD, after his "madness"
2. Began work on aqueducts e.g the Anio Novus, which was completed by Claudius - Pliny
3. Cassius Dio - he introduced severe tax measures and inscribed them on boards in very small letters and hung them in a very high position so they would be "unaware of what was lawful or unlawful" - he did this because he had squandered 575 million denarii in less than a year
4. Cassius Dio - put elections of magistrates and more into the hands of the people and the plebs (Tiberius had previously passed the power of election to the Senate)
5. Cassius Dio - "Since the roll of the equestrian order was becoming depleted, he summoned men of distinguished family and great wealth from all over the empire...and enrolled them in the order"
2. For each of the developments, explain why you think it would be important for Rome, the empire, and its inhabitants
1. Good for the people as less tax to pay. The fact that he put it on a common bronze coin shows that he wanted the people to know what he had done - trying to connect with the common people rather than just the Senate
2. Showed more thought for the long-term rather than immediate issues, focusing on infrastructure which would improve the lives of the Roman people for years to come
3. Very poor show. By fooling the people as such he would have created animosity towards him and worsened the lives of the people, as many would have been fined or punished unjustly
4. Very democratic, giving power back to the people and making the Senate more accountable as they could no longer just vote amongst themselves and had to earn their position. Cassius Dio - "he pleased the rabble, it is true, but he distressed sensible people" - Cassius Dio wrote 200 years later, when the emperor was more of a monarch, so he wouldn't have been able to imagine giving the people power
5. Provinces better represented and more local knowledge which would have allowed for quicker and better solutions. However, the traditional elite felt infringed upon.
3. Summarise and explain - Do you think this emperor was successful in administering Rome? Justify with examples
1. Caligula was partially successful. His work on aqueducts and giving the power to vote back to the people showed that he wanted to help the plebs, and the circulation of bronze coins depicting his removal of the 0.5% auction tax showed that he wanted to connect to the common people. However, he also tricked them and fined them to cover his own back after he squandered a load of money, which doesn't show him to be very thoughtful at all

Claudius

1. Outline what you think the five most important administrative developments of this emperor were
1. Suetonius - "He always gave scrupulous attention to the care of the city and the supply of grain" - When Claudius became princeps, the city only had a week's supply of grain. To combat this, he paid for ships to bring grain, "assuming the expense" of any losses merchants might have suffered from storms (he gave them incentive) - recorded his desire to secure and maintain the grain supply on coins (lesser valued ones as these were the ones used by the common people)
2. Suetonius - Claudius drained the Fucine lake
3. Suetonius - Built the harbour at Ostia
4. Completed Caligula's unfinished work on aqueducts
5. Admitted Gauls into the Senate - Tacitus - "United as they now are with us by manners, education, and intermarriage, let them bring us their gold and wealth rather than enjoy it in isolation" - from Claudius' speech to the Senate (there is a corroborating inscription in Gaul with the same speech, confirming that Tacitus is telling the truth)
2. For each of the developments, explain why you think it would be important for Rome, the empire, and its inhabitants
1. This stopped a potential famine, and bought him time to make more permanent changes
2. Allowed for mass employment and the increase of supplies, as the land was used for agriculture. According to Pliny it was "one of the most important achievements of Claudius". Suetonius tells us that it took 11 years to complete and 30,000 Romans were employed. More of a long term solution, fixing the overall supply issue rather than papering over the cracks
3. Hexagonal shape so more ships could dock and there was a lighthouse built to make the harbour safer. Also the stream of the Tiber was widened, which meant that small ships could travel straight to Rome. This massively helped with the grain situation and was potentially the most important thing that Claudius did. He even appointed his own imperial freedman to oversee administrations of the harbour - reinforcing the signficance of the project through his own civil service (an inscription at the port reads "Claudius Opatus, freedman of the emperor, procurator of the port at Ostia")
4. Improved the water supply in the city and created jobs
5. This introduced new blood into a Senate no longer fit for purpose, as well as making the Senate more representative of the empire and reaffirming the princep's willingness to continue to work with the Senate
3. Summarise and explain - Do you think this emperor was successful in administering Rome? Justify with examples
1. Suetonius "The public works which he completed were great and essential rather than numerous" - although there weren't a great number of administrative changes, Claudius' work on aqueducts, the Fucine lake and the harbour at Ostia provided long term beneficial change to the empire, helping with issues of great importance such as the grain supply and unemployment.
2. Claudius focused more on long term change than immediate effect, which overall greatly helped the empire as he put measures in place to last for decades, if not centuries