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