Rome in the Second Century AD – beyond Politics

Rome in the Second Century AD – beyond Politics

I. Romanization of the Empire
A. Make provincials in W speak Latin – especially for gvt bureaucracy
B. Grid pattern towns complete with Roman civic institutions (temples, amphitheaters, theaters, forts, forum, aquaduct, roads, gates, etc.)
Temples: Pantheon, Anxur, Maison Carré,



Amphitheater: Colosseum, Arles, Verona, Nîmes, Bordeaux

Nîmes

Bordeaux Amphitheater
Theaters: Orange, Joublains, Triest



Baths: all over the place

Forts & Walls: Joublains, Hadrian’s Wall, Le Mans, Sarlat

Forum: Rome, Aquileia, Bavay
Gates: Orange, Rimini, Rheims, Sarlat
Aquaducts: South France, Rome, Campania
Famous roads: via Domitia, via Appia, via Flaminia, via Cassia, etc.
C. Roman army acts as a Romanizing force (HOW?)
D. What sources tell us about how Romanization occurred?
E. What is the dominant language, culture of the East?
F. What other factors lead to Romanization?
***G. Why did Germans of AD 9 rebel rather than accept benefits of Romanization?

2. Literature 201 - Silver Age Latin
A. The paragon pinnacle is Seneca the Younger, philosophy and tragedies but also …
1. Quintillian in rhetoric
2. Tacitus and Pliny the Younger in history, letters - both regarded as the top two minds of their generation. A Spaniard came to Rome to see Livy’s face, a stranger sat beside Pliny and quizzed him finally saying, “By Jove, you are either Tacitus or Pliny!” Compare to TJ in 1820.
3. Poets: Juvenal, Perseus (satires) and Martial (epigrams) see website
Martial 1.47
Recently Diaulus was a doctor, now he is a mortician,
And that pretty well explains how he got most of his clients.
4. Epic and Novel, Epic makes a return – but Silius Italicus Punica is not the same quality as Vergil. Appuleius’ Golden Ass is hilarious.
5. Biography – Plutarch and Suetonius - CST got fired by Hadrian (like Ovid?)

3. Religion and magic
A. While polytheist, Romans willingly adopt other powerful gods and permit but do not require the adoption of R religion by provincials.
1. In Gallo-Roman culture many Celtic gods are combined w/ R gods and worshipped under local names.
2. Tacitus likens German gods to Roman ones “The Germans worship Mercury above all others.” Who is this, and why does CCT think he is Mercury?
B. Numa’s work still bearing fruit, commoners very superstitious, esp after Augustus reinstituted old ways.

C. Cults exist – Mithraism e.g. is very popular with army. All emperors from 175-275 underwent Mithraic baptism.

D. Magic and witchcraft - rampant and widespread See Golden Ass for many examples.







4. Roman War and Peace
A. Romans usually at war 670-235, 228-29. Augustus closed Gates of Janus 3 times, Nero closed them ca AD 64, Vespasian in ca. 73, Hadrian closed them ca. AD 120.
Neronian coin celebrating peace worldwide

definition of peace: When the enemy has lost all power to resist. First generation of Roman rule is rather tough, but for the subsequent generations it is better.

Vespasian issued a coin “To Peace all over the world”


5. Women, slaves and children (repeated from before)
A. It goes w/o saying that women could not vote or hold office, BUT they were citizens just like women in 1919. Eventually R women won the informal right to own property, make contracts, sue, write wills, etc. In earlier days the good R woman kept quiet and was not the topic of rumor. She had no public persona. But before the Principate certain powerful aristocratic women (Servilia and Fulvia and a bit less Cornelia) engaged in politics and surpassed the previous tight bonds of femininity. Consider the unconventional Atia on HBO, based on Antony’s wife. By AD 150 we know of many very prominent women who had a public life, especially Octavia Minor and both Agrippinas, but not just the imperial family. See tombstones.
B. Slaves – about 1 in 3 urban slaves set free and enrolled as citizens. The master becomes a patron of sorts to the slave (the client) and advises his transition to citizen. The slave still has to give the master 5 days of work a year. Later laws protect a slave from excessive abuse and arbitrary murder, and slaves cannot testify in court against their masters. But if a slave kills his master, all the slaves are crucified by the state.
C. Children go to school if their parents can afford it. Public schools in Italy created under Trajan and Hadrian. Girls educated until ca age 12 or so in same basics as boys, but usually not beyond. Orphans had a grim fate until Trajan, who had an adoption program created. Many abandoned children ended up as slaves or prostitutes. Adoption was a rare outcome and the stock of Theater Comedies (Plautus’ Casina).



Augustan coin (recently purchased by me)