CC 302: Introduction to Ancient Rome

November 9: 69 CE -235 CE: The High Empire

I. Lingua Latina

• Evulgato imperii arcano (Tacitus on the deposition of Nero)
• Puto deus fio (allegedly Vespasian's last words)
• Felicior Augusto, melior Traiano (Senate's wishes for new emperors)

II. Rome, 69 CE -235 CE

A. Most important time for archaeological remains

• Vesuvius erupts, 79
• Ostia becomes major port under Claudius, expanded under Trajan
• Lots of people building lots of stuff

B. 69: "The year of four emperors"

• Galba
• Otho
• Vitellius
• Vespasian

C. Flavians: 69 - 96

• Vespasian: 69-79
• Titus: 79-81
• Domitian: 81-96

D. The "Five Good Emperors": 96 - 180

• Nerva: 96-98
• Trajan: 98-117
• Hadrian: 117-138
• Antoninus Pius: 138-161
• Marcus Aurelius: 161-180

E. Commodus: 180-192

• Commodus on Film

1. Gladiator, 2000
2. The Fall of the Roman Empire, 1964

• Eduard Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: Commodus the beginning of the end

F. The Severans: 193-235

• Septimius Severus: 193-211
• Caracalla: 211-217
• Macrinus: 217-218
• Elagabalus: 218-222
• Severus Alexander: 222-235

G. Government in the High Empire

• Main tasks of Government

1. Jurisdiction
2. Exaction

• Developments under the Flavians

1. Organization of imperial finances
2. Provincialization of client kingdoms
3. Incorporation of empire's elite into government

• Three types of authority

1. Magistrates
2. Army
3. Household

• Literary culture as unifier

Images to accompany discussion

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