Classical Studies 1000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Consus, Aventine Hill, Awning

• School: Western University
• Department: Classical Studies
• Course: Classical Studies 1000
• Professor: Christopher Brown

Document Summary

We watched a bbc documentary on the last day of pompeii. Imperator long used to a (successful) general. Augustus settled on a bundle of powers and honors that set him above the workings of government and allowed him to do what he wanted: his position was almost informal. When he chose a successor, this position became formal. Within a generation or two, imperator was a constitutional position for someone who had absolute power over the roman state. Slide: tacitus, annals 1. 2: tacitus is cynical of the monarchy; at the beginning of his annals he says that. Augustus made himself a simple consul with tribunal authority in order to protect the plebs. Tacitus saw beyond this: pellexit bedazzled", seduce", persuade" the army with gifts the loyalty of the army is essential for maintaining rule. Otii: is not a stand word for peace (which is pax) but it suggests an absence of trouble and is almost peace" in the sense of leisure".