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Lecture 25 Flavians and Empire

Arch of Titus, Eastern intrados, Forum Romanum

The Principate

Julio-Claudians (27 BCE-68 CE)

• Augustus

• Tiberius

• Caligula

• Claudius

• Nero

Flavian (69-96 CE)

• Vespasian

• Titus

• Domitian

Antonine (5 Good) (96-192 CE)

• Nerva

• Trajan

• Hadrian

• Antoninus Pius

• M. Aurelius

Severan (193-235 CE)

• Septimius

• Caracalla

• Alexander

Julio-Claudians: Roman nobility

Nero (54-68 CE)

Gaius (37-41 CE)

Claudius (41-54)

Augustus (27 BCE- 14 CE) Tiberius (14-37 CE)

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• Considered “dumb” or deficient in some way

• Henpecked by wives and freedmen

• Built a harbor at Ostia

• Did coordinate the first expansion of the Empire since Augustus

– conquest of Britannia

– personally entered the province in 43 CE

Emperor Claudius (41-54 CE)

Jewish War 66-70 CE

66 CE Province revolts

• Legate from Syria defeated by Jewish forces at the Battle of Beth-Horon

– forced to evacuate from Jerusalem

• Nero elects Vespasian to conduct the war

• 3 legions (V, X, XV)

– 60,000 soldiers

Jotapata

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Bellum Judaicum (66-70 CE)

Written by Flavius Josephus

• Hellenized Jew living in Judea

• Jewish commander during the War

• switched sides after siege of Jotapata (67 CE)

• Yosef Ben Matityahu

Siege of Jotapata (67 CE)

• lasts 47 days When city falls: • estimated 40,000 killed

– Jewish resistance committing suicide

• Josephus switches sides – helps the Romans with intelligence to conquer Judea

Testudo (tortoise) dense formation of men used in siege warfare

Movie clip

Rise and Fall of an Empire: Rebellion

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The Ballista giant crossbow

• developed by Greeks in Hellenistic period

• adopted by Romans after 146 BCE

• fired iron tipped bolts

• 50 meters per second

• used against dense troop formations

• pierce armor – instant death.

Scorpio Dart Thrower

• ca. 50 BCE

• 400 meters

• 3 to 4 shots per minute

• poor precision

• Julius Caesar mentions them at Avaricum

• usually located on hilltops

• 60 per legio in Late Republic

Onager - catapult • could fire rocks of up

to 150 lbs (70 kgs)

• used to smash walls and fortifications

• Each rock was loaded into a sling on the end of an arm

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASlSZ7Vph9U&feature=related

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Vespasian continues brutal campaign

• devastate the province

• force all “rebels” to seek shelter in Jerusalem

• Josephus “prophecies” that Vespasian will become Emperor of Rome

Siege of Jerusalem 70 CE

June 68—Jan 69

Jan – April 69

April – Dec. 69

Dec. 69 – June 79

Year of the Four Emperors

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Emperor Vespasian (69-79 CE)

• Flavian Dynasty

• Suppresses Judean Rebellion (66-70 CE)

• son Titus

– siege at Jotapata and Jerusalem

• Victor in Civil War 68-9 (year of the 4 Emperors)

• Built Flavian Amphitheater (Colosseum)

Bust of Emperor Vespasianus Plaster cast in Pushkin museum after original in Louvre. Color adjusted version of original image

Flavians Emperors: Italian Businessmen

Vespasian (69-79 CE)

Titus (79-81 CE)

Domitian (81-96 CE)

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1. in the morning, animal hunts called venationes

2. at noon, executions of criminals

3. in the afternoon, gladiatorial combats.

Venationes (animal hunts) & Bestiarii

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Map of “wild” natural resources in the Empire

Antonine Emperors

Provincial and Adopted

Nerva (96-98)

Trajan (98-117) Hadrian (117-138) Antoninus Pius (138-161)

Marcus Aurelius (161-180)

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