HIEU 322 Quiz 5: The Early Roman Empire

Augustus Caesar was a very unpopular and hated political figure in Rome. True False NOT true about Emperor Claudius: He had serious physical and psychological handicaps, including a birth defect that apparently left him with a wobbly head, spindly legs, a gawky look, and a speech impediment that made him appear simpleminded. As a youth he learned to read Etruscan and Punic, and even wrote multivolume accounts (unfortunately lost) of Etruscan and Punic history based on original research. With a background in law, he diminished the power of the Senate (and other groups) by allowing a number of trials to take place in the emperor’s own private court. He was worried about threats to his power, and thus enlarged the privy council of trusted friends (the friends of Caesar), and gave even greater prominence to talented and loyal freedmen, whom he also included in the council. He was an irrational, foolish, and disorganized leader who quickly became overwhelmed by the demands of the principate. The conquest of Britain reflects Claudius's need for: military glory revenge money All of the above A & C only Which of the following is true about Tiberius, A.D. 14-37? Question 5 1 / 1 pts Question 6 1 / 1 pts Question 7 1 / 1 pts Question 8 1 / 1 pts He was serious and cautious, but often fearful of treason. He earnestly attempted to make the senate a meaningful partner in the government, and styled himself as an equal citizen. He was a skilled administrator, increasing governors’ salaries to insure good government. He lowered taxes and left Rome with a large surplus. All of the above NOT a rule the Roman government insisted upon for its subjects: Be civilized. The inhabitants of the Empire went unarmed in their city streets, the cardinal principle in a civilized society. Capital crimes such as murder, rape, theft, and arson were severely punished. Pay taxes. 10% of their crop. Don’t revolt against Roman rule Practice state religious ceremonies, including human sacrifice and cannibalism A spectacular undertaking of Claudius’ reign was this artificial harbor two miles north of Ostia, Rome’s existing (and very shallow) port near the mouth of the Tiber River. Campania Pompeii Portus Cunobelinus None of the above Nero liked to participate in chariot races, and in the arts. True False Question 9 1 / 1 pts Question 10 1 / 1 pts Question 11 1 / 1 pts Augustus was a power hungry tyrant who refused to relinquish power, and who established an open monarchy in Rome. True False Tiberius’ reign began with the execution of Augustus’ grandson, Agrippa Postumus. The author believes, as did Tacitus, that this execution represented the “first crime of the new principate.” True False This prefect under Tiberius was portrayed by Tacitus as one of the most infamous and sinister personalities in Roman history. He supposedly had an affair with the wife of Tiberius’ son, Drusus II, and was rumored to have played a part in Drusus’ untimely death. Through intrigue and murder, he attempted to isolate the emperor, and maneuver his family into the Imperial line. Caligula Germanicus Sejanus Seneca Claudius This Roman Caesar succeeded Tiberius, and reigned from 37 to 41 A.D. He was lazy, incompetent, tyrannical, and dismissive of the Senate. It was later rumored that either he or one of his early supporters (Sutorius Marco) had smothered Tiberius Caesar. Nero Claudius Commodus Caligula Tiberius Question 12 Question 13 1 / 1 pts Question 14 1 / 1 pts 1 / 1 pts Only two surviving ancient writers give significant accounts of the whole Julio-Claudian period: Tacitus and Livy Suetonius and Cassius Dio Polybius and Diodorus Siculus Appianus and Strabo Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger When Agrippina threatened to support Nero’s step-brother, Britannicus—son of Claudius-- as the rightful heir to the throne, Nero had him poisoned to death right. True False Why did Claudius move against and conquer Britain in A.D. 43? He had received invitations to intervene from lesser British chiefs who feared the expansive power of the kingdom of Cunobelinus in the southeast. The existence of a strong British kingdom that promoted Druidism posed a threat to Roman authority in Gaul, where Druids fostered Celtic unity and resistance to Roman rule. rites. The Romans did not like Druids because they practiced savage and inhuman All of the above B & C only Who paid for the cursus publicus, which was essential to promote swift communication and the centralization of administration under Augustus? Caesar Augustus The Senate The praefectus vigilum The cursus honorum Question 15 1 / 1 pts Question 16 1 / 1 pts Question 17 1 / 1 pts Question 18 1 / 1 pts The towns located along imperial highways shared the expense of the service. This grandnephew of Augustus was supposed to be Tiberius’ successor, but he died suddenly in A.D. 19 after a dispute with the Roman governor of Syria. The governor was charged with murder (and committed suicide), but many, including the fallen hero’s wife, believed he was killed by a jealous Tiberius. Caligula Sejanus Drusus II Germanicus Cassius Which of the following is true about the Great Fire of Rome in A.D. 60? It raged for 9 days and destroyed over half of the city, including Nero’s own palace, with its priceless collection of books, manuscripts, and works of art. Nero converted his private gardens into shelters for the homeless and hastened the transport of grain supplies to feed the destitute. Nero’s subsequent building programs—especially the construction of his own 125- acre Golden Palace—led to the rumor that he started the fire in order to build a new and more beautiful Rome. All of the above A & C only The richest of Augustan annexations and produce of one-third of the Roman annual grain supply was: Egypt Macedonia Armenia Illyricum Crete Question 19 Question 20 1 / 1 pts Question 21 1 / 1 pts Question 22 1 / 1 pts 1 / 1 pts Claudius was a student of the law, and as emperor conducted trials in his own court at the expense of the magistrates, provincial governors, and the senate. True False This sound Roman emperor ruled from 41 to 54 A.D. He was an excellent administrator and his government displayed imposing activity (including the acquisition of England as a province). It is believed that he his ambitious wife, Agrippina the Younger, killed him with poison mushrooms so that her son by another marriage could become ruler. Tiberius Claudius Nero Caligula Vespasian Which of the following is true about sources for the Julio-Claudians? An important source is Suetonius’ Lives of the Twelve Caesars An important source is Cassius Dio’s Roman History An important source is Tacitus’ Annals (covering Tiberius and Nero) Many of the ancient sources were written by senatorial aristocrats long after the events, and often reflect a strong bias against the Julio-Claudians. All of the above To Romans, the peaceful working of the state depended on maintaining the Peace of the Gods, pax deorum. Augustus endeavored to achieve this by: encouraging the performance of ancestral rites and ceremonies that the gods had ordained. endeavoring to repair all the temples in Rome. resurrecting long-neglected ceremonies and priesthoods, including the ancient college of the Arval Brothers and the priesthood of Flamen Dialis. All of the above