Marcus Agrippa: Right-hand Man of Caesar Augustus (56 page)
Read Marcus Agrippa: Right-hand Man of Caesar Augustus Online
Authors: Lindsay Powell
Tags: #Bisac Code 1: HIS002000, #HISTORY / Ancient / General / BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Military, #Bisac Code 2: BIO008000 Bisac Code 3: HIS027000
In times of extreme emergency, which meant war on Italian soil, the republic could temporarily suspend the democracy and surrender its powers to a single man called a
dictator
. Under the
Lex de Dictatore Creando
, the
dictator
was required to be someone who had served as consul and his power lasted just six months – long enough to launch a response to the threat to the state, but short enough to prevent it becoming a permanent autocracy. Except for Sulla and Iulius Caesar, there are no recorded instances in which a man held this office for a longer time, and most resigned the dictatorship before their time expired. Iulius Caesar held the position of
dictator
for just eleven days in 49 BCE, and again in the year 48–47, but in 46 was elected as
dictator
for a period of ten years. When appointed, the magistrates continued to perform their duties, but rather than looking to the Senate for direction, they answered to the
dictator
. The exceptions were the
tribuni plebis
whose roles and responsibilities were unchanged. During his term, the
dictator
neither had authority over the treasury – except the funds allocated him by the Senate – nor could he leave Italy, nor could he ride a horse in Rome. Unlike the consuls, a
dictator
was not liable to be called to account for any of his official acts after he had abdicated. Iulius Caesar was unique in being declared
dictator perpetuo
between January and February 44 BCE. The absolute power it brought him raised the odium of conservative faction (
optimates
) in the Senate which resulted in his assassination on the Ides of March 44 BCE – the date which effectively launched the careers of his heir and of his friend, M. Agrippa.
The
dictator
chose a deputy (
magister equitum
) from the pool of former praetors, who would assume his
imperium
whenever he was away from Rome. The name recalls the time when the
magister
commanded the cavalry while the
dictator
led the infantry in the field. After Caesar’s death the dictatorship was abolished forever by a
lex
proposed by his
magister equitum
, and then consul, M. Antonius.
The
Res Publica
thrived when political debate was open. That required its participants to be vigilant to attempts to pervert their
libertas
. Following Sulla’s package of reforms fewer
contiones
were heard in the
Forum
and the popular assemblies came together to ratify legislation already passed by the Senate rather
than vote on legislation proposed by their own tribunes. Writing towards the end of the 50s BCE, Cicero perceived changes taking place in his own day,
After inheriting the
Res Publica
like a magnificent picture, though now fading with age, our own times not only neglected to restore its original colours but did not even see to it that we should keep at least its form and, so to speak, its basic outline.
Nostra vero aetas eum rem publicum sicut picturam accepisset egregiam sed iam evanescentem vetustate, non modo eam coloribus eisdem, quibus fuerat, renovare neglexit, sed ne id quidem curavit, ut formam saltem eius et extrema tamquam liniamenta servaret
.
Cicero,
De Re Publica
5.2.
Agrippa’s Travels
| Year | Location |
| 46 BCE | Rome – Southern Spain |
| 45 | Munda * – Carthago Nova – Rome – Apollonia |
| 44 | Apollonia – Lupiae – Brundisium – Puteoli – Rome – Calatia, Casilinum, Capua – Rome |
| 43 | Rome – Mutina – Rome |
| 42 | Rome – Philippi * – Rome |
| 41 | Rome – Sutrium – Perusia |
| 40 | Fulginiae – Camerinum (east of Perusia) – Rome – Sipontium – Consentia – Brundisium – Rome |
| 39 | Rome – Gallia Narbonensis and Aquitania |
| 38 | Nemausus – Lugdunum – Oppidum Treverorum * – [Oppidum Ubiorum] – [Crosses the Rhine River] – Lugdunum – Nemausus – Massilia – Rome |
| 37 | Rome – Baiae – Tarentum – Baiae – Portus Iulius – Baiae |
| 36 | Baiae – Portus Iulius – Hipponium – Strongyle – Hiera – Mylae – Tindara – Naulochus – Rome |
| 35 | Rome – Tergestus – by sea to Senia – Arupium – Metulus – Siscia – Rome |
| 34 | Rome – Promona – Rome |
| 33 | Rome |
| 32 | Rome – Brundisium/Tarentum * |
| 31 | Brundisium/Tarentum * – Korkyra – Methone – Patras – Actium – Rome |
| 30 | Rome – Brundisium |
| 29 | Rome |
| 28 | Rome |
| 27 | Rome – Misenum – Ostia – Rome |
| 26 | Rome |
| 25 | Rome |
| 24 | Rome |
| 23 | Rome – Mytilene |
| 22 | Mytilene – Athens – Mytilene |
| 21 | Mytilene – Sicily – Rome |
| 20 | Rome – Nemausus – Lugdunum – Nemausus |
| 19 | Nemausus – [Oppidum Ubiorum] – Northern Spain – Emerita * – Gades * – Rome |
| 18 | Rome |
| 17 | Rome – Korkyra – Nikopolis – Colonia Laus Iulia Corinthiensis – Patras – Gythion – Sparta – Gythion – Nauplion – Athens |
| 16 | Athens – Delphinion – Delos – Andros – Chersonesos – Lampasakos – Sestos – Chersonesos |
| 15 | Chersonesos – Troas – Kyzikos – Ephesos – Kos – Syria – Antiocheia on the Orontes – Caesarea Maritima – Jerusalem – Lesbos |
| 14 | Lesbos – Sinope – Amisos – Ephesos – [via Paphlagonia, Phrygia, Lydia, central and western Asia Minor] – Ephesos – Samos – Mytilene |
| 13 | Mytilene – Athens – Rome – Illyricum/Pannonia |
| 12 | Illyricum/Pannonia – Rome – Campania [death] – Rome [burial] |
| * Surmised – not known with certainty. |
Adventus
– Arrival of the emperor in Rome.
Aedilis
– Magistrate in charge of public works, regulating state festivals and enforcing public order.
Aes
– ‘Copper’, a coin worth one half
dupondius
(
asses
pl.).
Ala
– ‘Wing’, legionary cavalry on wings of battle formation (
alae
pl.).
Amphora
– Tall jar in which olive oil, dish sauce, wine and other products were carried and stacked in the holds of ships.
Annona
– Personification of the grain supply of Rome.
Apex
– Spiked cap worn by a
flamen
.
Aquila
– ‘Eagle’, the eagle standard of a legion.
Aquilifer
– Standard bearer carrying the
aquila
.
Ara
– Altar.
As
– ‘Copper’, Roman coin worth half one
dupondius
(
aes
,
asses
pl.).
Auctoritas
– ‘Authority’, influence or prestige.
Augur
– Soothsayer specializing in interpretation of bird flight.
Augustus
– ‘Revered One’, honorific title voted to C. Iulius Caesar (Octavius) and his successor Ti. Caesar.
Aureus
– ‘Gold’, highest denomination gold coin worth 25
denarii
(
aurei
pl.).
Auspex
– Soothsayer specializing in interpreting flight of birds.
Auxilia
– ‘Helpers’, support troops of allied or non-Roman citizens.
Ballista
– Artillery weapon throwing bolts or stones.
Bellator
– ‘Warrior’, Roman war-fighter (
bellatores
pl.).
Bipennis
– Double-headed ax used by Asturian and Cantabrian warriors.
Campus Martius
– ‘Field of Mars’, a large park and recreation ground in northwest Rome where Roman citizens assembled to vote.
Capitolinus
– Hill in Rome on which was built the Temple of Iupiter Optimus Maximus (
Capitolium
).
Carru triumphali
– Decorated chariot used in a triumph.
Catapulta
– Artillery weapon throwing bolts.
Censor
– Magistrate in charge of the
census
.
Census
– Assessment of taxable assets carried out every five years (
lustum
).
Centuria
– ‘Century’, unit of 8
contubernia
80 men; 60 centuries formed a
legio
.
Centurio
– ‘Centurion’, officer in charge of a
centuria
.
Clementia
– ‘Clemency’, the Roman virtue of showing mercy.
Cohors
– ‘Cohort’, unit of six centuries or twelve in a First Cohort (
cohortes
pl.).
Cohors Praetoria
– ‘Praetorian Cohorts’, Praetorian Guard.
Colonia
– ‘Colony’, city founded for retired legionaries.
Commilitio
– ‘Fellow soldier’, a form of address to legionaries usually by a senior office (
commilitiones
pl.).
Confarreatio
– Traditional form of wedding.
Concilium
– Advisory committee of the senior commanding officer formed of his immediate reports.
Consul
– One of the two highest magistrates of the
Res Publica
, elected annually.
Contio
– ‘Meeting’, an address by a magistrate to the people or the commander to his troops to present a proposal.
Corvus
– Moveable fighting platform used on a warship.
Cuneus
– ‘Wedge’, attack formation used by Roman army.
Curator viarum
– Manager of roads (
curatores
pl.).
Curia
– Senate House (originally the
Curia Hostilia
, rebuilt as the
Curia Iulia
).
Cursus honorum
– Career ladder leading to entry into the Senate as a senator.
Denarius
– Silver coin, worth 4
sestertii
(
denarii
pl.).
Dictator
– The man granted supreme decision making power in the state for a limited time.
Dominatio
– ‘Tyranny’.
Dupondius
– Bronze coin, worth 2 asses or one half a sestertius (dupondii pl.).
Editor
– Sponsor of the ludi or munera.
Equites
– ‘Knights’, the middle or business class of Roman society.
Evocatus
– Reservist (
evocati
pl.)
Exercitus
– Army.
Fasces
– The tied bundle of rods around an axe carried by lictores as a symbol of the consul’s or praetor’s high office.
Feria
– Public holiday and festival day (
feriae
pl.).
Flamen
– Priest (
flamines
pl.).
Framea
– Germanic spear or javelin (
frameae
pl.).
Frater
– ‘Brother’, a form of address used by soldiers (
fratres
pl.).
Forum Romanum
– Roman
Forum
in central Rome.
Gladius
– Short stabbing and thrusting weapon used by legionaries (
gladii
pl.).
Harpax
– Chain with hook or claw fired from a catalpulta.
Hasta
– Javelin used by Roman
auxilia
and cavalry.
Honesta
– ‘Honesty’, the Roman virtue of respectability.
Hostis publicus
– ‘Public enemy’, enemy of the state.
Humanitas
– ‘Humanity’, the Roman virtue associated with being cultured from having a good education.
Ianus
– ‘Arch’, triumphal arch.
Imago
– Mask of wax made during the lifetime of a Roman citizen; military standard bearing a small statue bust of the
princeps
.
Impedimenta
– Baggage train.
Imperator
– ‘Commander’, a title shouted by troops to a victorious leader.
Imperium
– ‘Power’, originally given to consuls and praetors, including the right to wage war.
Imperium proconsulare
– Legal power to govern territories beyond Italy.
Imperium proconsulare maius
– ‘Supreme Power’, originally given to consuls and praetors, including the right to wage war.
Industria
– Roman virtue of working hard.
Kalendae
– ‘Calends’, first day of the month.
Laudatio
– Eulogy.
Legatus
– ‘Deputized’, a handpicked representative of Augustus authorized to carry out his instructions.
Legatus Legionis
– Commander of a
legio
delegated the
imperium
by Augustus.
Legio
– Unit of 10
cohortes
, approximately 6,000 men (
legiones
pl.).