Relations with the People & Living Conditions
Reaction to the Second Settlement, 23 BC
22 BC: Augustus did not run for election for consulship so fears arose that Augustus was being forced from power by the aristocratic Senate.
22 BC, 21 BC & 19 BC: Riots in response to Augustus' lack of consulship and only allowed a single consul to be elected each year in ordered for Augustus to take the other position - he didn't.
22 BC: Food shortage in Rome started a panic. Many urban areas asked for Augustus to receive dictatorial power to sort this out, and after a 'theatrical display' of refusal, Augustus accepted control of Rome's grain supply and ended the shortage almost instantly. It has been argued that Augustus deliberately created the food shortage to appear to the plebs as their 'saviour'.
22 BC, 21 BC & 19 BC: Riots in response to Augustus' lack of consulship and only allowed a single consul to be elected each year in ordered for Augustus to take the other position - he didn't.
22 BC: Food shortage in Rome started a panic. Many urban areas asked for Augustus to receive dictatorial power to sort this out, and after a 'theatrical display' of refusal, Augustus accepted control of Rome's grain supply and ended the shortage almost instantly. It has been argued that Augustus deliberately created the food shortage to appear to the plebs as their 'saviour'.
The City of Rome
Rome was considered a 'phenomenon' amongst other Roman cities; it had a population much higher than any other, with estimates of a population of as many as 1 million inhabitants. Historians have considered Rome to have been a cosmopolitan city with slavery & vice and a place where ambition was greater than education and skills. In 63 AD, Seneca described Rome: "all is for sale, from speaking skills to bodies". However, Augustus needed the peace and stability required in the provinces to be reflected in the core (i.e. Rome) and needed to avoid the capability that Rome had for riots and instability. He therefore made changes to the living conditions in Rome to guarantee this.
Augustus wanted Rome to become the centrepiece of the Empire. During Caesar's dictatorship, the quarries of Carrara were opened; these contained bright white marble. In 40 BC, the Roman Forum was still clad in coarse limestone and a peppery-grey tufas (a porous rock) so the transformation, by 14 AD, to make Rome a 'forest of marble' would have been stunning. On top of this, the building work itself provided employment for a large workforce and the post of 'Curatores Operum Publicorum' was created to oversee the building works and give people more experience of government.
Augustus wanted Rome to become the centrepiece of the Empire. During Caesar's dictatorship, the quarries of Carrara were opened; these contained bright white marble. In 40 BC, the Roman Forum was still clad in coarse limestone and a peppery-grey tufas (a porous rock) so the transformation, by 14 AD, to make Rome a 'forest of marble' would have been stunning. On top of this, the building work itself provided employment for a large workforce and the post of 'Curatores Operum Publicorum' was created to oversee the building works and give people more experience of government.
Administration of Rome
In 7 BC, Augustus divided the city into 14 'regiones' which was divided into 'vici', of which there are 265. This allowed Rome to be organised at local level, such as the fire service and registers of local property. It also allowed neighbourhoods to be tracked a lot more easily, e.g. building works, grain silos, water tanks, baths, etc. Each 'vici' annually elected 4 'vicomagistri' (leading tradesmen) and 4 'ministri' (slaves). The division of Rome into neighbourhoods helped to create a sense of self-respect, identity and local-loyalty.
Fire Hazard26 BC: Egnatius Rufus established a popular fire-service in Rome. 19 BC: Upon Rufus' execution, Augustus took over Rufus' service and instructed the aediles to use them. However, there were major fires in 16 BC, 14 BC, 12 BC and 7 BC. Augustus therefore built seven stations under the control of seven individual aediles and tribunes but this was still inadequate. In 6 AD, Augustus set-up the Vigiles, a military force of 7,000 freedmen under the command of an army officer, with the rank of Prefect, who reported directly to Augustus. They were equipped with axes and buckets and had the legal right to enter households and summarily try any householder without appropriate fire-fighting equipment.
Law and OrderIn 25 BC, the post of 'City Prefect', to control potential disorder in Rome, was created but Messalla, the first appointee, resigned after six days and declared his position to be 'uncitizenly'. By 14 AD, 3,000 Urban Cohorts under the command of a senior senator with summary justice powers. After Augustus' 'retirement' in 27 BC, the Praetorian Guard were given a massive pay rise and their function altered from guarding to policing, as they were the only troops stationed in Italy. They attended public events such as the Games. They made a gradual emergence as a police force, by 2 AD, they had a separate command structure, headed by 2 Praetorian Prefects, who were both equites.
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Hunger IssueIn 36 BC, the defeat of Sextus Pompey eased the stress on grain, as did Augustus' cleaning of the irrigation ditches in Egypt to increase yield. However, in 23 BC, Augustus had to provide a year's supply of grain at his expense due to a grain crisis. There were riots the following year so Augustus set-up a senatorial board in control of the distribution of grain, however, this was ineffective as there was not enough grain available. In 12 BC, Agrippa built granaries and by 2 BC, Augustus had reduced those eligible for the grain dole from 250,000 to 200,000 people. However, in 6 AD, famine struck and Augustus had to double the grain supply. He therefore established a list of recipients and attempted to change the monthly distribution to a quarterly distribution but this proved unsuccessful. In 7 AD, Augustus re-organised the grain board and gave the leadership to a military Prefect. The first appointee, Turranius, served for 40 years and travelled as far as Cadiz to secure grain.
Water IssueAgrippa cleared out the sewers. Augustus built the Aqua Julia, the Aqua Virgo and the Aqua Alsietina. On top of this, he doubled the supply of the Aqua Marcia and repaired aqueduct channels. In 12 BC, Augustus appointed 240 slaves to be a permanent workforce on ensuring the maintaining of the aqueducts. In fact, the supply of water to Rome increased by as much as 75%.
In 8 BC, the channel of the Tiber was widened to prevent flooding and the 'Curatores Riparum Riberis' was established. |
SuetoniusSuetonius states that to show that he was a prince who desired the public welfare rather than popularity, when the people complained of the scarcity and high
price of wine, he sharply rebuked them by saying: "My son-in‑law Agrippa has taken good care, by building several aqueducts, that men shall not go thirsty". "He made it safe too for the future, so far as human foresight could provide for this." "To guard against fires he devised a system of stations of night watchmen, and to control the floods he widened and cleared out the channel of the Tiber, which had for some time been filled with rubbish and narrowed by jutting buildings." |
Res Gestae Divi Augusti“I undertook the charge of the corn-supply and delivered the whole city from danger.”
States that he gave money and grain to the plebs. "Whenever taxes did not suffice I made distributions of grain and money." Claims that "removed statues to me", made money from them and made golden offerings to Apollo. |