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sejanus (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter flipsyde
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launcher169
Lord of Chaos
Sejanus
well he did lots of things:
he was called 'the partner in my labours' by tiberius indicative of his power and influence with the emperor.
In the sucession he was the one behind Drusus's death
he was also behind the deaths of Agrippina the Elders oldest sons
he was behind the maiestas trials and the rampant delatores
when Tib. moved to capri (to do God only knows
) he was the only one who had access to him
His downfall came in the form of Antonia minor - Gaius's grandmother who convinced Tiberius of his guilt.
His life ended there.
well he did lots of things:
he was called 'the partner in my labours' by tiberius indicative of his power and influence with the emperor.
In the sucession he was the one behind Drusus's death
he was also behind the deaths of Agrippina the Elders oldest sons
he was behind the maiestas trials and the rampant delatores
when Tib. moved to capri (to do God only knows
) he was the only one who had access to himHis downfall came in the form of Antonia minor - Gaius's grandmother who convinced Tiberius of his guilt.
His life ended there.
Don Mackey
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2005
- Messages
- 15
Ancient History HSC Assessment 1 Sejanus and the Praetorian Guard
Upon the death of Augustus there followed a period of nearly fifty years, in which the most important military and social development in Imperial Rome was the increased power of the Praetorian Guard and its prefect. According to Michael Grant this would result in the elevation of several members of the Julio Claudii clan to the rank of Emperor, and the dismissal of several of these candidates at the violent hands of their own guards. The newfound power of the Praetorian Guard was epitomised by Tiberius' prefect Lucius Aelius Sejanus, who narrowly missed placing himself upon the throne.
As we know from both Suetonius and Tacitus, Lucius Aelius Sejanus, the son of Lucius Seius Strabo, became joint prefect with his father under the reign of Augustus. However when his father left to become the prefect of Egypt in 15 AD Sejanus became the sole prefect of the Praetorian guard. This was an interesting example of the attempted move away from Augustan style government as Augustus had never allowed his personal bodyguard to be controlled by one man, rather trusting the differences between two men than the scheming of one. Thus we see the first sign of the rising power of the Praetorian Guard when they become a body governed by one man. Sejanus was now in an excellent position to make full use of his political power and social status to grab power from a family line that had only tenuous blood connections to either Caesar or Augustus. Given that power in Roman society was not entirely based upon merit but rather upon social status Tacitus' view of Sejanus as a lowly knight from servile origins is inaccurate, as he had been adopted by a family of senatorial rank.
Tacitus' description of Sejanus is unforgiving and derogatory to a person who nearly toppled the accepted imperial household. Tacitus described Sejanus as a man "Of audacious character and untiring physique, secretive about himself and ever ready to incriminate others, a blend of arrogance and servility, he concealed behind a carefully sculpted exterior and unbounded lust for power"(p. ). This quote from Tacitus' annals describes the feeling particularly from the senatorial class not only towards the mutinous Sejanus but also to a class that overtook the Senators in importance and power after the death of Augustus and the final end of the Republic.
This growth of Praetorian power is exemplified in the accession of Claudius, a reluctant emperor seized by the Praetorian Guard upon the death of Caligula and, according to Robert Graves, probably forced on pain of death to take the throne. Thus we can see the power of the Praetorian Guard not only to remove emperors in the case of Gaius but also to raise a new emperor to the throne. This power which was founded under Sejanus.
How did this new found power to affect and control the destiny of the empire come to be in the hands of the Praetorian prefect and his guard? The answer lies with Lucius Aelius Sejanus. The changes that Sejanus brought to the Praetorian Guard during the reign of Tiberius laid the base for the later power of the Praetorian Guard. His first move in exerting his political power during the reign of Tiberius was the transfer of the Praetorian Guard from spread encampments around the city to a barracks on the Viminal Hill just outside the walls of the city. This single encampment according to Sejanus would improve the discipline of the troops, who had previously been distracted by the temptations of the city. This collection of Praetorian cohorts would allow for their strength to be visible to all of Rome intimidating them into submission.
From this point onwards Sejanus' Power grew. Drusus, Tiberius' heir was the immediate threat to Sejanus. Fiction suggests that Sejanus and Drusus' wife Livilla plotted successfully to poison Drusus. Speculation of this plot has been taken as fact by both ancient sources and modern scholars. However as Alston and Grant suggest every death within the imperial household was held by at least someone to be the result of a poison plot, which was used in order to gain power or prestige.
At the death of Drusus Sejanus had a nearly clear path to the principate. The only obstacles remaining were the sons of Germanicus who at their tender age proved to be easily removable. With his path now nearly open to becoming heir Sejanus set about creating a power base of both senators and a population intimidated by the power he now held seemingly over the emperor.
Tiberius move to Capri for the last 10 years of his life left Sejanus in control of Tiberius' business in Rome. It is not far fetched to match the tyrannical period of Tiberius' reign to the most powerful period of Sejanus' control. With his rise to power Sejanus seemed unconquerable and destined to succeed Tiberius at his death.
But as quickly as he rose he fell from both grace and power. Tiberius upon hearing of the supposed plot which had killed his son decided to rid himself of Sejanus, who as Richard Alston suggests had risen to too high a position to merely be a subject. Rather he was now challenging Tiberius' authority. Alston in particular saw the spectacular fall of Sejanus as an example of the strength of the Augustan style of promotion. Whilst the praetorian guard gained much power especially under Sejanus they could not break away from their set position, which was dictated to by a career path, that only allowed minimal movement within government arenas. Thus Sejanus' attempted coup de etat, according to the Augustan system, could never be allowed to succeed as he was not of sufficient family lineage to be considered for the throne.
Tiberius' removal of Sejanus was not an easy task due to the popular support that Sejanus had gained when Tiberius had isolated himself at Capri. The inclusion of Sejanus in the morning salutations to the emperor's good health signalled the end. This end was comically close to the fate of at least Caligula and possibly, Tiberius' own. Ironically, Sejanus' death was at the hands of the group he used to control. The ambition exhibited by Sejanus' second in command Macro is an example of the ambition of the Praetorian Guard in the years following the death of Augustus. However the removal of Sejanus did not signal the end of the power of the Praetorian guard but acted as a precursor for the next 50 years, in which citizens of poorer origins would rise to prominence through military prowess and decide the fate of the mighty Roman empire.
Tacitus' perspective on Sejanus and his role is inherently biased as Tacitus could not retrospectively gain any insight into the role that Sejanus played in the Praetorian Guards' rise to power when he tried to further his career past the limits of the Augustan Cursus Honorum. The bias displayed by Tacitus; in particular his derogatory viewing of the Praetorian Guard was dictated by his position as a senator as the rise of the Praetorian Guard threatened his class and the Cursus Honorum.
Alston's view is however slightly different from that of Tacitus. Alston as a modern scholar is not confined by the biases of Roman society. Thus Alston is not hampered by the need to incriminate or degrade Sejanus as Tacitus was. He is instead able to analyse his role in the political development of the Praetorian Guard and his fall from grace as a facet of the inability of individuals in Roman society to break away from their position in life.
Just thought this may help anyone who has to study for Augusts and the JC's
Upon the death of Augustus there followed a period of nearly fifty years, in which the most important military and social development in Imperial Rome was the increased power of the Praetorian Guard and its prefect. According to Michael Grant this would result in the elevation of several members of the Julio Claudii clan to the rank of Emperor, and the dismissal of several of these candidates at the violent hands of their own guards. The newfound power of the Praetorian Guard was epitomised by Tiberius' prefect Lucius Aelius Sejanus, who narrowly missed placing himself upon the throne.
As we know from both Suetonius and Tacitus, Lucius Aelius Sejanus, the son of Lucius Seius Strabo, became joint prefect with his father under the reign of Augustus. However when his father left to become the prefect of Egypt in 15 AD Sejanus became the sole prefect of the Praetorian guard. This was an interesting example of the attempted move away from Augustan style government as Augustus had never allowed his personal bodyguard to be controlled by one man, rather trusting the differences between two men than the scheming of one. Thus we see the first sign of the rising power of the Praetorian Guard when they become a body governed by one man. Sejanus was now in an excellent position to make full use of his political power and social status to grab power from a family line that had only tenuous blood connections to either Caesar or Augustus. Given that power in Roman society was not entirely based upon merit but rather upon social status Tacitus' view of Sejanus as a lowly knight from servile origins is inaccurate, as he had been adopted by a family of senatorial rank.
Tacitus' description of Sejanus is unforgiving and derogatory to a person who nearly toppled the accepted imperial household. Tacitus described Sejanus as a man "Of audacious character and untiring physique, secretive about himself and ever ready to incriminate others, a blend of arrogance and servility, he concealed behind a carefully sculpted exterior and unbounded lust for power"(p. ). This quote from Tacitus' annals describes the feeling particularly from the senatorial class not only towards the mutinous Sejanus but also to a class that overtook the Senators in importance and power after the death of Augustus and the final end of the Republic.
This growth of Praetorian power is exemplified in the accession of Claudius, a reluctant emperor seized by the Praetorian Guard upon the death of Caligula and, according to Robert Graves, probably forced on pain of death to take the throne. Thus we can see the power of the Praetorian Guard not only to remove emperors in the case of Gaius but also to raise a new emperor to the throne. This power which was founded under Sejanus.
How did this new found power to affect and control the destiny of the empire come to be in the hands of the Praetorian prefect and his guard? The answer lies with Lucius Aelius Sejanus. The changes that Sejanus brought to the Praetorian Guard during the reign of Tiberius laid the base for the later power of the Praetorian Guard. His first move in exerting his political power during the reign of Tiberius was the transfer of the Praetorian Guard from spread encampments around the city to a barracks on the Viminal Hill just outside the walls of the city. This single encampment according to Sejanus would improve the discipline of the troops, who had previously been distracted by the temptations of the city. This collection of Praetorian cohorts would allow for their strength to be visible to all of Rome intimidating them into submission.
From this point onwards Sejanus' Power grew. Drusus, Tiberius' heir was the immediate threat to Sejanus. Fiction suggests that Sejanus and Drusus' wife Livilla plotted successfully to poison Drusus. Speculation of this plot has been taken as fact by both ancient sources and modern scholars. However as Alston and Grant suggest every death within the imperial household was held by at least someone to be the result of a poison plot, which was used in order to gain power or prestige.
At the death of Drusus Sejanus had a nearly clear path to the principate. The only obstacles remaining were the sons of Germanicus who at their tender age proved to be easily removable. With his path now nearly open to becoming heir Sejanus set about creating a power base of both senators and a population intimidated by the power he now held seemingly over the emperor.
Tiberius move to Capri for the last 10 years of his life left Sejanus in control of Tiberius' business in Rome. It is not far fetched to match the tyrannical period of Tiberius' reign to the most powerful period of Sejanus' control. With his rise to power Sejanus seemed unconquerable and destined to succeed Tiberius at his death.
But as quickly as he rose he fell from both grace and power. Tiberius upon hearing of the supposed plot which had killed his son decided to rid himself of Sejanus, who as Richard Alston suggests had risen to too high a position to merely be a subject. Rather he was now challenging Tiberius' authority. Alston in particular saw the spectacular fall of Sejanus as an example of the strength of the Augustan style of promotion. Whilst the praetorian guard gained much power especially under Sejanus they could not break away from their set position, which was dictated to by a career path, that only allowed minimal movement within government arenas. Thus Sejanus' attempted coup de etat, according to the Augustan system, could never be allowed to succeed as he was not of sufficient family lineage to be considered for the throne.
Tiberius' removal of Sejanus was not an easy task due to the popular support that Sejanus had gained when Tiberius had isolated himself at Capri. The inclusion of Sejanus in the morning salutations to the emperor's good health signalled the end. This end was comically close to the fate of at least Caligula and possibly, Tiberius' own. Ironically, Sejanus' death was at the hands of the group he used to control. The ambition exhibited by Sejanus' second in command Macro is an example of the ambition of the Praetorian Guard in the years following the death of Augustus. However the removal of Sejanus did not signal the end of the power of the Praetorian guard but acted as a precursor for the next 50 years, in which citizens of poorer origins would rise to prominence through military prowess and decide the fate of the mighty Roman empire.
Tacitus' perspective on Sejanus and his role is inherently biased as Tacitus could not retrospectively gain any insight into the role that Sejanus played in the Praetorian Guards' rise to power when he tried to further his career past the limits of the Augustan Cursus Honorum. The bias displayed by Tacitus; in particular his derogatory viewing of the Praetorian Guard was dictated by his position as a senator as the rise of the Praetorian Guard threatened his class and the Cursus Honorum.
Alston's view is however slightly different from that of Tacitus. Alston as a modern scholar is not confined by the biases of Roman society. Thus Alston is not hampered by the need to incriminate or degrade Sejanus as Tacitus was. He is instead able to analyse his role in the political development of the Praetorian Guard and his fall from grace as a facet of the inability of individuals in Roman society to break away from their position in life.
Just thought this may help anyone who has to study for Augusts and the JC's