Augustus and the People

Augustus and the People

1. who are 'the people'?

   • Equites
   • Freedmen
   • Plebs

2. Treatment of Equites

   • Throughout Republic there had been a large amount of hostility between senate and equites
     • Augustus attempted to prevent futher clashes by introducing new powers to the equites
       • With growth of Empire and power of Augustus many new positions were created to perform duties for Aug.
         • Equites became Civil service for Augustus
         • imperial bankers
         • tax collectors
         • administratiors
   • reorganised membership
     • those of 'honourable character'
     • those who had had least 4 000 000 SES
   • They received rewards for this post
     • they could wear tunic witha narrow purple stripe
     • occupy first 14 rows of theatre
     • wear golden ring of office
     • presented with a horse at public exspence
     • revival of military horse procession every 15th July

3. Treatment of Freedmen

   • Lex fufia caniania
     • 2BC
     • proposed by consuls Geminus and Gallus, not Augustus
     • Limited testamentary manumission
       • owners with 2 slaves could free both
       • owners of 3-10 could free half
       • owners with 100-200 slaves could free 1/5th
   • Lex Aeilia sentia
     • AD 4
     • no one under 28 could free a slave without demonstrable good cause and appeal to a council of 5 senators and 5 equites
     • no slave to be freed if under 30
       • unless permission from above
     • freed slaves who had been branded, tortured or trained as gladiators were permanently barrd from becoming citizen

4. reteatment of plebs

   • Augustus was still wary of advertising his supreme position in the state
     • the people rioted and demanded Augutus to be elected consul and refused to fill the vacancy until Agrippa returned to rome and told them to do so
       • 22/21 BC
   • Grain supply
     • at the time of Augustus about 2/3rds of the plebs urbana were recipients of grain dole
       • reduced those eligible for grain dole
         • 250,000 to 200,000