Flashcards
Tacitus `Reign of Terror`
Flashcards do conjunto (6)
- 1The Reign of TerrorTac characterises the reign of T after Sejanus' death (18th October 31 AD) as the reign of terror - he depicts the rest of T rule with lot of executions!
- 2T killing Sejanus' familyTac insinuates the T had Blaesus (Sejanus' uncle) executed. T prosecuted Publius Pomponius of whom T accused of sheltering Sejanus' son in his gardens after Sejanus was executed. Sejanus' children were also hanged - capital punishment of a virgin was unprecedented so Sejanus' daughter was violated by the executioner before she was killed. They were both thrown down the Gemonian stairs.
- 3T and his killing spree?Tac states that women too, weren't safe from T's wrath. T was said to have banned public mourning. As women could not be charged for aiming for supreme power, they were accused of weeping instead!! According to Tac, an old lady, Vitia, was condemned to death for lamenting over her son's death! Even T's closest and oldest friends faced the death penalty too - Flaccus and Marinus, who had both accompanied T to Rhodes and Capri, were put to death in 32 AD.
- 4Death of N + D CaesarDrusus survived 8 days of starvation by gnawing at the stuffing of his mattress. Even when he was dead, T continued to attack him - charged Drusus with plots to murder relatives and accused him of having designs against the government. Similarly, Nero was also starved.
- 5Death of AgrippinaAgrippina died in 33 AD - Tac states that she starved herself (or that food was denied from her so it looked like she committed suicide). T accused her of adultery with Gaius Asinius Gallus. T even took credit for not having her strangled and thrown down the Gemonian stairs. It is also stated that Agrippina died exactly 2 years after Sejanus on the 18th October. T made it so that on this day, a sacrifice should be made to Jupiter.
- 6T's DeathT died in 37 AD at around the age of 77 or 78. At the time both Gaius Caligula and Tiberius Gemellus were candidates to succeed T. T was said to have clasped T. Gemellus and screamed "you will kill him" to Gaius while bitterly crying (T foresaw what Gaius would do). By 37 AD T had a failing health - when T ceased to breath, it was said that Gaius was met a with congratulatory crowd, though would later be ruined when they found out T still lived. Macro ordered T to be smothered with bed clothes.