The Roman Republic - 1412 Words

Lindi Ingram Professor Salzman February 26, 2016 As a descendent of the deified Emperor Augustus, Agrippina was born into a powerful and respected family. She exploited this power, obtaining a level of influence over her husband and son that was only available to ambitious, imperial men. Her use of manipulation and violence has led ancient writers, such as Tacitus, to describe her political career as inappropriate and excessive. But I will argue against these views. On the contrary, I will show that because of her political achievements, she played a positive role in advancing the Augustan principate in such a way that it was beneficial in keeping with the guise of the ideology of the Roman Republic. Tacitus’ characterization of Agrippina the Younger is terse and caustic, representing her as a manipulative usurper of masculine power. Tacitus names a few of her â€Å"most heinous crimes† in his the Annals. In one account, he states, â€Å"She destroyed Statilius Taurus, who was renowned for his wealth, because sh e coveted his gardens† (12.59).1 Also after she accused Lepida of witchcraft, Tacitus described her as â€Å"grim and threatening† and said she was â€Å"able to give her son an empire, unable to stand him as emperor.†(12.64)2 These demonstrate Tacitus’ illustration of Agrippina as a dangerous woman acting out within the confines of imperial power. He even accuses her of the murder of her husband with the intention of her son succeeding him (12.66). While she took theseShow MoreRelatedThe Roman Republic878 Words   |  4 PagesSome policies and institutions of the Roman Republic were useful to help them succeed in conquering first Italy and then the Mediterranean world. Before of the institution of the republic, the romans were a monarchy since their beginning and they were basically a pastoral people. Rome suffer several changes and improvements under the control of the Etruscan kings. The Etruscan were civilization settled north of Rome in Etruria, and they once had control over almost all the Italic peninsula. The EtruscansRead MoreThe Roman Republic961 Words   |  4 Pages1. The Roman Republic was a â€Å"democratic† republic, which allowed first citizens to vote, and to choose their governors in the senate (Hence, their consuls). However, it was a nation ruled by its aristocracy, and, consequently, the entire Republic`s power was concentrated in a few individuals. Furthermore, the Senate was controlled by Patricians, which directed the government by using wealth to buy control and power over the decisions of the senate and the consuls. 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This was despite its two major issues that eventually led to its downfall- the class struggle between plebeians and patricians as well as the autonomy the military had that allowed for armies to become loyal to its commander rather than the Roman state. For centuriesRead MoreThe Fall Of The Roman Republic1745 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Tiberius and his brother Gaius were regarded in Roman tradition as the initiators of the revolution which led to the breakdown of the Republic.† (Roebuck, 1966:506) The fall of the Roman Republic occurred during the late second century BC and resulted in various leading figures emerging such as Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus. Tiberius Gracchus was largely responsible for creating and initiating a long term political crisis in Rome in the early first century through his land reformations and desireRead MoreRoman Republic As A Government1484 Words   |  6 PagesRoman Republic The Roman Republic is a government that began in 509 BC and ended in 27 BC. 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