Teaching Ancient Biography
by Dr. Margaret Cotter-Lynch, Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Original text © 2005. Margaret Cotter-Lynch.
Introductory Lecture on Literature and History
II. A BRIEF introduction to Roman history in the first century BCE
This first four biographies we will read, of Pompey, Antony, and two of Julius Ceasar, all take place during the lifetime of Virgil (70-19 BCE). These were times of civil war and huge changes in the way of life at Rome. As a generalization, we can say that during the first century BCE, Rome went from being a democracy to a dictatorship (which is usually not the way we like to think that things go), and took over the known world. For the purposes of this course, the details of Roman history are not important, but I want to give you enough of an overview that you can understand what is going on in the biographies that we read, and why these men were important.
The changes in ways political power worked can be attributed to economic and military reasons. As you read, watch for the money, the military, and the political power. They all interconnect.
Money:
Roman social classes were based upon a combination of heredity and money; Roman censuses included a public accounting of how much money a given citizen had, and his social rank was determined accordingly. Political power thus depended upon money, too: if a citizen came into more money, his social rank would improve, as would his access to political power. I won’t get into the intricacies of how the Roman political system worked, but for a variety of reasons, including some which were particular to the Roman political system (such as mechanisms which made the votes of the rich count more than the votes of the poor, and made it much easier for rich people to vote), and some which still obtain today (political campaigns are more successful with more money behind them), even when Rome was ostensibly a democracy (in the ancient sense, i.e. for freeborn males), money equalled power.
By the first century BCE, who had money in Rome was changing. Part of this had to do with an increasing gap between the rich and the poor, and part of this had to do with military conquests. As the economics of Rome began to change, so did the way politics worked.
Military: --here I show maps of the areas controlled by Rome in 109 BCE and 14 AD—
During the first century BCE, Rome took over the world. As this happened, the Senate still controlled Italy, but generals, i.e. the military, controlled the conquered lands. The balance, as you can see, quickly tipped in favor of the generals, as there wass more area controlled by martial law than by the elected Senate. At the same time, lots of money poured into Rome from the conquered lands. The military, including especially individual generals, became very rich, while the Roman government became dependent upon the money and resources pouring in from the provinces. Romans got used to paying few taxes while living quite well thanks to the revenue from foreign wars. They counted on the military to make this state of things continue.
If you control the money and the military, what does the Senate control? Not much.
Over the next four weeks, we will see how this change happened, and what its consequences were.
Assignment: for next time, read Plutarch’s “Life of Pompey.” As you read, pay attention to the money, military, and political power, and how the three interact.
