Teaching and the Decline of Liberty at Credulity and Curiosity in A ...
Teaching and the Decline of Liberty at Credulity and Curiosity in A ...
Teaching and the Decline of Liberty at Credulity and Curiosity in A ...
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Tacitus'<br />
<strong>Teach<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Decl<strong>in</strong>e</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Liberty</strong><br />
<strong>at</strong> Rome 201<br />
problem <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> reign <strong>of</strong> Nero, where it became a serious difficulty. Militarily, <strong>the</strong><br />
world was <strong>at</strong> peace. There were only three revolts <strong>of</strong> unpacified prov<strong>in</strong>cials<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> entire reign <strong>in</strong> North Africa, Gaul,<br />
crushed more or less effectively by Tiberius'<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>ued Augustus'<br />
policy <strong>of</strong> leav<strong>in</strong>g Germany<br />
<strong>and</strong> Thrace <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>se were<br />
vigilant local comm<strong>and</strong>ers. Tiberius<br />
<strong>and</strong> Parthia to <strong>the</strong>ir own <strong>in</strong>ternal<br />
contentions <strong>and</strong> occasionally foment<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m. The s<strong>in</strong>gle war fought aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong><br />
Germans <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> early part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> reign was ab<strong>and</strong>oned by <strong>the</strong> cautious <strong>and</strong> suspi<br />
cious Tiberius, who, like his successors, feared a successful comm<strong>and</strong>er more<br />
than he desired expansion (cf. 1.3.6 <strong>and</strong> 1. 1 1 .4). Tacitus devotes a portion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
first book to a sedition <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> armies <strong>of</strong> Illyria <strong>and</strong> Germany; <strong>the</strong> soldiers who<br />
revolted were not citizens but mercenaries <strong>and</strong> conscripted slaves who shared<br />
grievances but no political ambition.8<br />
It is generally true <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> period we study<br />
(as opposed to l<strong>at</strong>er periods, as comes to light <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Historiae) th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> army re<br />
ma<strong>in</strong>ed loyal to <strong>the</strong> Julio-Claudian who was rul<strong>in</strong>g. Such was <strong>the</strong> legacy <strong>of</strong> Cae<br />
sar <strong>and</strong> Augustus. Such it rema<strong>in</strong>ed as long as th<strong>at</strong> family held power.<br />
We beg<strong>in</strong> our study <strong>of</strong> Tiberius'<br />
politics with <strong>the</strong> first session <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sen<strong>at</strong>e he<br />
called after Augustus' de<strong>at</strong>h.9 There Tacitus, while reveal<strong>in</strong>g<br />
surface formalities<br />
for wh<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong>y were, penetr<strong>at</strong>es <strong>the</strong> consolid<strong>at</strong>ion <strong>of</strong> power which was <strong>the</strong>n beg<strong>in</strong><br />
n<strong>in</strong>g. Tiberius appeared to respect <strong>the</strong> Consuls, "as if <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> old Republic,<br />
resolute [ambiguus] to<br />
<strong>and</strong> ir<br />
rule"<br />
(1.7.3). But <strong>the</strong> primacy he conceded <strong>the</strong>m was <strong>in</strong><br />
swear<strong>in</strong>g loyalty to him. The words <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> edict by<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r were "few <strong>and</strong> very modest <strong>in</strong><br />
sense."<br />
which he called <strong>the</strong> Sen<strong>at</strong>ors<br />
Tacitus contrasts his hesit<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
<strong>and</strong> apparent diffidence <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sen<strong>at</strong>e with his alacrity <strong>in</strong> assum<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> comm<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Praetorian Guard <strong>and</strong> communic<strong>at</strong><strong>in</strong>g with <strong>the</strong> armies, as though he had al<br />
ready obta<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>the</strong> Pr<strong>in</strong>cip<strong>at</strong>e. Someone might say, this is power politics <strong>and</strong> it is<br />
all hypocrisy <strong>the</strong> orders to <strong>the</strong> army reveal <strong>the</strong> truth <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> modest words<br />
were empty. But were <strong>the</strong>y so empty, after all? Tiberius was not merely seek<strong>in</strong>g<br />
power, he was seek<strong>in</strong>g to consolid<strong>at</strong>e it <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> face <strong>of</strong> possible present <strong>and</strong> future<br />
rivals. Wh<strong>at</strong> he needed to forestall <strong>the</strong>m was legitimacy.10<br />
To receive power <strong>at</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> request <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sen<strong>at</strong>e would give him th<strong>at</strong> legitimacy.<br />
8. The one exception is <strong>the</strong> German army which <strong>of</strong>fered to make Germanicus emperor if he<br />
would see th<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir dem<strong>and</strong>s were granted. His prompt <strong>and</strong> decisive refusal sufficed to make <strong>the</strong>m<br />
forget this suggestion which <strong>the</strong>y never mention aga<strong>in</strong> (1.35.3)- The thre<strong>at</strong> th<strong>at</strong> some member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
rul<strong>in</strong>g house might tempt <strong>the</strong> armies to revolt rema<strong>in</strong>s a cause <strong>of</strong> fear throughout <strong>the</strong> years <strong>the</strong> dynasty<br />
ruled, from Tiberius to Nero.<br />
9. We do not consider <strong>the</strong> murder <strong>of</strong> Agrippa Postumus primumfac<strong>in</strong>us novi pr<strong>in</strong>cip<strong>at</strong>us (1.6), as<br />
we are conv<strong>in</strong>ced th<strong>at</strong> Tiberius was not responsible, nor does Tacitus claim he was, for we take<br />
propius vero as still depend<strong>in</strong>g on credible er<strong>at</strong>. The story h<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> guilt <strong>of</strong> Livia, whom Sallustius<br />
warned not to divulge <strong>the</strong> arcana imperii, <strong>and</strong> seems to show as much wh<strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> Romans <strong>of</strong> th<strong>at</strong> day<br />
were capable <strong>of</strong> believ<strong>in</strong>g about <strong>the</strong>ir rul<strong>in</strong>g family as wh<strong>at</strong> was actually done. I am glad to acknowl<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor David<br />
edge my gr<strong>at</strong>itude to an unpublished paper, "Political Succession <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Annals,"<br />
by<br />
Bolot<strong>in</strong>. I owe this <strong>and</strong> not a few o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>in</strong>sights <strong>of</strong> this essay to his acute analysis. See also Albert<br />
Pappano, "Agrippa Postumus,"<br />
Classical Philology 36(1940:43-44.<br />
10. Bolot<strong>in</strong>, "Political Succession."<br />
See also Myron Rush, Political Succession <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> USSR<br />
(New York: Columbia University Press, 1965), p. 2. "The central question <strong>in</strong> political succession is<br />
th<strong>at</strong> <strong>of</strong> legitimacy: By wh<strong>at</strong> right does <strong>the</strong> successor