I understand, that you are focussing on shortterm measures in this chapter. Again very well written and it seems you adressed all the urgent issues inseide Rome. These measures are badly needed, no doubt about that. I tried to find some hints about your plans for the badly needed longterm structural changes. If you started them already, your first steps are perfectly hidden.
Juts a few questions and comments:
How was the the government rearranged? I just read, that a few senators were kicked.
Cicero cared about himself a lot. It seems that the majority of the aristocracy saw him less important. How was the office of the princeps senatus modified, in order to enable Cicero to have at least a small chance for anything remotely close to mastery?
Cicero requested something like a "mediator" in his proposal for reforms. This is some super-honest aristocrat, who balances everything with his outstanding auctoritas and keeps the senate working efficiently. Augustus obviously has read Ciceros books. And he implemented himself as a kind of mediator. But of course not just with auctoritas and dignitas, but also with way more potestas than a princeps senatus had in the early days. Did I mention, that Cicero was somewhat naive?
OTL Augustus used a lot of the egyptian treasury in order to disband, lots of legions. About 70 legions are way more, than the roman state can pay. Even not with egyptian gold. I miss any action about urgently needed mass disbandment of legions
Returning land to the people who owned it before the proscriptions is also not that easy. Often it was given to roman veterans. You have to pay a lot, in order to convince them, to leave their new land. Or you pay a lot to the former owner as a compensation.
This may work for a few cohorts. But not for the lot of legions you have to disband. Cassius led half of the legions to the north. 3 legions are guarding Rome. That means that there are still a ton of legions to disband urgently.
Augustus planned to reduce the senate from 900 (since Julius Caesar) back to the old 300. He failed and finally the imperial senate was 600 men strong. I am afraid, with your measures the senate will stay about 900 or best case 600. Well, if you like to disempower the senate, this is the right way to go. But is that really your intention?
And of course the romans were very aware, that every change in the numbers of senators is strongly connected with the number of magistrates on entry level. So no reform of the senate without a reform of the magistrates. I understand, that this first reform of the senate was intended to be rather cosmetic and just to avoid any trouble?
Juts a few questions and comments:
Indeed, said session was spent on rearranging the government of the City, for the censors were dismissed as unacceptable [2], Cicero was indeed appointed the new Princeps Senatus to Senatorial acclaim, and many of the lost privileges of the office restored again, the increase in both dignitas and auctoritas high enough to give Cicero true mastery of the Senate.
How was the the government rearranged? I just read, that a few senators were kicked.
Cicero cared about himself a lot. It seems that the majority of the aristocracy saw him less important. How was the office of the princeps senatus modified, in order to enable Cicero to have at least a small chance for anything remotely close to mastery?
Cicero requested something like a "mediator" in his proposal for reforms. This is some super-honest aristocrat, who balances everything with his outstanding auctoritas and keeps the senate working efficiently. Augustus obviously has read Ciceros books. And he implemented himself as a kind of mediator. But of course not just with auctoritas and dignitas, but also with way more potestas than a princeps senatus had in the early days. Did I mention, that Cicero was somewhat naive?
The stream of Egyptian gold was crucial to keep the city running, pay the legions and help returning many of the properties and fortunes lost by those who had opposed the Triumvirs, but it was not an infinite source of money.
OTL Augustus used a lot of the egyptian treasury in order to disband, lots of legions. About 70 legions are way more, than the roman state can pay. Even not with egyptian gold. I miss any action about urgently needed mass disbandment of legions
Returning land to the people who owned it before the proscriptions is also not that easy. Often it was given to roman veterans. You have to pay a lot, in order to convince them, to leave their new land. Or you pay a lot to the former owner as a compensation.
Ruthlessness was to prevail, as the Senate provisionally kept three legions under Plancus to guard Rome and disbanded the rest, settling them among the vast estates that had belonged to their worse enemies.
This may work for a few cohorts. But not for the lot of legions you have to disband. Cassius led half of the legions to the north. 3 legions are guarding Rome. That means that there are still a ton of legions to disband urgently.
On account of their age their appointment was made for eighteen months and under instructions by the Consul Volcatius Tullus and Lepidus got to work, expelling a few dozen Senators (mostly key supporters of Antonius and Octavianus) to then swell the ranks of the Senate with the scions of the more prestigious families, Senators expelled on account of their participation on the civil war, an a number of wealthy eques that were supportive of the basic aims of the Pact of Neapolis or, alternatively, were clients of the factions that were slowly emerging through the city.
Augustus planned to reduce the senate from 900 (since Julius Caesar) back to the old 300. He failed and finally the imperial senate was 600 men strong. I am afraid, with your measures the senate will stay about 900 or best case 600. Well, if you like to disempower the senate, this is the right way to go. But is that really your intention?
And of course the romans were very aware, that every change in the numbers of senators is strongly connected with the number of magistrates on entry level. So no reform of the senate without a reform of the magistrates. I understand, that this first reform of the senate was intended to be rather cosmetic and just to avoid any trouble?
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