Who said what

• Augustus 33-14: Actium

  • Res Gestae - chose by the people to lead them
  • Suetonius - background and account of the battle, impact, Nikopolis and Egypt
  • Velleius - tells us of the spectactular nature of the triumph
  • Minor and archaeological sources - used as propaganda, Nikopolis inscription, Horace Ode's and Virgil Aeneid
• Augustus 33-14: Military achievements

  • Res Gestae - Pax Augusta (Doors of Janus), demobilised army
  • Suetonius - triple triumph, Varus disaster
  • Minor and archaeological sources - inscription of the triumphal arch of Octavian, Ara Pacis for Pax Romana
• Augustus 33-14: Constitutional settlements

  • Res Gestae - resigning of powers, new titles, honours and powers, redistribution of provinces, power of tribune
  • Dio - speech about dictatorship with Agrippa and Maecenas, division of provinces, new honours, Imperium
  • Velleius - brought back the republic
  • Minor and archaeological sources - Aureus Civic Crown 27
• Augustus 33-14: Restoration of traditions

  • Res Gestae - office of censor
  • Suetonius - conservative attitude of Augustus, Lex Julia
  • Minor and archaeological - Horace, Virgil, both aureus show him as a restorer
• Augustus 33-14: Admin and people

  • Res Gestae - pomerium, grain supply, games, gifts, Agrippa and aqueducts, senate roll, building programme
  • Suetonius - 13 districts, Tiber channel, new positions, eques legate Egypt, rights of Eques
  • Velleius - 2 new praetors
  • Minor and archaeological - Tacitus - urban prefect, edicts of Cyrene - provinces, Pliny - aqueducts, denarius for Augustus safety
• Tiberius 14-37: Accession

  • Tacitus - Posthumus and Clemens, Rhine and Pannonian mutinies, calling of the senate/informing the army
  • Suetonius - refuses princeps and then titles
  • Minor - Velleius - efficient with mutinies
• Tiberius 14-37: Germanicus

  • Tacitus - adoption, military career, Piso and the east, death
  • Velleius - Germanicus death 'unfortunate', Sejanus 'distinguished assistant'
• Tiberius 14-37: Sejanus

  • Tacitus - character, prefect and reforms, influence over Tiberius, Drusus, Livilla, retirement to Capri
  • Suetonius - downfall and death
  • Dio - reign of terror
• Tiberius 14-37: Treason trials

  • Tacitus - Libo, Piso, Lucius Ennius, Gaius Silius
  • Seneca - benefits of trials
• Tiberius 14-37: Admin and people

  • Tacitus - sycophancy of senate, treason trials, provinces eg provincial petitions and Blaesus as governor for Africa, aid to senators, ensures grain supply, sales tax and funding loans
  • Suetonius - refusal of titles, senate chief criminal court, lack of pubic works (Pompey and Temple of Augustus), lack of entertainment, Caelian Fire, aid earthquake in Asia
  • Velleius - lavish expenditure
• Tiberius 14-37: Religion

  • Tacitus - restoring temples and completion of temple of Augustus, imperial cult - temple at Smyrna, oppressed Druids in Gaul
  • Suetonius - refusal of dedications and statues, abolished foreign cults
  • Archaeological - sestertius Divi Augustus, genius inscription in Rome
• Tiberius 14-37: Imperial religion

  • Tacitus - influence of Livia: succession/accession, Capri and Agrippina: dinner party, Piso/Germanicus
  • Suetonius - Agrippina's death
• Tiberius 14-37: Frontiers

  • Tacitus - Tacfarinas, Gallic revolt, frontier and provincial policy - Sabinus, Armenia, Germans, earthquake and 'astute diplomacy without warfare'
• Tiberius 14-37: Conspiracies and challenges

  • Tacitus - Tacfarinas, Gallic revolt, Rhine and Pannonian mutinies
• Tiberius 14-37: Later reign and death

  • Suetonius - time on Capri, Gaius and death/reaction to death
• Caligula 37-41: Accession

  • Suetonius - popularity, games and shows, honouring imperial family
  • Archaeological - denarius with Germanicus
• Caligula 37-41: Change in personality

  • Suetonius - 'now for Gaius the monster'
  • Minor, Seneca - on consolation to Polybius
• Caligula 37-41: Administration

  • Suetonius - excess eg. pleasure barges
  • Dio - taxation, public accounts
  • Archaeological - quadrans with pileus
  • Minor, Pliny - on aqueducts
• Caligula 37-41: Relationship with the people

  • Suetonius - examples of cruelty, popularity on accession, elections of magistracies
  • Dio - bestowing titles, fear and maiestas, elections of magistracies, equites and senatorial dress but warning them about the theatre
  • Josephus - executions at the circus
• Caligula 37-41: Religion

  • Suetonius - feats, extravagances and worshipped as a god
  • Dio - moderation on accession, personal divinity and dressing as gods, senates permission for temple on Palatine
  • Josephus - addressed Jupiter as brother, statue in temple
• Caligula 37-41: Frontiers

  • Suetonius - 'invasion' of Britannia
• Caligula 37-41: Assassination

  • Dio - plot and conspirators
  • Josephus - plot and conspirations, too monarchical
  • Minor, Seneca - motivations of Chaerea
• Claudius 41-54: Accession

  • Suetonius - Praetorians and camp, donative, senates debate, Claudius first actions and clemency
  • Archaeological - Aureus showing PG, letter to Alexandrians showing moderation
• Claudius 41-54: Britannia

  • Suetonius - short account of invasion and 'no great importance', triumph on return
  • Tacitus - revolt of Caratacus and speech, Pomerium
  • Dio - revolt of Camillus, invasion, Medway and defeat of Catavellauni
  • Aureus of Drusus - shows need for own personal glory
  • Cippus inscription - extension of Pomerium
• Claudius 41-54: Frontiers

  • Tacitus - abolition of Druidism, rebellion in Africa from Gaius, Armenia
• Claudius 41-54: Relationship with the people

  • Suetonius - appeasement on accession. executions, freedmen, gifts to the people and entertainment
• Claudius 41-54: Freedmen

  • Tacitus - 'ex-slaves', gifts given
  • Dio - political influence and military commands
• Claudius 41-54: Influence of others

  • Suetonius - '...everything that Claudius did... was dictated by his wives and freedmen', executions, succession, Messalina and Silius, death
• Nero 54-68: Accession

  • Tacitus - deification of Claudius, Agrippina detains children, Burrus presents to PG and donative
  • Suetonius - quinquennium, moderation on accession/good behaviour, gifts
  • Deification aureus
• Nero 54-68: Criticisms

  • Tacitus - chariot racing and lyre competitions
  • Suetonius - philhellenism, excesses, Colossus and Domus Aurea
  • As as a lyre player - but is presenting himself this way
• Nero 54-68: Early reign

  • Tacitus - Agrippina influence and use of sex, influence of Seneca and Burrus, plots against Agrippina and assassination
  • Aureus with Nero and Agrippina - depicting Agrippina with coinage
• Nero 54-68: Wives

  • Tacitus - influence of Poppaea and death, Sporus
• Nero 54-68: Conspiracies and challenges

  • Tacitus - Pisonian conspiracy
  • Suetonius - reasons for Vindex revolt, reaction to revolt, Galba, death
  • Dio - Vindex revolt and speech, reaction to revolt, Rufus and failure of revolt, Galba and death
  • Denarius of Vindex - shows his republicanism
• Nero 54-68: Administration

  • Tacitus - great fire, Domus Aurea, rebuilding well, grain supply, completes Claudius projects
  • Suetonius - great fire, Domus Aurea, poor management at the end of reign
  • Sestertius of triumphal arch - shows embellishment for Corbulo's campaign
  • Sestertius of Nero - shows corn dole
• Nero 54-68: Relationship with people

  • Tacitus - humiliation of senators, servility of senate and Thrasea Patus, eques as prefect in Tigellinus
  • Suetonius - Alexandrian clapping, entertainment, reces and games, gifts
• Nero 54-68: Religion

  • Tacitus - attitude to foreign cults and treatment of Christians
  • Aureus of 4 priesthoods