From the earliest recorded history around the world, many rulers have justified their rule by dec... more From the earliest recorded history around the world, many rulers have justified their rule by declaring themselves as living deities. From ancient Egypt and Imperial China, the Inca emperors and Tudor England, kings and queens have proclaimed to their subjects that they had the stamp of approval to rule from their gods, which none may take from them or challange. It also meant that the rulers themselves had to answer to nobody but the gods, no matter how good or terrible their rule was. The Roman rulers, Julius Caesar and his heir Octavian Augustus, are prominent examples of deifying an earthly ruler, a descendant of the gods with a divine right to rule, by establishing the Roman Imperial Cult.
Despite the literary and archaeological evidence for the existence of female gladiators in ancien... more Despite the literary and archaeological evidence for the existence of female gladiators in ancient Rome, the idea of the female gladiator is still one of debate. That women once competed in the gladiatorial arena has been evidenced by ancient sources such as Cassius Dio, Seneca, Tacitus, Suetonius and Juvenal. Physical remains attest to their veracity, the most important being a frieze of two female gladiators from Halicarnassus. In 1996 the remains of the Dover Street Woman was uncovered in London and is believed to be that of a female gladiator. This may be the first physical proof that female gladiators existed as attested to by the ancient historians, although there are scholars that doubt the veracity of the remains as a female gladiator. The evidence, both literary and physical, will be scrutinized in this paper.
With the acquisition of additional land from the conquest of their neighbours, land distribution ... more With the acquisition of additional land from the conquest of their neighbours, land distribution became a point of contention in the Late Roman Republic. The corruption of the rich in the claiming of land, often by forced removals of agrarian farmers renting public land, led to debate dissatisfaction and even murder. The Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Gaius, attempted to redress the balance and halt the corrupt land claims of the rich and powerful. Both were murdered for their efforts yet their actions and deaths, contributed to the end of the Roman Republic. This paper will explore the corrupt land distribution practices in the time of the Gracchi, and briefly explore the consequences thereof.
Augustus reformed the Roman world after he became the undisputed leader of Rome in 31 BCE. During... more Augustus reformed the Roman world after he became the undisputed leader of Rome in 31 BCE. During the years following, he would change the economy, the judiciary, the Senate and even the familial and morality laws and customs of the burgeoning Empire. Augustus was a master of propaganda and he used family values to the fullest extent to recreate a Golden Age for Rome. Through primary sources such as the works of Tacitus, Suetonius, Livy, Dio Cassius and Paul; as well as monuments such as the Ara Pacis, we know about laws that were passed and the ideal of Augustus to establish family values in accordance with an older way of living, a return to conservatism and morality, which he felt the Roman people of his age lacked. This paper will discuss the main characteristics of Augustus’ use of family values as a tool of propaganda to create his vision of Rome. It will also briefly be argued that Christianity may have used the model of the Augustan ideal family as a model for the familial structures and stragegies that the Church employed.
Many accounts, both ancient and modern, have maintained that the Julio-Claudian women had unprece... more Many accounts, both ancient and modern, have maintained that the Julio-Claudian women had unprecedented influence in their spheres. This dissertation attempts to determine the degree of autonomy and influence that the Julio-Claudian women had and to examine the factors that may have contributed to their exceptional influence.
From the earliest recorded history around the world, many rulers have justified their rule by dec... more From the earliest recorded history around the world, many rulers have justified their rule by declaring themselves as living deities. From ancient Egypt and Imperial China, the Inca emperors and Tudor England, kings and queens have proclaimed to their subjects that they had the stamp of approval to rule from their gods, which none may take from them or challange. It also meant that the rulers themselves had to answer to nobody but the gods, no matter how good or terrible their rule was. The Roman rulers, Julius Caesar and his heir Octavian Augustus, are prominent examples of deifying an earthly ruler, a descendant of the gods with a divine right to rule, by establishing the Roman Imperial Cult.
Despite the literary and archaeological evidence for the existence of female gladiators in ancien... more Despite the literary and archaeological evidence for the existence of female gladiators in ancient Rome, the idea of the female gladiator is still one of debate. That women once competed in the gladiatorial arena has been evidenced by ancient sources such as Cassius Dio, Seneca, Tacitus, Suetonius and Juvenal. Physical remains attest to their veracity, the most important being a frieze of two female gladiators from Halicarnassus. In 1996 the remains of the Dover Street Woman was uncovered in London and is believed to be that of a female gladiator. This may be the first physical proof that female gladiators existed as attested to by the ancient historians, although there are scholars that doubt the veracity of the remains as a female gladiator. The evidence, both literary and physical, will be scrutinized in this paper.
With the acquisition of additional land from the conquest of their neighbours, land distribution ... more With the acquisition of additional land from the conquest of their neighbours, land distribution became a point of contention in the Late Roman Republic. The corruption of the rich in the claiming of land, often by forced removals of agrarian farmers renting public land, led to debate dissatisfaction and even murder. The Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Gaius, attempted to redress the balance and halt the corrupt land claims of the rich and powerful. Both were murdered for their efforts yet their actions and deaths, contributed to the end of the Roman Republic. This paper will explore the corrupt land distribution practices in the time of the Gracchi, and briefly explore the consequences thereof.
Augustus reformed the Roman world after he became the undisputed leader of Rome in 31 BCE. During... more Augustus reformed the Roman world after he became the undisputed leader of Rome in 31 BCE. During the years following, he would change the economy, the judiciary, the Senate and even the familial and morality laws and customs of the burgeoning Empire. Augustus was a master of propaganda and he used family values to the fullest extent to recreate a Golden Age for Rome. Through primary sources such as the works of Tacitus, Suetonius, Livy, Dio Cassius and Paul; as well as monuments such as the Ara Pacis, we know about laws that were passed and the ideal of Augustus to establish family values in accordance with an older way of living, a return to conservatism and morality, which he felt the Roman people of his age lacked. This paper will discuss the main characteristics of Augustus’ use of family values as a tool of propaganda to create his vision of Rome. It will also briefly be argued that Christianity may have used the model of the Augustan ideal family as a model for the familial structures and stragegies that the Church employed.
Many accounts, both ancient and modern, have maintained that the Julio-Claudian women had unprece... more Many accounts, both ancient and modern, have maintained that the Julio-Claudian women had unprecedented influence in their spheres. This dissertation attempts to determine the degree of autonomy and influence that the Julio-Claudian women had and to examine the factors that may have contributed to their exceptional influence.
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Talks by Ilona Zager
The Roman rulers, Julius Caesar and his heir Octavian Augustus, are prominent examples of deifying an earthly ruler, a descendant of the gods with a divine right to rule, by establishing the Roman Imperial Cult.
The Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Gaius, attempted to redress the balance and halt the corrupt land claims of the rich and powerful. Both were murdered for their efforts yet their actions and deaths, contributed to the end of the Roman Republic.
This paper will explore the corrupt land distribution practices in the time of the Gracchi, and briefly explore the consequences thereof.
Papers by Ilona Zager
The Roman rulers, Julius Caesar and his heir Octavian Augustus, are prominent examples of deifying an earthly ruler, a descendant of the gods with a divine right to rule, by establishing the Roman Imperial Cult.
The Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Gaius, attempted to redress the balance and halt the corrupt land claims of the rich and powerful. Both were murdered for their efforts yet their actions and deaths, contributed to the end of the Roman Republic.
This paper will explore the corrupt land distribution practices in the time of the Gracchi, and briefly explore the consequences thereof.