Cassius Dio: Roman History 53.1 - 55.9 0856683841, 9780856683848

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ARIS & PHILLIPS CLASSICAL TEXTS

CASSIUS DIO The Augustan Settlement (Roman History 53-55.9)

Edited with an Introduction, Translation and Commentary by

J.W. Rich

Aris & Phillips is an imprint of Oxbow Books First published in the United Kingdom in 1990. Reprinted in 2007, 2014 by OXBOW BOOKS 10 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford OXl 2EW and in the United States by OXBOW BOOKS 908 Darby Road, Havertown, PA 19083 © The author J. W. Rich

Paperback Edition: ISBN 978-0-85668-384-8 A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher in writing.

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Contents Preface ........................................................................................................

iv

Bibliography ................................................................................................ vi Abbreviations .............................................................................................. xi Introduction 1. Dio 's life .............................................................................................. 1 2. Dio's Roman History ............................................................................ 4 3. Dio on Augustus and the transition to monarchy ................................... 13 4. The text. ............................................................................................ .18 5. Further reading ................................................................................... 19 6. Miscellaneous notes ............................................................................ 20

Text & Translation Book 53................................................................................................ 22 Book 54................................................................................................ 68 Book 55............................................................................................... 118 Commentary Book 53............................................................................................... 132 Book 54............................................................................................... 172 Book 55.............................................................................................. 218 Apparatus Criticus .................................................................................... 231 Maps 1. Rome under Augustus ....................................................................... 2. The Forum and its Environs .............................................................. 3. The Roman Empire at Augustus' Death .............................................. 4. The Western Mediterranean ............................................................... 5. Germany and the Alps ... :·················· ................................................ 6. The Danube Lands ........................................................................... 7. Greece and Asia Minor ..................................................................... 8. Herod's Kingdom ............................................................................. 9. Egypt, Ethiopia and Arabia ...............................................................

Index .........................................................................................................

239 240 241 242

243 244 245

246 24 7

249

iv]

Preface Cassius Dio is one of our most important sources for many periods of Roman history, and, although he is not a great historian, he is a more interesting and original writer than is often supposed. Dio's account of the reign of Augustus is one of the most important parts of his Roman History: it is much the fullest of the surviving narrative accounts of the period and contains some of Dio's best historical writing. Ideally, the present work would have included all of Books 51-56, which cover the period from Augustus' victory at Actium in B.C.31, which established him as effectively the sole ruler of the Roman world, down to his death in A.D.14. However, that would have required a volume of twice the present length, and so it was necessary to be selective. Book 53 provides a natural starting point, for it opens with the great constitutional settlement of B.C.28/27, which Dio treats at length, in one of the most notable passages of his work. The choice of a finishing point was more difficult, but it seemed appropriate to stop at 55.9, where Dio reached B.C.6/5, for two reasons. In the first place, our text becomes defective at that point: a long gap in the manuscript M begins at 55.9.4 and for the years B.C.5 to A.D.3 we have just two fragments and the scanty summaries ofXiphilinus and Zonaras. Secondly, B.C.6 is roughly the half-way mark in Augustus' reign and can be seen as a turning-point. The years down to B.C.6 were the years of success: Augustus controlled events in Rome with matchless skill, subtly· exploiting Roman tradition to articulate his dominance, and these years also saw his successful conclusion of Rome's long dispute with Parthia and extensive conquests in Europe. However, from the time of his breach with Tiberius in B.C.6, things turned sour for Augustus. He was faced by a succession of dynastic and other crises at home, while, abroad, there were no more conquests, and his last years were clouded by the great revolt in Pannonia and the loss of Germany. The present work began as part of a project for two volumes of selections from Dio's history, commissioned by the Ancient History Committee of the Joint Association for Classical Teachers for publication in the Lactor series. Translations were prepared by a team, co-ordinated by Richard Smail of Radley College, and I undertook to produce the commentary for the first volume on the reign of Augustus. However, as work progressed, I came to feel that this part of Dio's work necessitated more extensive commentary than could be accommodated in a Lactor volume. For this and other reasons, it was agreed that the first of the two projected Lactors should be abandoned. The late John Aris then accepted my proposal for a volume of the present scope in the Aris and Phillips Classical Texts series. I would like to thank all those involved in the Lactor project for their assistance, especially Richard Smail. The translation in the present volume is my own work, but I have benefited from being able to consult that prepared for the Lactor. The Greek text has been reproduced with a few changes from the edition ofBoissevain (see p. 19). The maps, which were prepared by Mr. C. Lewis of the Department of Geography, University of Nottingham, are intended simply to identify places and peoples mentioned in the text and notes. The index entries for these include a reference to the map on which they are shown. A grant from the Research Fund of the University of Nottingham assisted me with the cost of the maps and of travel to libraries. The jacket illustration, reproduced by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum, is an aureus ofB.C.19/18 from a Spanish mint. The reverse shows Augustus' oak crown and its accompanying inscription ob cives servatos, "for citizens saved" (seep. 148). Numerous people have helped me in various ways, and to all of them I am very grateful. Although the word-processor has made me my own typist, our departmental secretary, Adrienne

[v

Edwards, gave me much assistance. Wolf Liebeschuetz, Stephen Mitchell, Andrew Poulter, Alan Sommerstein and Peter Wiseman, gave valuable advice on particular topics. My greatest debt is to John Carter, Fergus Millar and Malcolm Willcock, who nobly undertook to read through my work in draft; the first two read all the introduction and commentary, and Professor Willcock, as General Editor of the Series, read the whole volume. Their observations saved me from many errors and omissions, but for the faults which remain I alone, of course, am responsible. Finally, I thank my wife and family, who have supported me throughout and whose tolerance for my frequent absences and even more frequent absent-mindedness has never faltered. The book is dedicated to them. J.W.R.

Nottingham, March 1990.

A number of errors have been corrected for this reprint, but for typographical reasons only limited changes could be made. It has naturally not been possible to take account in the introduction and commentary of the very numerous publications which have appeared since 1990. It is a particular pleasure to welcome two recent publications, namely the excellent commentary on Books 55-56 of Cassius Dio's Roman History by P.M. Swan (The Augustan Succession: An Historical Commentary on Cassius Dias Roman History, Books 55-56 [9 B.C. A.D. 14}, New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), and a very useful collection of sources in translation, The Age of Augustus, ed. M.G.L. Cooley (LACTOR no. 17, London Association of Classical Teachers, 2003). Much additional bibliographical information is included in the 3rd edition of D. Kienast, Augustus: Prinzeps und Monarch (Darmstadt, 1999). Other works of synthesis include K. Galinsky, Augustan Culture: An Interpretive Introduction (Princeton, 1996); P. Southern, Augustus (London and New York, 1998); J. Bleicken, Augustus: Eine Biographie (Berlin, 2000); W. Eck, The Age of Augustus (Oxford, 2003). Probably the most notable new discovery relating to the period covered in this work is an aureus of the sixth consulship ofOctavian/Augustus (28 B.C.), whose reverse shows him seated on a curule chair, holding out a scroll and with a document box on the ground beside him, and bears the legend leges et iura p. R. restituit ('he restored their laws and rights to the Roman people'). The first known specimen of this coin is now in the British Museum, and a second has just (2005) come to light, confirming the authenticity of the issue. See further J.W. Rich and J.H.C. Williams, 'Leges et iura p. R. restituit; a new aureus of Octavian and the settlement of 28-27 B.C.', Numismatic Chronicle 159 (1999), 169-213. As is argued there, the coin issue shows that Dio's presentation of the political settlement as a single comprehensive resignation of power, made and immediately revoked in 27 B.C., misrepresents what was in fact (as Augustus himself implied at RG 34.1) a staged process, much of which took place not in 27, but in 28. I have discussed other aspects of the period in the following papers, some of which give further development to views expressed in the commentary: 'The foundation of the altar ofRoma and Augustus at Lugdunum', in H.D. Jocelyn (ed.), Tria Lustra (Liverpool, 1993), 175-83; 'Augustus and the spolia opima', Chiron 26 (1996), 85-127; 'Augustus' Parthian honours, the temple of Mars Ultor and the arch in the Forum Romanum', PBSR 66 (1998), 71-128; 'Drusus and the spolia opima ', CQ 49 ( 1999), 544-55; 'Augustus, war and peace', in L. de Blois et al,. The Representation and Perception of Imperial Power (Amsterdam, 2003), 329-57; with 0. Hekster, 'Octavian and the thunderbolt: the temple of Apollo Palatinus and Roman traditions of temple building', CQ forthcoming. J.W.R.

Nottingham, February 2005.

vi]

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY This list mainly consists of works which are referred to more than once and are cited in an abbreviated fonn. G.J.D. Aalders, 'Cassius Dio and the Greek World', Mnemosyne 39 (1986), 282-304. A. Alfoldi, Der Vater des Vaterlandes im romischen Denken (Dannstadt, 1971). G. Alf ins. Reiske, following Xiph. 19.5 -ye-H. Stephanus: TE VM. d>.>.aM: dUm V. 20.2 IlaKOUOULOS' Bekker: IlaKou13t,os-VM. 20.4 irpOOTpe-ir6µe-vOL Bekker: irpoTpe-ir6µe-vOL VM. KAriP'¼l Xiph.: KAripous-VM. 21.4 21.6 -l\pe-aKEXiph. Zon.: -l\pe-ae-vVM. 21.7 ciiro8nKVuwVTmR. Stephanus: ciiro&LKVUVTaL VM Xiph. Zon. t4>' Sturz: u6pos-M: Tpoirmo4'6pOLS'V. [TE]del. Reiske. lKMLO"E"V M.: om. V. 27.3 ouv M: om. V. Kalaapos- M: KTlaµaTQS' V. 27.5 T6T€ M: TOUTOV.

Apparatus Criticus [233 28.2 29.1 29.3 29.4 29.5 29.7 30.1 30.3 30.5 31.1 31.3 33.1,2 33.3 33.4

VM. df3ou>..o(Tl Dindorf: a f3ou>..o£Tl Alµ(>.&.ovVM: A!>.&.ov Boissevain in app. (see Commentary). ll3aa(>.EU€vM. Xiph. (cod. V) Zon.: lj3aa(>.£ua€v V Xiph. (cod. C). E"Pllµ(a R. Stephanus: 'fip€µ(a VM. [T€] del. Reiske. '°f€ Kal M. Xiph.: 'Y€ V. T«S' T€ Xiph.: T«S' '°(€ VM. ln Anon. ap. Reimar: 5n VM. ci>Ko8oµE1To VM: ci>Ko66µl1TO Baumgarten-Crusius. lv&tKvoµEVOS'M. Zon.: lv&tKVuµlvOLS' V. [lv] del. Bekker, following Xiph. TtpL&iTTlS',TtpL&iTTlvDindorf: Tnpt&iTTlS', Tnpt&iTTlv VM. µnpaKLci von Herwerden: µnpaKt6v VM. voowBwv -yEvoµlvwv Bekker: voow&us- -yEvoµlvou VM. Book 54

1.1 1.3 1.5-6.2 1.5 2.2 2.4 2.5 3.1 3.4 3.5 3.6 3. 7 3.8 4.3 4.4 5.1 5.5

€1Tl'°fl'°(VOµ€"'¼) Bekker: e1tLyevoµevcoVM. airr4> Leunclavius, following Zon.: airrov VM. on the condition of M see p.18. aim~v M: avTOv V. s,; V: om. M. l-µmµ,rpaµlvwv Dindorf: lµm,rpaµlvwv VM. €TT€L8fi T€ V: €TT€l6T) 1T€pM. l 'TTTT'fisM: l irm:1.s-V. TOLS''Y€ Reiske: TOlS'T€ VM. €1T€&lKVUTO V: QTT€6€(KVUTO M. cl>civvtQS' Leunclavius: cl>civnos-VM. l>.lxlhi M: l>.l-yx&i, V. ITpOKou>.lLOS' Boissevain: ITpOKou>.i.osVM. d,8uv6µ€VOV V: d18uvooµ€vov M. TOV 6€ Bekker: nva ~e VM. ical 8UCJ(as-ws-V: om. M. airrci> R. Stephanus: airrwv VM. 6vdpwtLV M: 6vdpaeLv V. &ri8wcn Dindorf: 6uVl18wCTL VM. ao8LS' Xylander: airro1.s- VM. ins. Reiske. NaTT«TllVDindorf: TavalTTlv VM. aim~v l>..a~EvReiske: aTTENI~€vVM. K«T€>.E(cp8Ti R. Stephanus (as Xiph.): K«T€AT)c/>8Tl VM.

6.2

6€ M: BE Sri V.

6.6 7.1

l;t>..ovavos-VM: l;t>.avos- Xylander. ins. R. Stephanus. l;upaicouaas- R. Stephanus: l;upaKovaaas- VM.

234] Apparatus Criticus ,r6XELSM: om. V. [TiJ]del. Reimar. 7.3 8 'oov Pflmgk: yoOv VM. 7.4 'AirouXltos Boissevain: 'AirouX(OS' VM. 8tlTa~€V R. Stephanus: 8tlTa~€ VM. TiJ M: om. V. 7.6 7 .6--19.4 omitted in V. 8.1 airr4> Reimar (from Xiph.): airrwv M. 8.3 lv T'¼)KamToX(q> transposed after cl>€p€Tp(ouby Fabricius (preceded by ), but see Commentary. da Leunclavius: ad M. 9.1 l°Kdvt\>Bekker: EKELvwvM. 9.4,5 'ApTO.~OU, 'ApT M. 9.6 ins. Reiske. 9.10 -yEvoµlvwv Reiske: -yEv6µ€vov M. EKE(vq>Reimar: l-v '¼> M. 10.1 };€VTLq> R. Stephanus: 'Y€VT(q> M. ins. Boissevain. 10.2 ins. Xylander. 10.5 a.El (twice) Bekker: alEl M. airrov Reiske: aimx M. 10.6 l-µµEVE'tvDindorf: l-µµlVEtv M. 6µ6crm Xylander: 5µ.oo€ M. [dn] del. Bekker. TT)p,'}crouowReiske: TT)poOcrtvM. 10.7 oµoowmv Reiske: bµoXoy{iawmv M. ,rponµ~croumv Reiske: 1rpe€v(crwmvM. e-1r€X.trlcrasBoissevain: ..wvBekker: AEVTovXouM. 12.4 mptmv R. Stephanus: mptm M. 12.5 d>J.a 1TEVT€Reiske: 1ro>J.a M lvEwpa Reiske: twpa M. 13.1 irou Pflugk: ,rw M. 13.2 ins. R. Stephanus. 14.2 IlatTOS' Glandorpius: IllTOS' M. 14.3 airrov R. Stephanus: dUo M. ~ou>.EvcroVTasR. Stephanus: ~uXEvcraVTas M. 15.7 BT€ -fi 8tayvwµ,i Reiske: Bn l8(q yvwµ,:i M. But see Commentary. €lp~€ R. Stephanus: Elp~€ M. 16.1 K«Ta~.dou M: 'A,rou>..(ou V Xiph. n M: om. V. T«LS' V: TOLS'M. 30.5 6' oov Pflugk: -yow VM. 31.1 31.2 T}"fYUTlO"E V: E"f'YVflO"E M. };Kop6(CTKoLS' M: Kop6(CTKoLS' V. 31.3 31.4 -yE H. Stephanus: TE VM. 32.1 ins. R. Stephanus. 32.2 8aTdmx1>vLeunclavh1s: IlaTdouwv VM. «l>pLalousBekker: cl>pELa(ousVM. vrro Reiske: l,rl VM. cl>pLa(wvM: cl>pna(wv V. 32.3 33.1,2 OuLaoup-you,Ou(aoup-yov Leunclavius: OuLaouTpou, Oulaotrrpov VM. 33.2 l8€>..iiaaVT«S'Bekker: 8€>..iiaaVT«S'VM. Kd.v Reiske: Kal VM. l>.a.8€ M: 6Ll>..a8€ V. 33.3 dv M: om. V. €TTLKOTTfiS' M: €TTLO'KOTTfiS' V. d.auVTaKTOLM: d.auVT«KTOV V. 33.4 ~ M: T}VV. 33.5 TTp6TEpovou Leunclavius: ou ,rp6TEpov VM. 34.3 48>.wv Bekker: 4>..>.wv VM. AE)..µaT(a Sturz: Aa)..µaTla VM. 34.5 Bou>..o-ya(OTIS' VM: Ou>..o-yalOTIS' Reimar. Briaa6s V: &aa6s M. 8€00 Bekker: 8€(ou VM. 34.7 TTpoo8EµEVOS' Oddey: TTpoo8€µevous VM. 35.2 airroO Xylander, following Zon.: tauTou VM. 35.4 'I ou>..i.ElouDindorf: ' I ouv(ou VM. 36.1 ins. Reiske. lm TETpaµµlvOL R. Stephanus: lm -yE-ypaµµlvOLVM.

'

Apparatus Criticus [237 36.2 36.3 36.4

Ae-).µchm Stun: Aa).µchm VM. dvE"KTTlO'«To Pflugk: dve-C7TT1C1aTo VM. [Te-]del. Reiske. Aouy8ouv(8t R. Stephanus: Aouy8wv(8t VM. ofrras Reimar: ouTws VM. Book 55

Tatrra µev ... lyive-To stand at the end of Book 54 in VM and were transposed here by Bekker, perhaps wrongly. V breaks off here. 'I ou>J.ou Huelsen: 'I ou>.iou M. 1.2 XEpouC1Kl8aBekker: Xe-tpouO"KlavM. Ou(O"oup-yovReimar: OuC1(C1ou-ypov M. [TE"]del. Leunclavius. 2.5 2.6 ins. Xylander. ins. Casaubon. 3.1 lv ye- Reiske: lv TE"M. 3.4 4 .1 ins. Reiske. 4.3 dvnKpUS' added in margin of M. 5.4 E~E"T..aKe-uoµlvo'US', 0pvrrToµivo'US' Pflugk: KOA«Ke-u6µe-vos-, 8pu1TT6µe-vos 9 .2 M. 1TPO€XE"Lp(C1avTo Reiske: 1TPO€X€Lp(C1aTo M. 1rpooe-1TT1u{aTo R. Stephanus: irpooe-ire-u{aToM Xiph. (cod. C). 1TOTE" Leunclavius, from Xiph.: T6TE"M. Tp6irov M breaks off here. 9 .4 added by the scribe of Laurentianus 70.10. 9.4-5 µa>J.ov... l4>~~8ti Xiph.'s text printed (Zon. gives a different version). µe-T •

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