Saint Caligula??!

[Geon]

The Beginning of the Reign of Quirinius Caligula Caesar​

Quirinius was the first-born son of Tiberius. He would assume the throne within a week of his father’s death in 56 A.D.

Quirinius was as fervent in his beliefs as his father or his grandfather had been. But his zeal was tempered by a classical education. His mother’s parents were still devoted to the Roman gods and arranged for the boy to be taught by a tutor in a classical Greek education. The boy’s father, Tiberius, forbade any teaching of “those worthless Greek myths” as he called Greco/Roman religion to be taught to the boy. Nevertheless, the boy grew up understanding both the teaching of the Christian faith and the stories of the ancient Greco/Roman gods. As a result, Quirinius would be far more tolerant of the old Roman religion then his father had been.

Upon the first anniversary of his coming to power Quirinius was approached by surviving members of the pagan priesthood in Rome. They petitioned Quirinius for permission to reopen the temples in Rome so that those who were not Christians could have leave to “worship in the way best suited to them.”

Quirinius agreed with the condition that those who worshiped in the temples must not interfere in any way with the Christians and their worship. At the slightest hint of any harassment of the Christians there would be severe consequences.

Likewise, in a statement issued through Linus, bishop of Rome, the Christians were enjoined not to involve themselves in acts of overt zealousness against the pagans and their practices. Before officially allowing the reopening of he temples every priest had to swear before the Emperor that they would follow the Decree Regarding the Worship of the Gods which Quirinius’ grandfather had written 16 years before.

It should be noted here that though Tiberius had outlawed the worship of the Roman gods during his reign, many of the so-called “mystery cults” that had flourished alongside Christianity continued to grow and thrive in the environment following the Jupiter Riots and the closing of the temples. Unlike the priests of the Roman gods the priests and teachers of the “mystery cults” had wisely decided to keep their heads down during the assassination of Caligula and its bloody aftermath. Thus, they could remain in the city and their followers could continue their practices

Quirinius continued to rely on Linus to be his advisor for the next nine years. While Linus was not happy that Quirinius had reopened the temples, he was pleased that Quirinius continued more in the vein of his grandfather rather than his father.

Quirinius made a generous donation for the first Church of St. Clement to be built on the site of the saint’s martyrdom during the Great Riot. When the church was completed the bones of St. Clement would be moved from the crypt, they had been hidden in to the church for burial in a crypt beneath the altar. Also buried with Clement were St. Caligula’s remains. Recovered by a contingent of soldiers on Tiberius’ orders the remains had been carefully laid to rest in a ‘secret place’ until a suitable final resting place could be built.

The day of the reinternment was declared a holy day and the Christians in Rome turned out in large numbers to pay their respects to two of their beloved saints. Quirinius led a procession to the church and openly wept as the purple cloth covered box containing his grandfather’s bones was lowered into the crypt below the altar. After the service Quirinius passed among the poor distributing coins and bread to those in need.

Quirinius also increased the “guilt tax” as he called the tax on those who visited the houses of prostitution in Rome. Now it was 5 denarii per visit. Many of the proprietors of these houses had complained to Quirinius only to be warned that if they continued to do so their businesses would be permanently closed.

Quirinius officially established the province of Germania in the 5th year of his reign. It was the first major acquisition of the Roman Empire in some time. It was not a large one initially only consisting of a 25-mile-wide strip of land on the east of the Rhine extending from the northern boundary of the Alps for 75 miles north. But it would grow into one of the largest provinces of the Empire over time.

By and large Quirinius’ reign was a peaceful and prosperous one for the first 8 years of his reign. Unfortunately, in 64 A.D. the assassination of St. Paul in Palestine would trigger the first of the Jewish Revolts and force Quirinius to assume the role of a warrior.

 

[Geon]

The Martyrdom of St. Paul​

The Acts of the Apostles ends with Paul’s arrival in Rome to appeal his case before Caesar (Quirinius). The Epistle of Linus gives us a brief outline of what happened while Paul was in Rome. Paul would have his trial before Quirinius. The trial was brief and to the point, Quirinius ruled Paul was totally innocent of the crimes he was charged with and that this was merely a “Jewish matter.”

Paul would spend the next year in Rome with Linus and the Church and would spend several hours conversing with the Emperor as well as witnessing to the faith in the Roman Forum, and with the local Jewish community. He would then take the land roads back to Palestine and to Jerusalem. According to Luke in his Acts of Paul, the Apostle would spend a year in his return to Antioch and later Jerusalem visiting many of the churches he established during his previous missionary visits.

His return to Jerusalem was marked by great tension. Humiliated by Paul’s exoneration by the Emperor himself some of the Pharisees entered an unholy alliance with the more radical of the Zealot party, namely the Sicarii. These “dagger men” were notorious for dealing rather peremptorily with suspected Roman sympathizers among the Jewish people. Paul was by birth a Roman citizen. That and his recent acquittal and time spent with the Emperor in Rome would make him a potential target to these assassins.

From what is known of the mind of the Pharisees at this time they were becoming more and more hostile to the Christian sect, which many of them no longer even considered a “Jewish sect.” Rather, they saw it as a clear danger to the Jewish religion as it gained more and more converts, even from among the Jewish leadership.

According to Josephus, a small cliché of Pharisees contacted the Sicarii leadership and offered them a place on the Sanhedrin if they would “dispose of this troublesome Paul.” For the Sicarii, the chance to have a representative on the Sanhedrin and remove a potential Roman collaborator was too tempting.

So, according to Josephus, as Paul was making his way from Antioch to Jerusalem on March 5, 64 A.D. a group of men stopped him and asked him where he was going. Paul answered, “I go to Jerusalem.” Whereupon, according to Josephus, “They drew knives and fell upon Paul and his companions. They proceeded to stab Paul several times until he died, and the others in his party they left for dead.”

Luke was one of Paul’s traveling companions. He apparently survived the attack and later recounted in his Acts of Paul that Paul “was struck down by evil men on the way to Rome.” The Apostles in Jerusalem hearing what had happened according to Luke had “righteous men” retrieve Paul’s body and bury it secretly, “for fear of the Jews.”

Word of this murder spread throughout the province of Palestine. The leaders of the cabal that ordered Paul’s death were pleased but many among the Pharisees were horrified fearing, rightly, that this would lead to a reprisal by Rome.

Their fears were well justified. While it is not known how word got back to Quirinius, the early church father Justin Martyr states that “the Apostle Peter despite his old age personally journeyed to Rome to speak to the Emperor himself about this barbarity.” Whether Peter would have gone to Rome, when it might have been simply easier to send word through the governor of the province is open to debate.

However, the fact remains that Quirinius is said to have vowed “vengeance in the Apostle’s name.” when he heard of Paul’s martyrdom.

 

[Geon]

The Later Years and Martyrdom of Peter​

Whether the Apostle Peter came to Rome seeking justice for his friend, the Apostle Paul, or as some historians have speculated fled to Rome to avoid sharing Paul’s fate as the situation in Jerusalem became more and more hostile to Christians, the fact remains Peter is known to have been in Rome for 5 years prior to his death.

Linus, in his second epistle, describes the welcome Peter received on his arrival in Rome. “Even the Emperor came to where Peter was staying to do him honor.” Although some historians have recently tried to cast doubt on this passage most would say this would not have been out of keeping with the Emperor Quirinius’ character.

Peter would remain in Rome for the next five years. During this time Linus is said to have desired Peter take over the bishopric from him. But Peter refused. In his second epistle Linus writes, “But Peter refused to take on the title of Bishop of Rome saying it was Linus whom the Lord had set aside for this task.” Instead, according to Linus, Peter spent much time speaking with the Jews in Rome as well as preaching in Rome and the surrounding communities. Linus also wrote of Peter’s various conversations with Quirinius.

Again, according to Linus, “many came to a knowledge of the faith during this time.” But apparently Peter’s presence angered many who were still attached to the pagan religions and saw Peter as the primary reason for the decline of their religion and feared the anger of the gods on Rome if something was not done.

At this point, we enter more the realm of conjecture then hard historical fact. Linus records that many of the followers of the pagan Roman gods sought Peter killed and paid a group of “unscrupulous fellows” to do the deed. On the other hand, Suetonius writes that Peter was murdered by bandits who “knew nothing of these religious matters.”

Whether it was by a pagan conspiracy or by bandits what is known is that Peter went missing and “was not seen at the Eucharist on the Lord’s Day.” (April 6, 69 A.D.) According to Linus, “A great search was conducted for him and even the royal guard was employed to find him.”

Peter’s body would be found two miles outside of Rome at what is now called St. Peter by the Tiber. According to Linus the body of the Apostle was found hanging by a noose from the branch of one of the trees by the river. His hands were tied behind his back and thus Linus said the prophecy was fulfilled that Jesus Himself declared in John 21:18-19.

When Peter’s body was brought back into the city “there was loud mourning by all the Church,” declared Linus. The Emperor Quirinius is said to have had all the priests of the pagan temples brought before him and before the body of the Apostle demanding that they account for where they were that night and threatening to “tear their temples down about their heads if they did not disclose the truth to him.”

The priests according to various writers declared to a man that they had nothing to do with Peter’s death. All of them declared that if the perpetrator of this deed were known to them, they would immediately turn him over to the Emperor.

While several names have been mentioned as possible suspects in this ancient murder case there has never been any concrete proof to connect any of these suspects with the murder of Peter.

Peter would be buried in the Church of St. Clement alongside St. Clement and St. Gaius (Caligula) in a burial worthy of any Emperor according to all reliable sources from the period. And Quirinius was now much more suspicious of the pagan priesthood. The death of Peter widened the rift between the Emperor and the pagan religion, so long a major force in Rome’s politics.

 

[Geon]

I'm getting into a bit of deep water here with regard to an ignorance of Roman tactics during this period so pardon me if I go for the "big picture" as it were. Note, for some weird reason the server did not like my end note. So, that is why the separate text at the end.
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The First Jewish War: 64-65 A.D.​

The Emperor sent the Roman legions to the province of Palestine with specific orders to crush the Jewish resistance there and bring to Rome in chains the “murderers of Saint Paul."

Although most of the Roman army was at this point either pagan or non-religious it now had a growing core of believers both among the regular soldiers and the officers. These Christians were determined that the slayers of the Apostle to the Gentiles should be brought to justice. For the rest, it was an opportunity to finally end the terrorism wrought by the Sicarii and the other groups in Palestine once and for all.

From the side of the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem this was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster. Yes, many in the Sanhedrin had wanted that troublemaker Paul dead, but in such a way that it would not arouse the anger of Rome. Now the Jewish leadership was facing a punitive expedition by the Romans that might very well bring Jerusalem crashing down around the Sanhedrin’s heads.

According to Josephus the lights in the council chambers of the Sanhedrin burned long into the night for three consecutive nights as the council met to decide what to do. Finally, in sheer desperation the Sanhedrin did the unthinkable. By a majority vote they decided to seek help from the Christians in Jerusalem and ask them to petition the Romans not to sack the city.

The Christian leadership, led now by James, the brother of Jesus, and John the Apostle, heard the delegation that was sent to them from the Jewish council. Then, according to Josephus “they entered into a time of prayer with the church in Jerusalem.”

While these debates were going on the Romans had landed at Antioch and their two legions were marching southward. Through informers the Romans learned the towns which were sympathetic to the Sicarii and systematically began to put them to the torch and carried the citizens away in chains as slaves. Only those who could show they were Christians were allowed to go free. Known Sicarii sympathizers were crucified and left along the roads as a warning.

The Sicarii fought back, not only against the Romans but against their fellow Jews. Bloody skirmishes were fought as the Romans made their way southward. The Sicarii used guerilla tactics, which the Romans were not used to dealing with, attacking at night, poisoning wells, ambushing patrols. And also, destroying any Jewish community that openly welcomed the Romans.

But the Romans quickly showed they could be just as brutal, burning to the ground any village or town that harbored Sicarii along the way.

Finally, as the legions approached Jerusalem the Sanhedrin and the leaders of the Church in Jerusalem came out to plead with the general of the legions, Vespasian, to show mercy. Vespasian had orders to make certain the murder of Paul “was avenged tenfold” according to Eusebius. While not a Christian himself, Vespasian was willing to hear the petitions of the Jewish leadership and Christian church in Jerusalem.

After hearing the Jews and Christians out Vespasian stated he would forbear on the destruction of Jerusalem if the Jews would surrender all of those on the council who were Sicarii or had sympathies with them. And the Jews must agree in writing no less to allow the Christians in Jerusalem to live “quiet and peaceable lives.” The Jewish leadership were loath to turn over any fellow Jew to the tender mercies of Rome, but given the choice was that or the destruction of Jerusalem and their beloved temple, they agreed to both terms.

Several leaders of the Sicarii based in Jerusalem, as well as those known to be sympathetic to their cause were brought out of Jerusalem in chains and would be returned to Rome for trial, and in some cases, bloody executions. In addition, the Jewish leadership signed the “Peace of Jerusalem,” which stated that henceforth the Jewish leadership would neither directly nor indirectly “wage war or cause harm to befall any of those of the Christian faith."

Vespasian was pleased with the Peace but made it clear a legion would remain in Jerusalem for the next five years to ensure the Peace was being observed. If not…Vespasian made clear there would be consequences.

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The earliest known copy of the Peace of Jerusalem was discovered in 1972 in the ruins of the synagogue of Capernaum. The document was supposed to have been copied and disseminated throughout Palestine and this particular copy dates from the year 65 A.D.

 

[Geon]

I will admit to getting a little bogged down due to a lack of knowledge of the Druids. Here however is a short chapter.
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The Druid Wars​

What historians would later call the Druid Wars began in the reign of Quirinius and would last for over 100 years.

As indicated above the Christian faith was becoming the vanguard for Roman culture, trade, and eventual citizenship both in Germania and in the island of Brittania. While there is considerable discussion as to who were the first missionaries to that island (candidates includer the Apostle Andrew, Joseph of Arimathea, and even St. Paul) the evidence shows that a Christian church was established as far back as 50 A.D.

Christians missionaries of course would be only the first step. Eventually Roman good and culture would arrive. While some of the Celtic tribes in the south of Britannia were very willing to trade with the Romans others most definitely were not.

The druids, those mysterious priests and advisors to many a chieftain in Brittania had a mixed view of Christianity. Some urged their chieftains to embrace it for a variety of reasons; economic, religious, alliances. But other druids saw the Christian religions and what came with it as a threat to a long-established way of life.

As a result, war would break out between the pagan tribes and the Christians in approximately 67 A.D. Quirinius would send two legions to protect the southernmost Christian tribes. It would be the beginning of nearly 120 years of Roman occupation.

Some druids led their whole tribes into the faith while others would kill any missionaries who dared proclaim this foreign religion. The reasons why some of these priests/advisors did or did not accept the faith is for the most part lost to antiquity as the druids left no written records. What accounts we have today are second and third hand at best.

Over the next century the druids would urge their tribal chieftains to fight for the heart and soul of Brittania on both sides. Ultimately, by the time the Romans left most of southern and central Brittania had developed its own unique culture, a mixture of Roman and Celtic.

 

[Geon]

The Later Reign of the Emperor Quirinius​

With the end of the first of the Jewish Wars and despite the beginning of the Druid Wars in Brittania a Pax Romanum settled over the empire for the duration of Quirinius Caligula Caesar’s reign. (65 -80 A.D.)

Discretely Quirinius began a quiet program of proselytization within the upper ranks of the Roman army, sending learned Christians to serve as advisors in all the legions of Rome. Given that these were personal representatives of the Emperor even the most hostile generals treated them with deference and respect knowing what the consequences would be of treating them any other way.

Also, by now many of those who had raised in the “Houses of Caligula” were of age to take various posts both in the government and the military. Quirinius made certain to carefully sponsor some of the more brilliant among these so that they would fill out important posts both in the government and the military.

In 79 A.D. a major disaster occurred when Mount Vesuvius erupted. The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were completely buried by the eruption. The eruption could be heard and seen from as far as Rome. Quirinius immediately sent a Roman legion southward along with several Christian volunteers to help and care for the survivors and refugees.

Arriving several miles from the eruption the Roman legion quickly began building a camp large enough to care for the survivors that even now were stumbling in, some barely alive. The Christian volunteers from Rome along with several of their pagan neighbors who simply wanted to help quickly began to work with the survivors. In the words of Pliny, the Younger:

They washed the wounds of the survivors with oil and wine and ministered to them tenderly. Those who could not partake of food they carefully fed broth they had cooked. Those who were so badly injured the physicians would not come near them these Christians ministered to offering wine mixed with water to ease their suffering and speaking comforting words to them until they breathed their last. (from Accounts of the Vesuvius Eruption by Pliny the Younger)​

The survivors were eventually taken to Rome where Quirinius ordered that temporary places of shelter be found for them. Many Christian families gladly shared their homes with the survivors who did not have families in Rome. And many of the survivors would convert to the faith during this time as they saw the kindness shown by these Christians.

Quirinius, a devout and holy man, would live barely a year after the events of 79 A.D. He died it is believed of a heart attack on November 9, 80 A.D. He was succeeded by his son Tiberius Claudius Caesar (or Tiberius III). Unfortunately for the Empire while Tiberius III might have his grandfather’s name, he certainly did not have his piety.

 

[Geon]

The Reign of Tiberius Claudius Caesar​

Tiberius Claudius Caesar (63 A.D. – 100 A.D.) became Emperor of Rome at the tender age of 17 upon the death of his father Tiberius Quirinius. Tiberius IV unfortunately, was not his father’s nor his grandfather’s son. Although, raised both on the literary works of the Greeks and on the Scriptures, Tiberius very quickly rejected both his baptism and the Christian faith.

There is strong evidence to suggest that Tiberius Claudius had been exposed at some point to the writings of Nero, most especially his Journal of Love Sonnets. Like Nero he considered Christianity a religion for stoics; not for one such as he who was a hedonist through and through.

Shortly after his reign began Claudius lifted the restrictions on the pagan temples, much to the delight of the pagan members of the Senate. He also abolished the “sin tax” on the brothels, many of which had been moved outside the city so that patrons would not have to pay the tax.

He expelled from his court the current Bishop of Rome Evaristus. During the times from the time of Caligula until Claudius the bishops of Rome had been the advisors to the Emperor. Now, they found themselves banished from his presence which further delighted the pagan members of the Senate.

Claudius immersed himself in lavish dinner parties to which he would invite many of his friends in the Senate and some of the wealthiest of Rome. These parties were known to last for days.

But it was not long before Claudius found himself becoming more and more discontent with the city of Rome. According to his contemporaries he found Rome “a dirty loathsome hive of humanity.” He longed for a place of his own away from this “clamoring mass.”

Thus, Tiberius Claudius sought to find a place to build a palace-resort for himself and his friends where he could truly in his words “enjoy myself in the style of a true emperor.”

He quickly discovered a perfect site for his new palace; a volcanic lake south of Rome, named Lake Nemi greatly enticed him with its view. It did not take long for him to settle on the lake as the perfect place to build his resort/palace.

Tiberius Claudius spared no expense in building his Pleasure Palace. It was huge and ornate requiring tons of marble and granite to be mined to build its elaborate buildings. A statue of rose quartz of the Emperor 15 feet high graced the entryway into the main palace. A temple to Bacchus with a large statue of the god done in marble and gilded with gold leaf was also built. Vast gardens and fountains adorned the palatial estate. Baths with both hot and cold running water were built as were huge banqueting halls equipped with rotating tables at which guests would be seated for the huge banquets. Frescoes and mosaics were commissioned by the finest artisans in Rome. All of them depicting the dalliances of the Greco/Roman deities.

The building of the Palace of Claudius took 8 years. On his 25th birthday Claudius left Rome in the charge of a loyal member of the 3rd legion and with great pomp and ceremony moved into his new pleasure palace.

Now Claudius proceeded to devote himself totally to nothing else but his own pleasure. In an amphitheater lavish plays and gladiatorial combats were performed for his amusement. He even ordered his servants to procure a collection of fine athletes to be trained as gladiators so they would “go up against the best poor Rome can offer.”

But all of this had a price tag, a big one. Within three years of his moving to his Palace of Pleasures the Empires’ coffers were starting to run dry due to the excesses of Claudius. Nor, was Claudius interested in the day-to-day running of the Empire. “After all, that is what my governors are for.” He is said to have remarked when confronted about this.

As indicated earlier the pagan Senators of Rome and the wealthy members of the aristocracy who were not Christian had at first welcomed the young Emperor’s rise to power. But now, some of them spoke fondly of “the days of the good Emperors,” referring to Claudius and his successors up to Claudius’ father.

Tiberius hedonistic lifestyle was going to bankrupt Rome if something wasn’t done soon. Evaristus prayed and fasted to the point of eventually losing his health in the hope that Claudius would come to his senses.

Finally, during a late-night feast at the Palace of Pleasures a slip of the tongue would cost Claudius the throne. Claudius had invited several Senators and other nobility from Rome for one of his weekend celebrations. At the feast Claudius tried to approach the daughter of one of the Senators asking if she would like to sleep with the Emperor that night. The young lady, who was of some considerable good breeding very politely refused. Whereupon Claudius petulantly said, “What then? Do you refuse me? Why, is it not an honor to be called to share the bed of a god?”

It was the wrong thing to say. The declaration made by Claudius’ grandfather, Tiberius Gemellus Caesar was still very much in effect, namely any Emperor who claimed divinity automatically forfeited the crown. And the father of the young lady that Claudius’ had wanted to bed was more then able to get the required two witnesses and bring the matter before the entire Senate once he returned to Rome.

The Senate by and large were now thoroughly disgusted with Claudius and his excesses. When the Senator had brought the issue before the Senate the vote to depose Claudius was near unanimous. And his governor in Rome, one Titus Aurelius was sent to arrest Claudius.

Titus Aurelius was the general of the 3rd Legion and the governor of Rome appointed by Claudius. He had also been raised in one of the Houses of Caligula and was if not a devout believer, still a very devoted member of the Church. (While Claudius showed no interest in Christianity likewise, he did nothing to actually impede or persecute the faith.)

Titus arrived at Claudius’ Pleasure Palace barely three days later with a large squad of loyal soldiers and proceeded to arrest the unfortunate Claudius bringing him back to Rome in chains practically naked! (Claudius had been in the middle of another one of his orgies.)

Brought before the Senate, the unfortunate Claudius was stripped of his crown. He might well have been executed but Timmaeus, the new Bishop of Rome surprisingly interceded for the man. Timmaeus felt that losing the crown was a just punishment in and of itself and any further punishment was simply vengeance seeking.

But Claudius’ days of pleasure seeking were over. He was exiled from Rome and forced to take up residence in a small town near the Italian Alps. He was allotted a small house there with a bedroom, living room, and a small bath. It was nowhere near the grand home he had known but it was not a hovel either.

Claudius would henceforth subsist on a diet of fruits and vegetables, bread, and water. The punishment of exile and a “penance” fast would soon become a popular means of punishment for more wealthy citizens convicted of crimes in Rome.

Claudius would remain in exile to his death in 100 A.D. Tradition says that Claudius became a Christian and was baptized a few months before his death but there is no way of verifying this apocryphal story.

As for his Palace of Pleasures, it would slowly fall into ruin, abandoned and later plundered for some of the stones and fine pieces of art that were there. Eventually the ruins would disappear and not be rediscovered until they were uncovered in 1957 by an Italian archeological team.

 

[Geon]

Titus Aurelius – Supreme Praetor​

Shortly after the deposition of Tiberius Claudius, the Roman Senate attempted to proclaim Titus Aurelius as the new Caesar. But Titus Aurelius refused the title.

As indicated earlier, Titus Aurelius (55-110 A.D.) had been raised in one of the Houses of Caligula. Raised and baptized in the Christian faith he was also well-versed in the classical learning of most educated Romans. His honesty and integrity not to mention an ethic for hard work allowed him to rise quickly among the ranks of the army. Eventually he was named the commander of the Third Legion, which was the Emperor’s personal legion, since the time of Tiberius Gemellus.

His honesty and integrity and supposed loyalty also made him the favored candidate of the Emperor, Tiberius Claudius Caesar for becoming the governor of Rome while Tiberius Claudius dallied at his pleasure palace on Lake Nemi.

Yet, according to historians from the period, Titus was less then pleased with the hedonistic spend-thrift that now occupied the throne of Rome. Titus is said to have looked on with great distress as the coffers of Rome sank lower and lower due to the excesses of Tiberius Claudius.

When the fateful incident occurred, which marked the end of the reign of Tiberius it was with the greatest of pleasure that the general went to Lake Nemi and brought back the soon-to-be former Emperor clad only in his undergarments. Much of Rome turned out to gawk and jeer at the unfortunate Emperor as he was paraded through the streets of Rome to the Senate chambers to hear the sentence against him. The people of Rome, had also tired of the antics of their “absentee emperor.”

After Tiberius’ trial and exile Titus Aurelius was offered the crown of Rome but refused. He felt he had no right to assume the crown until a full search had been made for a proper heir to the throne. It should be noted at this point Tiberius had left no – legitimate – issue during his brief reign. The Roman Senate reluctantly accepted Titus’ refusal. Instead Titus would assume the title of Supreme Praetor.

As Supreme Praetor, Titus held all the powers of Emperor but could be deposed by the Roman Senate by vote. Titus declared that every sixth year the Senate was to meet and vote on whether his praetorship was to continue or whether another was to be chosen. It is significant that in the six times his praetorship was voted upon his rule was renewed for another six years.

During his reign the Christian bishop of Rome once more became a favored counselor. The “sin tax” on the brothels in Rome – now having moved back into Rome during the reign of Tiberius – was reinstated at a higher rate. Titus also issued an imperial decree that the “sin tax” was to be instituted in all parts of the Empire.

Titus also raised taxes on certain “luxury goods” – rare spices, fine oils, etc. – in Rome and throughout the Empire but decreed that this “luxury tax” would only remain in effect until “the coffers of Rome were full again.” He gave the Senate authority to “audit the books” on a regular yearly basis and also gave them limited authority to abolish the “luxury tax” once the deficit created by Tiberius was erased. It would take 10 years but the “luxury tax” was finally abolished in 90 A.D. by the Senate.

Unlike Tiberius, Titus Aurelius would live a very simple life. He refused any sort of special considerations and continued to live in the modest home he had occupied with his wife and two children before being appointed governor of Rome by Tiberius.

Titus' granting of limited power back to the Senate is believed to be the reason he was reelected as Supreme Praetor for 6 consecutive terms.

It was during this time that the Debates on Virtue in Public Leaders were held in the Senate. These were a series of debates in the Senate that came about early in the reign of Titus. After the near disastrous reign of Tiberius, Titus had considered having a law passed stating only those who professed the Christian faith and were baptized should be allowed to sit as either Emperor, or governors, or Senators.

The tentative law was brought before the Senate. Here it was hotly debated, and the chronicles of that debate were preserved by various writers for posterity. There were many among the pagan Senators who held that a pagan could be just as virtuous if not more so then many Christians. And there were those Christian Senators who contended that paganism by its very nature spawned immorality. When asked for his opinion the aging bishop of Rome Timmaeus said:

“It is clear to us that the very act of being baptized does not of itself convey virtue but rather a virtuous life is lived by one who follows what the Savior has decreed and what he has forbidden. Our Lord clearly taught, ‘not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will inherit the Kingdom of God…”

The so-called Decree of Virtue was rejected with several Christian and pagan Senators voting against it. The argument that virtue was not a commodity of only one religion had won the day.

Nonetheless, despite this failure, Titus would continue as Supreme Praetor until his death in 110 A.D. shortly after his reelection for a sixth consecutive term. According to chroniclers he suffered a stroke and fell from his chariot barely a week after his reelection. Despite his refusal of the crown he would be mourned by all of Rome and give a funeral which in the words of one historian, “was worthy of any Caesar.”

 

[Geon]

@JennyB regarding Herod Agrippa it is likely he didn't fare too well given his role-however minor in Jesus' crucifixion. It is likely Herod Agrippa finds himself removed from power and a Roman governor put in his place.

I want to thank everyone who has so graciously nominated me and seconded my nomination for a Turtledove. Frankly, I am amazed at how much everyone has enjoyed this. As a thank you here is a small new chapter! Please read, comment, and enjoy!

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The New Republic (74-218 A.D.)
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What would become known as the New Republican era of the Roman Empire lasted from the beginning of the Praetorship of Titus Aurelius until the so-called Coup of Maximillian in 218 A.D.

In the first few years of the New Republican era there was indeed an earnest effort to search for an heir to the throne. But those efforts became more and more half-hearted as the years went by until the term, “until an Emperor is found”, became a popular slang phrase in Rome. The phrase referred to an indefinite period one had to wait.

The Senate saw the new era as a chance to regain the power of the Republic’s “glory days” which were romanticized by many historians and authors of the time. However, it should be noted the Roman Senate was not as powerful as its pre-Imperial counterpart. The Senate was granted power to tax or to remove taxes. It was granted power to elect the Praetor once every six years. And it had the power to in the words of the new Charter of the Republic drawn up in A.D. 119 to enact such laws as shall seem good for the welfare and well-being of the Empire.”(1)

However, the Supreme Praetor still held an enormous amount of power. He had the power to declare a state of emergency for up to three months, subject to renewal by the Senate in the event of war or other such major emergency.

The Praetor also had the power to be a war leader when necessary and to declare war. Thus, most of the Supreme Praetors were chosen from the army for their military experience.

A Supreme Praetor also had the power to order an investigation and if necessary, the removal of any Senator found to be in violation of Roman law. This was a power many of the Supreme Praetors would sadly use to remove potential political enemies using trumped up charges of corruption.

Finally, the Supreme Praetor had the power to veto any law the Senate passed, but only if less then 2/3 of the Senate had voted to approve it.

With limited power restored to the Senate by the Charter inevitably various factions arose each determined to monopolize their newly granted powers. There was the aristocratic faction which was determined Rome would be ruled as it had been in the days of the Old Republic by the elite families of Rome. There was the trade guild faction made up of a rising group of the newly rich mostly traders and wealthy merchants. There was a faction made up of the Christians who – at least initially – sought to represent the needs of the poor and to clean up the ‘deplorable immorality’ they saw in and around Rome. Finally, the army had a faction in the Senate. Since traditionally the Supreme Praetor was elected from the Roman army it was reasoned the army should have a say in the government.

It wasn’t long until this system however showed its short comings. Most Praetors rarely lasted more then one term as they roused the ire of one or more of the senatorial factions. It was a rare Praetor who served two terms. And it was not uncommon for violent demonstrations to break out in Rome come election time. Things got so bad that the Supreme Praetor Graccus Lucian decreed that all the taverns and bars in Rome were to be closed and any public gatherings were to be banned for two days on either side of the day the Senate met to choose a new Praetor. It was a resolution the Senate heartily endorsed given many of them feared for their life come election day lest irate crowds lynch them.

In addition, many Senators found themselves removed from office on either real or imaginary charges of corruption. Sadly, political vendettas became quite common in the later years of the Second Republican Age.

While Christianity continued to grow and flourish at this time there were those leaders in the church who more and more believed that it was wiser for Christians to stay out of politics. Pope John II (140-165) wrote in The Perils of Political Office of the dangers of corruption and urged Christians to seek the discernment of their presbyters and bishops before starting any sort of political career.

Unfortunately, even with the warnings of John and his successors the corruption in the Senate would continue to grow, until in 216 Praetor Maximillian Tertullius finally decided enough was enough.



1. The Prelude.