Name: AYLA FERNANDA DE OLIVEIRA
Publication date: 04/10/2024
Examining board:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| BELCHIOR MONTEIRO LIMA NETO | Examinador Interno |
| ERICA CRISTHYANE MORAIS DA SILVA | Examinador Interno |
| GILVAN VENTURA DA SILVA | Presidente |
| GISELE OLIVEIRA AYRES BARBOSA | Examinador Externo |
Summary: In this dissertation, we explore how, between 64 and 27 BC, in the final decades of the Roman Republic, the plebeians and veterans of Rome emerged as essential support groups for Julius Caesar and Octavian, two prominent Republican leaders. Amid the socio-economic crisis following the Second Punic War (218 – 201 BC), which deeply impacted the Italian peasantry, the urban plebs and the veterans quickly became political assets. As a result, those wishing to leverage them against senatorial policies sought them out, leading to their increased involvement in the patron-client system, a hallmark of Roman society since at least the start of the Republic. For this investigation, we utilize primary sources including The Live of the Twelve Caesars by Suetonius, Civil Wars by Appian, Res Gestae by Augustus, and The Civil War by Julius Caesar. The central hypothesis of this research suggests that the socio-economic changes post the Second Punic War led to the impoverishment of the peasant masses, rural exodus, and the formation of a dispossessed contingent, which in turn influenced the very composition of the Roman army, previously based on census criteria. Moreover, the emergence of the urban plebeians and the professional army paved the way for two groups that played a pivotal role in the Republic's crisis by supporting the aspirations of Caesar and Octavian, the leading figures of their time. In exchange for political backing for Caesar and Octavian, the urban plebs and veterans sought material benefits, thereby establishing a patron-client relationship that benefited both parties. From a theoretical-methodological standpoint, we employ concepts of group, conflict, social movements, leadership, and patronage, combined with Content Analysis, following the guidelines of Laurence Bardin (1977).
