Moral Decline

Suetonius

• encouraged marriage in the senatorial and equestrian orders through the Lex Julia and later the Lex Papia Poppea
• tried to combat bribery in elections
• reviewed the equestrian and senatorial orders. Reduced the number of Senators.

Tacitus

• his laws were to sharpen the penalty for celibacy but met with opposition due to the popularity of being childless.

Cassius Dio

• special privileges granted to senators who were married or had many children
• Augustus gave rewards to those who had children

Livy

• Livy believed that the standard of morality was lowering, due to the self-indugence and licentiousness which came from wealth.
• Old Rome prided frugality and having a pure morality.

Horace

• His Secular hymn emphasised the value of faithfulness in marriage and having children. It also emphasised "morals, modesty and truth"

Ovid

• wrote a cynical poem on marriage, and writes that adultery was harmless (likely the reason of his exile)

Tacitus

• Rome was overwhelmed by new wealth, luxury and extravagence.
• Tiberius said that the Senate should improve themselves out of self-respect while the plebs from necessity and the rich because they have enough
• Tiberius rebuked his son Drusus who put on gladiatoral shows of great cruelty which shocked the populace
• he exiled Senators and equestrians who were getting themselves deranked so they could perform on stage

Suetonius

• took ancient marks of distinction from the ancient families of Rome
• he killed Ptolemy (of Egypt) because he attracted everyone's attention on a visit
• cruel to anyone who had any kind of excellency

Cassius Dio

• Cassius Dio also speculated that Gaius had sex with his sisters and slept around with many women
• Caligula also dressed up as the gods. Supposedly accepted supplications and prayers as though he was a god himself. (still likely just rumours)

Suetonius

• reorganised the career ladder of the equestrian rank
• made new laws on slavery
• banished Jews from Rome
• a gladiator was spared by Claudius after his four sons spoke for him. Claudius used the chance to encourage people to have children

Suetonius

• a limit was set to expenditures
• Christians were punished (scapegoats for the Great Fire)
• punished chariot riders who were cheating and robbing the people; pantomine actors and their partisans were banished from Rome

Tacitus

• foreign influence led to indolence and promiscuity
• Nero made his stage debut which was "national dishonour" and the spectators were people from the provinces who were unused to the shows of "wantoness"

Seneca

• in a letter to a friend, Seneca says that the arena was butchery with men thrown to animals while the crowd was ruthless and bloodthirsty. The multitudes were "corrupted".

Works of Petronius of the freedman Trimalchio and his antics (not exactly the most morally pure work)

Suetonius

• built new temple and began the Flavian Amphitheatre
• reformed the senatorial and equestrian orders
• introduced laws to curb the licentiousness and extravagence which was rife in Rome

Tacitus

• Vespasian led by example, and many people wasnted to emulate Vespasian. This caused many to abide by a stricter code than those just motived by the strict legal sanctions.

Pliny

• believed the people were given to "lethargy"
• avarice and greed were predominant as the people focused more on wealth than the merit of one's actions
• thought that being childless was percieved as positive as they could then fortune hunt

Suetonius

• forbade the appearance of actors on stage but allowed it in private
• prohibited the castration of males
• forbade planting new vineyards in a time of abundance of wine but scarcity of grain;
• gave important offices to freedmen and equestrians
• stopped the publication of lampoons and scandalous writings

Juvenal

• says "peace brought corruption to the city"
• money from the empire brought corruption to the city

Pliny

• describes a Quadratilla who enjoyed pantomimic troops but sent away her grandson whenever they performed (sense of decency)
• commended his wife's aunt Calpurnia for following his political career
• critisises the shallowness with which the masses supported chariot teams