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¤ ACHILLAS (fl. mid-lst century B.C.) A skilled soldier in the service of the Egyptian King PTOLEMY
XIII whose most notable act was to serve as an accomplice in the murder of POMPEY THE GREAT on
September 28, 48 B.C. He was subsequently involved in the siege of Alexandria during Caesar's
occupation of that Egyptian city, and he also aided in plots against the Roman forces. One of Achillas'
intrigues involved Cleopatra's sister, Princess ARSINOE, who offered him the post of general of her
army. A veteran campaigner, but inept at court politics, Achillas managed to gain Arsinoe's ill will, and
he was executed at her command.
¤ ACHILLEUS (d. c. 297 A.D.) Leader of a nationalistic Egyptian rebellion against Roman domination in
296 or 297. The years of the tetrarchy under DIOCLETIAN were ones of questionable Roman
supremacy in the various regions of the Empire, and Achilleus launched an Egyptian campaign for
freedom. The revolt was doomed to failure because of internal rivalries and a lack of resources.
Achilleus' own leadership was in dispute because many of his co-conspirators favoured DOMITIUS
DOMITIANUS. Diocletian personally put down the revolution by capturing the city of ALEXANDRIA
after a siege of six months. Achilleus and his band of rebels were slain.
¤ ACTA The laws and decrees enacted by the emperors of Rome. Under the Republic, elected officials
swore to uphold the laws of the land. As the age of the Empire arrived, this oath was extended to include
as well the decrees, or acta, of the emperors. Each new emperor took an oath to uphold the acta. In many
eras, however, these decrees or acta were limited only to those promulgated by AUGUSTUS in his time
(the decrees of more recent emperors, especially in chaotic periods of the Empire, were considered
suspect or not worthy of notice). It was the decision of each new emperor whether to swear to uphold the
decrees of his immediate predecessor or not. The SENATE possessed the right to rescind decrees of a
deceased emperor or to ratify the acta of emperors still living (as they did with Augustus in 29 B.C.).
Acta were considered important because of the ramifications involved in precedents and posterity.
TIBERIUS, for example, refused to allow the Senate to vote oaths to him when he came to the throne, as
his monstrous deeds would then be enshrined in the perpetual machinery of the acta. CLAUDIUS,
meanwhile, made everyone swear to uphold the acta of Augustus but, like Tiberius, did not insist upon their
taking oaths to him and his personal decrees.
¤ ACTA DIURNA A journal instituted by Julius CAESAR that recounted the great events of Rome,
much like a modern newspaper, displayed on a whitened board (album) daily. This history was widely read
and was used by Roman historians attempting to recreate the events of earlier eras. Tacitus mentions the
acta diurna in his Annals.
¤ ACTA SENATUS The official records of the proceedings and deeds of the Roman Senate. Augustus
permitted their compilation but forbade their publication. The records were of interest to various
historians, including TACITUS, who used them to compose many of their own volumes, together with
information culled from the ACTA DIURNA. This record was useful not only in making an account of
events and speeches in the Senate, but also to identify allies and enemies of an emperor. Political figures such
as SEJANUS could thus keep a close watch on the Senate, through its own account.
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