history 101

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HIST 101: Final Project

Fanny Palmer

History 101

Date 1/8 /21

EMPEROR AUGUSTUS CONTRIBUTION IN FOUNDING THE ROMAN POWER

Introduction

Rome is the oldest government in the history of the world. In the many years of existence, Roman leadership had varying structures and systems that evolved with time. The Roman Republic was established in 500BC after a successful overthrow of foreigners from its territory. The Roman republic was controlled by the Patricians and Plebeians, who elected the two consuls as the head leaders. In the 4th century, Rome extended its influence to many regions of Europe through subduing and wars. Roman leadership took many forms leadership, transitions, cultures, and traditions. Remarkably, Rome transitioned from a kingdom, then a republic before becoming an empire. Some influential kings and leaders in the Roman kingdom and republic include King Romulus, Marcius Lucius Junius Brutus, and Lepidus extra (Gibbon, 2016). Augustus Caesar was the first emperor of Rome after he won a war against Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Augustus was a rescuer, a warrior, and a benevolent leader who initiated stability and expedient military control in the Roman Empire.

Literature Review

Augustus was born on September 23 63BCE as Gaius Octavius Thurinue and died on August 19 CE (Barrett, 2016). Augustus was an adopted child to Julius Caesar his great uncle. He was named Octaviusnus due to the happenings and influences in his lifetime. Gaius came from one of the wealthiest families that had settled in literate Rome. His biological father was a former Roman senator who was the second influential in the hierarchy of consulship. His mother, Julia was the niece of Julius Caesar. Gaius' prosperous background gave him earlier exposure to leadership, adventure, and advanced education. While studying in Albania in 44 BCE his uncle Julius Caesar was murdered by the Roman senators (Reid, 2015). Upon his death, Caesar had made Gaius his chief while he was at the tender age of 18. Gaius collaborated with Caesar's former allies to kill all of Caesars' assassins. However, Mark Antony, Caesar's lieutenant refused with Caesars' funds, assets and possession as he thought himself to be the chief heir. Antony mistreated and misused Gaius' sister whom he had married and later divorced aggravating the lift between them. Eventually, Augustus would win the war against Cleopatra and Mark Antony and became the chief ruler of Rome.

Augustus is considered the most influential and effective emperor that ever existed in the history of Rome. Rome experienced dimensional leaders from the imperatively tyrant ones to very effective and revolutionary ones. The name Augustus from the month of August was given to him due to his exceptional achievements that corresponded with the 8th month (Gibbon, 2016). His supreme leadership set a standard with which all his successors were weighed. Augustus was also the emperor when a significant religious happening took place, which is the birth of the Christian Jesus in 27 BC (Billings, 2008). His rulership experienced incredible economic, artistic, and agricultural advancements. He strategically finished all the projects started by Julius Caesar and carried on his grand designs. He built 82 temples within a year and passed many reforms on marriage, childbearing, sexual relations, and other social incentives (Morgan, 2015). Most distinctive was the tactical strategy that he applied to establish a powerful, outstanding, and long-lasting Rome power. Moreover, how his social relations, character, orientation, wives, and children contributed to building the foundations of the estimable reputable globally renowned Rome Empire.

Augustus Strategies in Building the Roman Empire

1. Joining forces in Assassinating Caesars’ Murderers’

Caesar was a ruthless dictator who ruined the pillars of the Roman Republic after the gravies civil war. Augustus assumed the leadership while so young and inexperienced. One of the key enemies of his leadership was his fathers' assassins that had powerful senatorial positions. To win against them, Augustus joined forces with Caesar's allies to fight Cassius and Brutus. Upon their death, Augustus had gained great fighting experienced and expertise. Later, in the Battle of Actium against Antony and Cleopatra in the 31BC, Augustus defeated them and gained authority over the entire empire. These defeats led to Cleopatra and Antony committing suicide, which left him with no worrying enemies. Remarkably the two were cruel leaders who oppressed the senate. On acquiring the victory, Augustus restored the power to the Roman senate, which gained him a reputation and designation of name Augustus. Augustus was never arrogant, power-thirsty, or exploitative, which enhanced his support among the people and the senate. This strategy founded a monarchy that lasted over 1400 years later (Barrett, 2016).

2. Augustus careful acquisition of power

Augustus intentionally took the humble role of 'the people protector' (tribune) unlike his predecessors who were dictatorial and authoritative. Using this title enabled him to connect with ordinary people, attaining him great approval. The Roman community consisted of the Patricians - the rich folks, and the plebeians were the middle-class people and the slaves. Tribune was a title for the plebeians. The gesture depicted Augustus as a humble, relatable, selfless, and considerate leader. Augustus could convene the senate and run religious activities. Augustus changed the senate from oligarchy to autocracy. To escape opposition from the Senate, Augustus spent eight years acting as an Actium and gaining Principate powers. He then transitioned to Octavian before becoming an emperor (Gibbon, 2016). His means of gaining power were strategized and procedural certifying that the entire populace gradually cooperates. Augustus' practice of a different, more lenient form of leadership swayed maximum support enabling him to establish the kind of leadership he had in mind. Though most of his establishment was enjoyed by his successors, he was intentional and ordered in building an enduring empire.

3. Augustus Policies

Augustus was a political mastermind that constructed monarchy in the most appropriate ways. His leadership experienced incredible peace and stability, minimal corruption and thuggery, with little political opinions and democracy (Reid, 2015). This was the earlier order of the Roman domain hence the populace relatively embraced it. His focus was the reconciliation policy. Rome had earlier experienced destructive civil wars that resulted in torture and deaths. Augustus came in a period when society hungered peace, which he perfectly delivered. He claimed to take sides in no party but rather to rule over everyone. With this policy, Augustus managed to reconcile the conservatives with the progressives. He was careful not to elicit any hatred among the population or the senate. The peace and tranquillity during his era enabled the empire to experience massive economic advancements. After his death, it was hard to dilute most of these strategies that were foundational in building the Rome dynasty. Augustus organized a peaceful succession by his stepson, unlike his predecessor.

4. Augustus supremacy and advisory

Augustus assigned the senate with influential responsibilities in finances, judiciary, advisory functions. Unlike the previous leaderships, there was no dyarchic division between him and the senate. Augustus also kept very few friends, advisors, or confidants around his circle. Most of the significant advisories were dynamic and from the imperial family. Presumably, this must have enabled him to remain focused on his goal with interruptions. However, Augustus received massive support from Agrippa and Maecenas. Agrippa was a childhood friend who helped him in war and architectural designing (Barrett, 2016). Maecenas was a literature patron who mentored Augustus making his reign an epoch of civilization. Augustus must have understood that founding an empire requires the company of great minds. This method of discipline and determination lead to the establishment of the historical Roman dynasty.

5. Augustus Reforms

i. The senate

As discussed earlier, Augustus was so intentional in restoring senate dignity and authority. The senators were the perpetrators of Caesars' death. Augustus minimized the senators from nine hundred to six hundred, which was more manageable. Having a collaborative senate was the key element that led to the successful establishment of the empire (Reid, 2015)

ii. The military

Augustus enacted strict discipline in all the militants. The militants were sternly trained and punished for committing reckless actions. Augustus allowed them to visit their wives during winter and paid them good allowances. The decent remittance was a key motivation for the soldiers and cultivated loyalty. The empire was positive of dependability and well-trained militants.

iii. The judiciary

Augustus empowered the judges and introduced the precedence concept as a pillar of justice. He furthered burned earlier treasury debts that were usually used for blackmail. Augustus would personally oversee justice and acted as an epitome of fairness, peace, and law. During his era, there were lesser cases of impartiality and upgrade on integrity, which was appraisable (Reid, 2015).

iv. Morality and Religion

During Augustus' reign, there was a deterioration of morality in society. In an attempt to restore morals, Augustus discarded personal luxurious living and foreign dressing styles. The hardships in the civil war made many people lose faith in gods. Augustus reinstituted old religious activities and built 82 temples in one year (Morgan, 2015). Religion gave the populace a sense of individuality, decency, and social accountability. Augustus imposed strict punishments on adultery and endorsed marriage laws. Moral legislation and society morals played a big role in building harmony and unity in the Roman Empire.

v. Financial Reforms

Augustus revised the taxes burden and implemented a faired tax revenue collection strategy. The financial structure wholly reformed linking the central treasuries to provincial treasuries. The new system stimulated trade and the empire fostering stability, safety, and affluence of Rome.

Role of Livia Drusilla in the Rome Empire

Augustus married thrice, first to Mark Antony's daughter whom he divorced then to Scribonia who bore him his only biological child Julia (Kleiner, 2000). Livia was the third wife and had a don a Drusus from the former marriage. Livia was supportive, generous, and compassionate to Augustus' opponents. Though she was not very influential in the emperor's decisions, she is believed to have a strong intrigue that helped the family. In the Roman culture, women were usually involved in domestic activities, and Livia was not an exception. She mentored his sons ensuring that one of them inherited the stepfather's throne. Tiberius his son assuredly inherited Augustus' throne after his death. There were speculations that Livia might have poisoned Augustus to death. Livia is a clear indication of the gender inequality, stereotyping, and decadence faced by women during the Roman Empire. Their voices were unheard, and they were prone to abuse and discrimination (Kleiner, 2000).

Conclusion

The victory of the establishment of the Roman Empire resulted from the enormous dedication, strategy, and tactical leadership of Augustus. His leadership was a definite description of military primacy and universal consent. Augustus died over 2000 years ago with a legacy of exceptional leadership and calculated governance. Augustus was a turning point for European and world history as he formed a dynasty that lasted for centuries. Undoubtedly, Augustus was a successful politician who created lasting institutions and extracted loyalty from the Roman populace. His family background, academics, personal character, and associations attributed to him being an outstanding leader.

References

Barrett, A. (2016). Augustus: First Emperor of Rome. By Adrian Goldsworthy. (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2014. Pp. viii, 598. $35.00.). The Historian, 78(4), 810-811. https://doi.org/10.1111/hisn.12393

Billings, B. (2008). 'At the Age of 12': The Boy Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52), The Emperor Augustus, and the Social Setting of the Third Gospel. The Journal Of Theological Studies, 60(1), 70-89. https://doi.org/10.1093/jts/fln149

Gibbon, E. (2016). History of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire (pp. 56-65). André Hoffmann.

Kleiner, D. (2000). Livia Drusilla and the remarkable power of elite women in imperial Rome: A commentary on recent books on Rome’s first empress. International Journal Of The Classical Tradition, 6(4), 563-569. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02907071

Morgan, T. (2015). Living with the Gods in Fables of the Early Roman Empire. Religion In The Roman Empire, 1(3), 378. https://doi.org/10.1628/219944615x14448150487355

Reid, C. (2015). Law Reform in the Ancient World: Did the Emperor Augustus Succeed or Fail in His Morals Legislation?. SSRN Electronic Journal, 60-72. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2573982