Augustus

TheFirstEmpireofRome------AugustsIntroduction•Augustus(23September63BC–19August14AD),alsonamedGaiusOctaviusThurinus,wasthefounderoftheRomanEmpireanditsfirstEmperor,rulingfrom27BCuntilhisdeathin14AD.Afterhisdeath,theRomanSenatedecidedtoincludehimintheranksofGod,andcalledAugustusmonthasAugust,whichisthesourceofEuropeanlanguagesinAugust.HispaternalfamilywasfromthetownofVelletri,AugustuswasborninthecityofRomeon23September63BC.HewasgiventhenameGaiusOctaviusThurinus,hiscognomenpossiblycommemoratinghisfather'svictoryatThuriioverarebelliousbandofslaves.Caesar,havingnolivinglegitimatechildrenunderRomanlaw,[note6]hadadoptedhisgrand-nephewOctaviusashissonandmainheir.Uponhisadoption,Octaviusassumedhisgreat-uncle'sname,GaiusJuliusCaesar.Birth&NameAtthetimeCaesarwaskilledontheIdesofMarch44BC,OctaviuswasstudyingandundergoingmilitarytraininginApollonia,Illyria.AfterlandingatLupiaenearBrundisium,helearnedthecontentsofCaesar'swill,andonlythendidhedecidetobecomeCaesar'spoliticalheiraswellasheirtotwo-thirdsofhisestate.AfterawarmwelcomebyCaesar'ssoldiersatBrundisium,OctaviandemandedaportionofthefundsthatwereallottedbyCaesarfortheintendedwaragainstParthiaintheMiddleEast.Thisamountedto700millionsestercesstoredatBrundisium,thestaginggroundinItalyformilitaryoperationsintheeast.EarlyLifeArrivinginRomeon6May44BC,OctavianfoundtheconsulMarkAntony,Caesar'sformercolleague,inanuneasytrucewiththedictator'sassassins.OctavianfailedtopersuadeAntonytorelinquishCaesar'smoneytohim.DuringthesummerhemanagedtowinsupportfromCaesariansympathizers,however,whosawtheyoungerheirasthelesserevilandhopedtomanipulatehim,ortobearwithhimduringtheireffortstogetridofAntony.•OctavianbegantomakecommoncausewiththeOptimates,theformerenemiesofCaesar.InSeptember,theleadingOptimateoratorMarcusTulliusCicerobegantoattackAntonyinaseriesofspeechesportrayinghimasathreattotheRepublicanorder.•Inadesperateattempttobreakfreeofthenavalblockade,Antony'sfleetsailedthroughthebayofActiumonthewesterncoastofGreece.Antonyandhisremainingforcesweresparedonlyduetoalast-ditcheffortbyCleopatra'sfleetthathadbeenwaitingnearby•AfteranotherdefeatinAlexandriaon1August30BC,AntonyfellonhisownswordandwastakenbyhissoldiersbacktoAlexandriawherehediedinCleopatra'sarmsFinalWaroftheRomanRepublicOctavianbecomesAugustus•YearsofcivilwarhadleftRomeinastateofnearlawlessness,buttheRepublicwasnotpreparedtoacceptthecontrolofOctavianasadespot.Atthesametime,OctaviancouldnotsimplygiveuphisauthoritywithoutriskingfurthercivilwarsamongtheRomangenerals,andevenifhedesirednopositionofauthoritywhatsoever,hispositiondemandedthathelooktothewell-beingofthecityofRomeandtheRomanprovinces.Octavian'saimsfromthispointforwardweretoreturnRometoastateofstability,traditionallegalityandcivilitybyliftingtheovertpoliticalpressureimposedonthecourtsoflawandensuringfreeelectionsinnameatleast.ConstitutionoftheRomanEmpire•In27BC,OctavianmadeashowofreturningfullpowertotheRomanSenateandrelinquishinghiscontroloftheRomanprovincesandtheirarmies.Underhisconsulship,however,theSenatehadlittlepowerininitiatinglegislationbyintroducingbillsforsenatorialdebate.OctavianbecamethemostpowerfulpoliticalfigureinthecityofRomeandinmostofitsprovinces,butdidnothavesolemonopolyonpoliticalandmartialpower.•On16January27BCtheSenategaveOctavianthenewtitlesofAugustusandPrinceps.AccordingtoRomanreligiousbeliefs,thetitlesymbolizedastampofauthorityoverhumanity—andinfactnature—thatwentbeyondanyconstitutionaldefinitionofhisstatus.•Bytheendofhisreign,thearmiesofAugustushadconquerednorthernHispania(modernSpainandPortugal),theAlpineregionsofRaetiaandNoricum(modernSwitzerland,Bavaria,Austria,Slovenia),IllyricumandPannonia(modernAlbania,Croatia,Hungary,Serbia,etc.),andextendedthebordersoftheAfricaProvincetotheeastandsouth•ToprotectRome'seasternterritoriesfromtheParthianEmpire,AugustusreliedontheclientstatesoftheeasttoactasterritorialbuffersandareasthatcouldraisetheirowntroopsfordefenseDeath•On19AugustAD14,Augustusdiedwhilevisitingtheplaceofhisbirthfather'sdeathatNola.•Augustus'famouslastwordswere,HaveIplayedthepartwell?ThenapplaudasIexit—referringtotheplay-actingandregalauthoritythathehadputonasemperor.Publicly,though,hislastwordswere,Behold,IfoundRomeofclay,andleavehertoyouofmarble.•ItwasproclaimedthatAugustusjoinedthecompanyofthegodsasamemberoftheRomanpantheon.Thankyou!