|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rome: The Age of Augustus
| |
|
Posted by Webmaster on September 21 2004, 04:48 PM
|
Octavian's victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium made him the sole ruler of Rome, just like his great-uncle Julius Caesar before. It finally ended the long century of Civil Wars (133 BC - 30 BC) and opened up a great new age of prosperity and peace to Rome and the Mediterranean world as a whole, often called "The Golden Age" of the Empire.
When Octavian returned to Rome after his brief stay in Egypt the flatterers offered him to take the position of Julius Caesar as a dictator till death. Clever as he was, though, he rejected that and in January 27 BC ceremonially surrendered all his power to the Senate, proclaiming the restoration of the Republic. It was only an act of symbolism, as he received back most of it right away, accompanied with many new honours. The powerless Senate granted him the virtually important provinces of Gaul, Spain, Syria and Cyprus, while Egypt remained his personal domain. He was also re-elected consul from 31 to 23 BC. Furthermore he received the title "Augustus", meaning "revered", although he personally preferred being called "princeps" (first citizen). Augustus also kept the title Imperator, showing that he held the supreme command of the army as well.
The year 27 BC marks the beginning of the Roman Empire. The principate Augustus established proved so successful that it was maintained for more than 300 years, before finally being changed by Diocletian. It was further developed in 23 BC with the so-called "Second Settlement", when Augustus gave up his consulship and was instead made tribune for life by the Senate.
Augustus was undoubtedly one of the best administrators the world ever acknowledged. He now embarked on the hard task of organising the Empire as he found it, that is, by finding suitable boundaries, left very indefinite by the Republic. In the south with the subjugation of Egypt the Sahara Desert quickly became a frontier. The two-century wars in Spain were finally ended as complete control over the peninsula was gained in 19 BC. In the north the Danube River was established as a borderline after Augustus conquered Panonia, Raetia and Moesia. He tried to push as far as the Elbe River, but after the terrible defeat in the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9, where the 17th, 18th and 19th legions were annihilated by the Germans, he chose to withdraw to the Rhine. Augustus also resented the conquest of Britain. In the east the Euphrates River made up most of Rome's border with Parthia and the legionary standards lost to the Parthians in the Battle of Carrhae (53 BC) were recovered in 20 BC after Parthia was simply threatened with war. The so set spheres of Roman influence became defined in the next centuries, as later Emperors with the exception of Trajan chose to stick by them.
For the protection of the borders the army was organised and strengthened. Initially Augustus reduced the number of legions to 18 but later raised it to 25. They were posted away from Italy into the provinces. The only army that was left in Italy was that of the newly created Praetorian Guard, designed by Augustus for the defence of the Emperor's persona. Under Tiberius and Caligula it was further developed and became the best part of the Imperial army, having been raised to 12,000 troops too.
Along with the fixation of the frontiers, Augustus also reorganised the provinces and their taxation. Census lists were made and from now on each province paid taxes according to its annual harvest and the conditions and size of its land. Governors were chosen by the Emperor himself, and were under his direct control. This had an immediate effect on the provinces which had suffered extensively under heavy taxation and supplied the costs of the civil wars, especially the troubled Greece.
Spending a lot of time and efforts on the provinces, Augustus did not forget Rome either. The Emperor boasted that he had found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble. His architectural plans were largely those that Julius Caesar had either outlined or started already. Augustus completed the Basilica of Julius Caesar, already started but damaged by fire. He also built a large new forum for the increasing needs of the populace. A giant sundial with a temple of Peace next to it was also erected. On their northern side Augustus built his own marvellous Mausoleum where his ashes were later buried. Old temples were repaired and new ones were built; Augustus claims to have restored 82 temples in just 1 year. Doing this he sought to awaken the fading religious life of the people; he also personally performed rituals as Pontifex and after 12 BC as Pontifex Maximus.
Along with its political life, the cultural life of the Empire also benefited immensely from the peace and the wise and just reign of Augustus. Latin literature climbed to unprecedented and never to be repeated again heights. Titus Livy wrote a huge history of Rome, which, despite being quite inaccurate, is fascinating reading. In the field of poetry Horace left immortal poems portraying the lives of the Romans of the era. Even greater than him was Virgil, the son of an emancipated slave. He was working on a Roman epic when he died in 19 BC. Virgil had left a note that if he died before his work was complete, it should be burnt. Augustus, however, did not agree with that, and so the Aeneid came to be. Its theme was the wanderings Aeneas from the fallen Troy to Latium, where after innumerous triumphs founded the royal line from which Augustus, the establisher of World Peace was descended.
When he was over seventy-five, foreseeing his close end, Augustus also left a short account of his deeds. Without being brilliant in style or anything, it was a great summary of a great reign. Soon after, on August 19th AD 14 AD the Pater Patriae died at Nola only a month away from his 76th birthday. The Empire that he left behind was so strong that it survived for more than four centuries, even though some of his successors were ignorant and even mad. |
User Comments:
| veronius
:: December 30 2008 |
| Ave Augustus Caesar! Ave atque vale... |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
