Transcript Augustus - East Aurora Schools

Augustus
ingenium Augusti
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conservative
ambitious
self-confident
disciplined
frugal
cold and calculated
issues
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accusations of cowardice
sixty legions (military industrial complex/ retirement)
people want someone to seize power
hatred of rex/ legal issues
conspiracies/ political enemies
fear of civil war/ succession
taking control
• loyalty of Agrippa
• Battle of Actium
• victory in Egypt – displayed
remains of Alexander the
Great
• three triumphs (Balkans,
Actium, and Egypt)
• “imperator”
• death of Ceasarion “Two
Caesars is one Caesar too
many.”
• continuous consulships
• role of Maecenas:
squashing conspiracies, and
propoganda
consolidating military and political
power – working within constitutional
precedent
• reduce 60 legions to 28 legions (retirement paid for by
the wealth of Egypt)
• most hard core Republicans gone
• “princeps”
• attempts to reduce the Senate – creation of
committees
• 27 BC Settlement with the Senate – proconsular power
over provinces with legions
• granted tribunician power (potestas tribunatis)
• granted at large proconsular authority
• Praetorian Guard
27 BC Settlement
consolidating religious power
• “Augustus” (revered
one)
• construction of the
temple to Apollo
(Sybilline Books
moved their from the
temple of Juppiter)
• Agrippa constructs
the Pantheon
• Pontifex Maximus
after the death of
Lepidus
• “The Divine
Augustus”, “Prince of
Peace”, “Son of God”
military expeditions
• re-establish Roman
control of Spain, Gaul,
Armenia, and the Alps
• recovery of lost legionary
standards from Parthia
• declared war with
Germania (flimsy casus
belli)
• Varus betrayed by
Herman. Varus led 17th,
18th, and 19th legions into
a trap laid by Herman in
the Teutoburg Forest
(survival of English?)
social reform
• abhorred declining morality,
declining birthrates
• laws to encourage children
• laws to discourage
unmarried life
• laws against adultery
(hypocrisy?)
• patron of the arts:
Maecenas, Horace, Vergil,
Ovid
• The Art of Love and the exile
of Ovid
problems of succession
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civil war?
sickly
Marriage of daughter Julia to Octavia’s son, Marcellus
death of Marcellus
“You have made Agrippa so powerful, he must now become your son in
law or be killed.” (Maecenas)
Agrippa marries widowed Julia – have many children
step-sons Tiberius and Drusus (Livia’s sons from her first marriage) put in
charge of military expeditions
death of Drusus in Germania (Tiberius races across hostile territory)
unhappy marriage of Tiberius and widowed Julia (Agrippa dies/ Tiberius
forced to divorce Visania) – self imposed exile of Tiberius, banishment of
Julia and lovers
Tiberius recalled from exile after the deaths of Julia’s sons, Lucius and
Gaius. Tiberius adopts Germanicus (Drusus’ son)
“ahh, to have never married, and childless to have died” (Iliad)
banishment of granddaughter Julia and grandson Agrippa Posthumous
Immediate murder of Agrippa Posthumous following the death of
Augustus.
legacy
• Pax Romana
• Res Gestae
• establishment of permanent civil
service throughout empire (made up
of competent professional freedmen)
• “I found it a city of brick and left it a
city of marble”: building of roads,
infrastructure, relay stations –
communication networks, aqueducts,
temples, baths
• established professional firefighting
and police force
• Roman Army paid by government
treasury
• Praetorian Guard