Transcript Res Gestae Divi Augusti

Res Gestae Divi Augusti
The accomplishments of the
Divine Augustus
Augustus’ Mausoleum
RES GESTAE
Roman Autobiography
Roots in Classical Greek literary tradition and
native Latin traditions
 Modern conception of autobiography: personal
self-revelation including education, upbringing,
emotional development, etc.,
 Greeks liked to write about themselves: Hesiods
wrote about his conflict with his brother and the
leading magistrates of his days – not really
autobiography
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Greek autobiography
Memoirs (still popular today)
Xenophon: The Anabasis (The March up
Country) 400 BCE
 Xenophon enlisted as a mercenary in the army
of the Persian Cyrus who tried to remove his
brother from power. Attempt failed, Cyrus died,
 Anabasis tells march of 10,000 Greek
mercenaries from Mesopotamia all the way back
to the Black Sea
 Xenophon became leader of this army and wrote
story 20 years after he experienced it
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Greek Autobiography
4th century – several autobiographies of various
shapes:
 orator Isocrates – in a defence speech (Antidosis
from 354 BCE) provides history of his entire life
– education, etc.
 Orator Demosthenes in a speech On the Crown
in 330 BCE, includes autobiography of his entire
life and career
 Plato: in the Seventh Letter gives detailed
account of his actions
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Roman autobiography
Embraced in Late Republic
 Different types and terms: Greek terms taken over from
Greeks, own tradition
 hypomnema (Greek term) =any sort of memoir
 ephemeris (Greek term)= diary
 commentarius (pl. commentarii) Latin term -=private
journal
 autobiography becomes important in extremely
competitive political environment of the Late Republic
 Generals on campaigns sent back reports to Roman
senate
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Roman autobiography
At first was a private genre
By early 2nd century BCE became public as a tool
in competition for office
 190 BCE Scipio Africanus published pamphlet in
which he detailed all his victories against
Carthage in Spain and against Hannibal
 Cato, the elder included autobiographical
material into his public speeches
 By early 1st century BCE common practice for
members of the elite to write and publish their
memoirs (hypomnemata)
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commentarius (commentarii)
Developed out of the private diary – originally
just the bare facts
 Accounts of one’s actions in campaigns had its
roots in military diaries of Greek Kings (Pyrrhus)
and in practice of honorary and funerary
inscriptions set up by members of Roman elite
 Roman funerary inscriptions included offices,
honors, accomplishments, military conquests,
etc.
 Practice even emulated by lower classes who
included their (more humble) accomplishments,
i.e. the baker Eurisakes
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Tomb of Caecilia Metella
very aristocratic wealthy family
Tomb of the baker Eurysakes
Tomb of the Baker Eurysakes
commentarii
Sulla was the first politician to use commentarii
to establish his public image
 23 books of diaries mostly his military
campaigns, nothing political, nothing personal,
but also included dreams and portents
advertising divine support for his rise to power
 Sulla’s diary provided the model for Iulius
Caesar’s commentarii
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Iulius Caesar’s Commentarii
A very highly polished form of commentarii
 Added literary components not really part of a
commentarius, used as model Xenophon’s Anabasis :
third-person narrative, speeches, digressions into
geography, customs of Gauls etc.,
 Purpose: political
 Important for him to convey his virtutes his
intelligence, military genius, decisiveness, common
sense, clementia, his respect for his soldiers,
 wrote both for Romans and for new Gallic elite
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Augustus’ autobiographies
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de vita suae now lost – have only about 24 fragments
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Res Gestae Divi Augusti – extremely important official
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– ends in 25 BCE
document that survived, covers his entire rule.
Not a narrative, but 1st person review of his office and
actions
Set up on bronze tablets on his mausoleum in Rome
Another copy in Ankara, and other sites in Turkey –
allowed Archaeologists to paste document together
The purpose of the De Vita Suae
Augustus’ biography (now lost), an early work –
only goes as far as 25 BCE
 Purpose – propaganda - to respond to
criticism of his actions after Caesar’s death and
to improve his reputation and public image:
areas include his birth, his cruelty
 His position was solidified after Actium and by
constitutional settlements of 27 and 23 BCE –
his biography had served its purpose – he
required no more justification for his position
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The ‘other’ Augustus
44 BCE attempts to kill Marcus Antonius;
Octavian had hired assassins to get rid of him
 43 BCE was involved in the proscriptions
(including the one of Cicero)
 42 BCE brought head of Brutus to Rome
 40 BCE – earned the name of “Butcher of
Perusia” , Italian town that had provided
sanctuary for assassins’ party – had 300
senators and Equestrians of Perusia killed on the
Ides of March 40 BCE on the altar of Iulius
Caesar
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Res Gestae (RG)
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Modeled on Roman tradition to inscribe honours and
achievements on triumphal arches
Also modeled on honorific texts (inscriptions) elogia where only honours included nothing negative
Res Gestae – content very selective – only positive
aspects of Augustus’ principate
Looks like scrutiny account that had to be submitted to
the senate by magistrate at end of his term
Only includes official acts, does not mention family
members unless in connection to official act
Ancient Opinions of Augustus
Augustus’ Forum
The Augustan Forum
http://www.vroma.org/images/mcmanus_images/forumaugplan.jpg
Augustus set up 108 statues of great
Romans in his forum with their elogia
 Res Gestae drafted in same years as
forum of Augustus constructed (20-2 BCE)
 Res Gestae much longer than any elogium
(elogia plural)
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Res Gestae organization
Divided into 3 sections
Short preface, first two paragraphs serve as
introduction emphasizing his contributions to the
Roman people
 1. Paragraphs 3-14 lists the honors received,
and offices given to him by senate and Roman
people, and honors he gave to his grandsons
 2. Paragraphs 15-25 numerical account of
various things: money spent, games given,
slaves captured, temples repaired, priesthoods
bestowed, animals slaughtered for games in
arena
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3. Paragraphs 26 – 33 military and
diplomatic achievements that furthered
expansion of Roman imperium
 The final two paragraphs 34 and 35
return to themes of beginning, his
devotion to the interests of the Roman
people and the Republic, and emphasizes
their gratitude to him.
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Res Gestae- characteristics
Written in first person
 Very selective material: period from 42 –
31 no discussion – the period in which he
developed from member of a homicidal
coalition to sole ruler
 Dark period: proscriptions, civil war
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Purpose of the Res Gestae
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testament of his mission to restore peace,
the Republican government, prosperity to
Rome
Modern views on the Res Gestae
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hypocrisy of claim that he restored the republic
and returned power to Senate and populus
Romanus
Valuable as a document recording what
Augustus considered important of his reign and
what he wanted to suppress
 As constitutional statement: the princeps on one
side, senate and populus on the other side,
 Providing insight into Augustus’ philosophy on
government
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