Transcript slides

Res Gestae Divi Augusti (Achievements
of the Divine Augustus)
De Vita Sua (Of His Life)
elogia
Below is a copy of the accomplishments of the deified Augustus by which
he brought the whole world under the empire of the Roman people, and of
the moneys expended by him on the state (res publica) and the Roman
people, as inscribed on two bronze pillars set up in Rome.
1. At the age of nineteen, on my own initiative and at my own expense, I
raised an army by means of which I liberated the Republic (res publica),
which was oppressed by the tyranny of a faction. For which reason the
senate, with honorific decrees, made me a member of its order in the
consulship of Gaius Pansa and Aulus Hirtius, giving me at the same time
consular rank in voting, and granted me the imperium. It ordered me as
propraetor, together with the consuls, to see to it that the state (res publica)
suffered no harm. Moreover, in the same year, when both consuls had
fallen in war, the people elected me consul and a triumvir for the
settlement of the commonwealth (res publica).
2. Those who assassinated my father I drove into exile, avenging their
crime by due process of law; and afterwards when they waged war against
the state (res publica), I conquered them twice on the battlefield.
Res Gestae - Structure
Introduction & Sections 1-2:
Preface
Part 1 (Sections 3-14):
Honours gained
and bestowed
Part 2 (Sections 15-25):
Numerical account
Part 3 (Sections 26-33):
Military and
diplomatic triumphs
Sections 34 and 35:
Closing statement
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus
Born c. 70 AD in North Africa. Father was
military tribune
Worked briefly as lawyer, then in imperial
offices. Eventually chief secretary to
Hadrian (r. 117-138 AD)
Allegedly dismissed for indiscretions with
(or perhaps offense to) empress Sabina
Died c. 130 AD
Suetonius wrote on wide range of subjects,
including Roman year and calendar, names
of seas, famous prostitutes and Greek and
Roman games
Wrote 5 volume book on lives of intellectuals:
Lives of Illustrious Men
Best known for De Vita Caesarum (Lives of
the Caesars/The Twelve Caesars), starts
with Julius Caesar and ends with
Domitian (r. 81-96 AD)
Structure of Suetonius’ biography of Augustus
1. The Youth of Gaius Octavius (brief biography)
2. The Wars of Augustus
3. Honours and Offices of Augustus
4. Accomplishments of Augustus
5. Personality and Private Life of Augustus
6. Death and Deification of Augustus