Essay ROME IN THE AUGUSTINIAN AGE

The Effectiveness of Octavian in Enlisting Senatorial Support for his New Administration in the Period 30 to 19 BC.

In the hit movie “Cleopatra”, Octavian’s character is adapted for the movie and does not precisely describe his true quality. In reality, Octavian was a brave ruler who loved to fight. “The movie portrays him in a very negative light, also showing him to be a physical coward who avoided wine, woman, and gambling” (Cane, 13). For example, Octavian is shown as weak when he does not participate in the battle of Philippi because he is sick. Although it is true that Octavian was prone to sickness, he was not a coward, and often showed significant bravery in battle. For instance, Octavian was certainly brave and determined to gain control over the Roman Empire and defeat Antony. In an epic sea battle off the coast of Southwest Greece” (Gill)”, Octavian was undoubtedly active in fighting (successfully) for his position and power. Also, Octavian is misrepresented when portrayed as stingy, never taking part in his own wars, never drinking, or concerning himself with women. In reality, for example “Octavian actually loved gambling with dice and indulged in extramarital affairs” (Cane 14). The writers and producers of the movie probably altered Octavian’s character to make a contrast and set apart his character from the other main men in the plot. The main

Octavian, the heir to Rome’s previous leader Julius Caesar, was given the title of Augustus, meaning “Revered One” in 27 B.C. He took power of Rome in 43 B.C and formed the Second Triumvirate which consisted of Marc Antony, Lepidus, and himself. Octavian and Marc Antony quickly shut Lepidus out of power and then later had a civil war over control of Rome which Octavian won. Octavian was humble and generous to the Roman citizens, he kept peace, and restored damages in Rome. Due to his effective leadership qualities, Octavian earned his new title of Augustus.

Since coming into power in 27BCE, Octavian also known as Augustus had come into power as a single dominant personality to Rome. Throughout his time as ruler of Rome he had successfully obtained high political power and officers. Augustus concentration of powers shaped and brought new to the Roman republic. Suetonius writes, Augustus’s ‘ugly crawl to uncontested power, followed by his more positive contributions to public life, and finally a glorious climax of the honours he received’ (Chapter 61). In this way to appeal to the public, Augustus, (Octavian) was in a position where he was not supported by the consuls, whom had authority of the treasury, thus Augustus did not have access to money, that he had to distribute to the public, in accordance to Caesars will.

The Roman Republic began in 509 B.C.E. with the overthrow of the Etruscan monarchy. In 27 B.C.E the Roman Empire began with Octavian Caesar becoming the emperor, this ended almost 500 years of republican self-government. There is much debate over why Rome became so powerful so quickly. Many think it had to do with Rome’s military strength. Others think that it was because Rome knew of and controlled most of the trade routes. Still others believed it had to do with the technology that was advanced during the Roman Republic. All of these factors played significant roles, but which one played the most important role?

The first settlement was created as a result of a power move made by Augustus. After the battle of Actium, Octavian was the sole ruler of Rome and Cleopatra’s territories in Egypt. Knowing that Julius Caesar had been assassinated for obtaining too much power, Octavian decided to step down as the leader, “In my 6th and 7th consulship… I transferred the republic from my power to the control of the senate and people of Rome.” Although in The Res Gestae, he claims to have transferred the power back to the senate and Rome, this decision was more calculated. He used his reputation achieved through popularity with Rome, winning wars and having the senate’s support to gamble on the chance the senate would want Octavian back.

Octavian Augustus is one of the fiercest leaders in the history of the Roman Empire because of his successful military expansion, his Control of Finance, and his political leadership.

Realizing that alienating the Senate did not work very well for Julius Caesar, Octavian does not want to repeat his predecessor grave mistakes (279). Instead, he is proposing an increase in pay for the members of the Senate, ensuring their unanimous approval (101). He spends a considerable amount of time in writing and preparing his speeches for the Senate (190). He is being cautious and always concerned with what would appeal to the plebs, as he is afraid to offend them with an expression of his power and extraordinary wealth (181, 197). Thus, he dresses in the plain tunic, avoids fanciful decorations in the public areas of his court, and wants people to see him not as a successful ruler, but a humble servant of Rome (80).

In late 32 B.C., the Roman Senate stripped Antony of all his titles, and Octavian declared war on Cleopatra.

Octavian’s family begged him to stay where he was and renounce his inheritance because they thought the assassins of Caesar were very strong. Octavian did not take his families advice, and in a tremendously daring act he announced that he was going to Rome to claim what was his and avenge Caesar’s death. Instead he went directly to Brundisium and gathered the large amount of troops located there. To make sure that people knew who he was, he called himself “Caesar.” This identified him fully with his adoptive father, and gave him legitimacy. He switched from the unknown Octavian to Caesar, or son of Caesar. Because of this, many of the soldiers from Brundisium joined his cause, and the army grew in size and skill. Octavian tried to make friends with the leaders of the Roman army, but Mark Antony and Lepidus opposed Octavian’s claim to power

The roman republic came into existence at the termination of the Roman kingship in 507 B.C.E. The last king of Rome, Tarquin the Proud, was expelled by Collatinus and Brutus, as a result of his arrogance involving the matter of one of his relations raping the wholesome Roman matron Lucretia and her subsequent suicide. The rape of Lucretia was really a representation of the frustration that the roman citizens felt regarding the kingship. The later kings had little regard for roman values and the roman populus, which they used as something of a slave labor force. Brutus and Collatinus became the first Roman Consuls, elected by popular vote.

Julius Caesar's reign was an unfavorable and chaotic period for Rome, and after his death, a large portion of the empire was handed down to his adopted son, Gaius Octavian. From the ashes of his father, Octavian was able to build an Empire unparalleled. Later, the name Augustus was given to him by Senate. Augustus ostensibly maintained the form of the Roman Republic while in actuality creating the Roman Empire. He introduced the administrative reforms that led to the Pax Romana with its flourishing of trade and the arts. Although Augustus's ascension to power could have not been without it bequested by Julius, it was his use of art and propaganda that reinforced the legitimacy his position.

At the time of Julius Caesar’s assassination Octavian was planning to take a senior military role in the Parthian expedition of 44BC. He was with the army at Apollonia, in what is now Albania and was only eighteen at the time, which made his rivals consistently underestimate him and his abilities. After hearing of Caesars death he started to head back to Rome, learning on the way that he was now Caesar’s new adopted son and heir (as written in Caesars will). In his will Caesar has named Octavian as his successor and has left him three quarters of his estate, he also acquired the name Gaius Iulius Caesar Octavious, Caesar’s slaves, including secretarial staff and those who handled finances

Around 71 B.C.,a few years before Augustus was born, Gaius Octavius started pursuing a job within the senate, but because of his latin instead of roman descent the pursuit of the job was very difficult for him. He continued pursuing the job in senate till around 70 B.C. when he won a quaestorship, a lower place in the government that entails supervising tax collection and doing special tasks for consuls in Rome, and joined the senate. Based on his latin descent winning a questorship was no small feat so it was no surprise when he was offered a spouse from one of Rome’s great trician clans. The only problem with this was he was already married to Ancharia who is not very well recorded in history so people have no firm evidence for why Gaius Octavius suddenly married Atia, a member of the Julian family making Julius Caesar his great-uncle. Together Atia and Gaius had two children, Octavius the younger and Gaius Octavian, named after his father, along with the one from Ancharia the second of the two being who we know as Augustus.

allegiance to him. Octavian elected himself consul, but in 27 BC offered to lay down his