Augustus Caesar

AUGUSTUS CAESAR
EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF AUGUSTUS CAESAR AND HIS ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH ORDER AND STABILITY IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
Octavian, the grandnephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar, assumed complete control of the Roman state after defeating Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. In 27 BC, Octavian proclaimed the restoration of the Republic. He understood that only traditional republican forms would satisfy the senatorial aristocracy. He saw that a return to the old republican system was out of question as that system could no longer meet the organizational needs of the empire, nor guarantee the political stability required for the efficient administration and defence of the state. At the same time, he realized that an attempt to establish an absolute monarchy would offend republican sensitivities and might lead to further unrest. Octavian ruled the Roman Empire with enormous vision and competence, bringing enduring peace and prosperity after decades of civil war. Although he gave some power to the Senate, Octavian in reality became the first Roman emperor. The Senate awarded him the title of Augustus, the revered one a fitting title in view of his power that had previously been reserved for gods. Augustus proved highly popular, but the chief source of his power was his continuing control of the army. The Senate gave Augustus the title of imperator, or commander in chief. A great statesman and administrator, Augustus brought order to the Roman world after a difficult period of civil war. As the Roman world remained in a state of confusion, he had to restore order and establish some form of government to guarantee permanent security. He established an era of peace and prosperity known as Pax Romana, or Roman Peace, which lasted for over 200 years. During his reign, he helped to create the greatest and most powerful empire in the ancient world. The age of Augustus is often called the Principate because Augustus tried to restore the outward framework of republican government. The Senate became only an advisory body, and Augustus was dictator, being, at the same time, chief military general, chief priest, and the first citizen. The imperial system had all the strengths and weaknesses of any empire good emperors who ruled wisely and gave the state a degree of solidarity and order unknown to republican governments and bad emperors, during whose reign corruption and disorder prevailed. Augustus reformed the nature of the Empire by standardizing the composition and opportunities of the senators and equites by requiring good character, army service, and sufficient wealth. During the reign of Augustus, there were three components of the Roman
state the emperor, the senatorial oligarchy and the army and Augustus successfully maintained balance between these three components of the state. He also developed an imperial bureaucracy which was responsible only to the emperor. The bureaucrats were recruited mainly from among the equestrians. The equestrians were constituted from the plebeians and patricians. During Augustus era, new colonies were established in Spain and Gaul (France) and vast landed estate called latifundia came up in both the regions. New urban centres and towns also developed in both the countries from where Latin culture was disseminated to the countryside of Spain and Gaul. Latin culture was also spread in the African provinces of Roman Empire. These provinces are modern Morocco and Ethiopia. After taking over Egypt and Syria the whole Mediterranean region came under the rule of Romans. This unification of the Mediterranean region gave rise to the long distance sea born trade. From the 1st century A.D., the Roman army had become main instrument in installing various generals to the throne of the Roman Empire as emperors. It was Augustus who allotted the land to thousands of soldiers. Such measures created discipline and loyalty in the army and helped to convert the army into a permanent and professional force. He maintained a standing army of 28 legions or about 150,000 men. Each regular soldier served 20 years at a decent wage, and on retirement got a guaranteed pension of funds or land which made the army loyal to the Emperor. Only Roman citizens could be legionaries, while subject people could serve as auxiliary forces, which numbered around 130,000 under Augustus. These auxiliaries provided a large proportion of imperial forces, and were well integrated into the professional army. He was also responsible for setting up a praetorian guard of roughly 9,000 men who had the important task of guarding the emperor. Their primary responsibility was to guard the person and property of the Princeps himself, and to engage in campaigns to which he would direct them. There were nine praetorian cohorts, each containing 1,000 men. He built the Forum and the temples and supported any wealthy citizen who followed his lead. Administrative changes were made in finances and bureaucracy. The Equestrian Order and Freedmen were brought into the government, and the civil system was born, a unit that maintained the empire for the next 500 years. The provinces contributed to the tax system, and laws were reformed or created, extending from adultery, treason, and bribery to marriage. The Roman civil law was the basis of the Roman imperial state. The principate raised Roman jurists to official positions within the state when Augustus selected prominent juriconsues as advisers and conferred imperial authority on their interpretations of the law. The emperors, on the other hand, made the legislations by edicts and introduced new rules bringing some modifications in the traditional law. The development of an autocratic public law had become much more complex and composite than it had been under the Republic. Augustus continued his role as a super proconsul through concern with the provinces and frontiers. He toured the provinces repeatedly, examining them, conducting censuses, and reorganizing their tribute to Rome. It was now standardized into: a land tax; and a head tax on non-agricultural wealth. He also built roads and founded Roman towns in these areas. Augustus stressed the importance of the Roman family and institutions. In 18 B.C.E., he pushed for the acceptance of the lex Julia de adulteriis, which punished adultery, and the lex Julia de maritandis ordinibus, which required marriage and also the remarriage of the widowed.
The Roman state religion was managed and organised by pontifex. In the beginning of the republic, the pontifex (priest) was elected from among the plebeians and he had to perform all the religious rituals of the state. In later period, the chief priest was called pontifex maximus. He was the head of Roman state religion and a very powerful political as well as religious authority. Augustus was the first Roman emperor who declared himself pontifex maximus and in the later period many other Roman emperors also adopted this title. Octavian, or Augustus, was a figure of immensely human proportions, despite his auctoritas and eventual divinity. Augustus was successful because he completely changed the Roman government. However, he could say he gave the Republic back to Rome, for he changed government without offending the republican aristocracy, and he got rid of the threat of rival proconsuls. During his rule, Augustus concentrated all powers in his hands and took approval of the senate only as a formality. At this time, Augustus was projected as a semi-divine King although this process of semi-divine kingship had already begun after the assassination of Julius Caesar. Augustus inaugurated a long and glorious era of peace and stability lasting around 200 years which was defined by the term of pax Romana (the Roman peace). Augustus died in 14 A.D.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Early Social Formations Amar Farooqi Ancient Greece and Rome A legal History of Rome - George Mousourakis

Augustus Caesar

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AUGUSTUS CAESAR

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