Augustan Art and Propaganda
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.
Octavian's rise to power began during Julius Caesar's lifetime. “In 47 B.C. he went to Hispania (modern-day Spain) to fight alongside Caesar. He was shipwrecked along the way, and had to cross enemy territory to reach his great-uncle; an act that impressed Caesar enough to name Octavius his heir and successor in his will.”(Augustus). By the time of Caesar's assassination, Octavian defeated the conspirators who murdered Caesar in a series of battles and divided Rome's lands among them. This lead to the establishment of The Second Triumvirate, in which they shared the power among the divided territories with Mark Antony in charge of Egypt and East, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus with Africa and Octavian the West. Over time, the alliance that formed fell apart. Lepidus was old, and his lands were rapidly annexed by Octavian. Meanwhile, Mark Antony had a scandalous romantic and political affair with Cleopatra in Egypt. Octavian attained Roman support against Mark Antony by claiming that he had gone against Roman values by mar...
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Most notably, two of his generals, Antony and Lepidus, were members of the second triumvirate. Some of his assassins even rose to prominence serving under him, like Decimus Brutus . And of course, Octavian could begin his rise to power because Caesar adopted him posthumously in his will. Even though a dead man could not adopt someone, Gaius Octavius changed his name and became Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, and his position as Caesar 's son was incredibly important for him in the coming civil
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Octavian enabled the long, nonviolent time of the Pax Romana, (Latin for Roman peace) by changing Rome from a frail, collapsing republican government to a powerful empire. He is known as the first, and one of the greatest, Roman Emperors ever. Octavian was born on September 23, 63 BC, and died in 14 AD. Born with the name Gaius Octavius Thurinus, he was adopted posthumously by his great-uncle Gaius Julius Caesar via his will, and then was named Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. This happened in 44 BC when his great uncle, Julius Caesar, was assassinated by a group of conspirators. Additionally, he received the name “Augustus” a term meaning “the revered one” from the Roman Senate in 27 BC. Because of the various names he had, it is common to call him Octavius while referring to the events that between 63 and 44 BC, Octavian when referring to events between 44 and 27 BC, and Augustus when referring to events after 27 BC. Octavian is arguably the single most important figure in Roman history. Ever since he was a young boy, he was destined to become the next great leader. For example, Octavian along with his friend Marcus Agrippa went to visit the Sibyl of Cumae (oracle). When the Sibyl saw him, she bowed at his feet and said that he would be the next great leader. He did not believe her at the time, but just a few years later Julius Caesar would be dead and he would have power. Over the course of his long and spectacular career as “Principate,” he put an end to the collapse of the Republic, and established a system that would stand in the Roman government for three centuries.
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Steaming bathhouses, giant temples to the gods, perfectly paved roads, and piles of golden coins, stamped with signs of peace, equality, and security. Even the dazzling civilization of Egypt pales in comparison to the greatness of Rome. Though Rome was known for many corrupt and incapable leaders, one of them stands out in a good way. A born leader, Octavian conquered Egypt, and turned Rome into a shining marble metropolis. Octavian was an effective and relatable leader because he had good character, ruled with kindness and fairness, tried to improve the living standards in Rome, and protected his empire with a strong, successful army.
Gardner, Helen, and Fred S. Kleiner. Gardner's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective. N.p., 2014. Print.
The Pax Romana lasted two hundred years during the empire that was founded by Emperor Octavian who used the title of Augustus. Augustus ruled in the place of the Republican government. Using his political power power he was able to have reformed the army, fight against corruption in the local provinces, keep the peace, build roads and other public services. By providing these policies, Pax Romana was widely accepted due to a majority of it helping the common Roman citizen. Building roads improves the daily to and fro of the Roman citizens. As a resultant keeping the peace and fighting against corruption on a local level Augustus was able to improve the political and social lives of those on a local level. Pax Romana was not limited to only
Heichelheim, Fritz, Cedric A. Yeo, and Allen M. Ward. A History Of The Roman People. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1984.
Gaius Octavius, or later known as Octavian, was the adopted son of Julius Caesar. He took over after Julius died and the republic fell. He belonged to a successful family. His father was the first of his family to become a senator, his mother was the niece of Julius Caesar. They lived in Velitrae. This shows how little of a political background he came from. He traveled with his uncle/ adopted father and learned the ropes of government. He was 18 when he came to Rome to claim his dictatorship. Mark Antony was chief lieutenant at the time (Grant). Augustus Caesar is often a man mistaken for his adoptive father, Julius Caesar, but this man made a name for himself by becoming the first emperor of Rome. He rebuilt Rome from the crumbling civilization that it was to a thriving empire by reorganizing the government and ending the Roman Republic once and for all.
Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective. Vol 2.13th ed. Boston: Wadsworth/ Cengage Learning, 2010.