Augustus’ command over the Roman military was unprecedented. The plurality of client armies answering to competing generals had been replaced by one army; Augustus’ army. However, Augustus was not his great-uncle in Julius Caesar who will henceforth be known as Caesar within this essay. He rarely took personal command over his legions. Instead, relying on loyal subordinates such as Agrippa and Tiberius. Hence, the key element to unlocking a question about Augustus’ competency as a military commander is to analyse the way in which Augustus was a commander. The term ‘mediocre’ indicates that this is a comparative question. Augustus is ‘mediocre’ compared to this proverbial ‘other’ commander. The likely candidate which this question alludes to …show more content…
Yet, this only made up a fraction of his capacity as the sole imperator of Rome. As Suetonius relates, Augustus subdued his enemies ‘partly under his own command [and] partly under his own auspices’. Victories secured by his subordinates reflected favourably on both him and his command. The monopolisation of military glory ensured that Rome had less risk of repeating the civil wars of the Late Republic as it reduced the incentive for individuals outside the imperial family to use war as a way to further their political goals. It was not a perfect solution. The civil war following Nero’s death was testament to this. Regardless, Augustus created a robust system that safeguarded against civil wars provided that his successors were able to maintain it. Key to this maintenance was the sustained message through public demonstrations of Augustus’ pre-eminence within the state and his relationship with the army. The building of public monuments such as the Ara Pacis reinforced the message of Augustus accomplishing peace through his success in war. Augustus was a great politician. The expansion under his rule was informed by his cautious policy and was successful more often than naught. It is for these reasons why it would be unfathomable to conclude that he was mediocre. He was not Julius Caesar. He was
From ages past, the actions of conquerors, kings and tyrants had brought the Roman Republic to a stance that opposed any idea of a singular leader, of a single man that held total power over the entirety of the state. Their rejection of the various ruthless Etruscan rulers that had previously dictated them brought the Republic to existence in 509 BC , and as a republic their prominence throughout the provinces of the world exponentially expanded. Throughout these years, the traditions of the Romans changed to varying degrees, most noticeably as a result of the cultural influence that its subject nations had upon the republic, as well as the ever-changing nature of Roman society in relation to then-current events. However, it was not until the rise of Augustus, the first of a long line of succeeding emperors, that many core aspects of the Republic were greatly changed. These were collectively known as the “Augustan Reforms”, and consisted of largely a variety of revisions to the social, religious, political, legal and administrative aspects of the republic’s infrastructure. Through Augustus, who revelled in the old traditional ways of the past, the immoral, unrestraint society that Rome was gradually falling to being was converted to a society where infidelities and corruption was harshly looked upon and judged. The Roman historian Suetonius states, “He corrected many ill practices, which, to the detriment of the public, had either survived the licentious habits of the late civil wars, or else originated in the long peace” . Through Augustus and his reforms, the Republic was transformed into an Empire, and through this transformation, Rome experienced one of its greatest and stabl...
Prior to Augustus’s reforms, when legions were raised, they were comprised almost entirely of Italian recruits. This was out of the question with this new standing army, and filling the ranks with Italians gave way to supplementing legions with local auxiliaries, then later integrating these Romanised locals into a legions structure proper.5 This action undertaken by Augustus seems to have had ramifications as the centuries progressed, with the percentage of Italian born recruits steadily dropping, to the point where by the time of Hadrian, there were almost not Italians serving in the legions. Augustus’s methods of recruiting elsewhere to support the strength of his legions became so successful that they became the primary method of filling the requirements of the Empires new professional
Augustus cares about his people or that is how he portrays himself in his personal account of his life. He references things such as the money he gives to multiple causes, as well as his service to the people, and the positions they awarded him. He also portrays himself as being a just leader. For example he says “those who assassinated my father I drove into exile, avenging their crime by due process of the law”, he fairly punished them for their crime. Augustus also shows that he is in favor of true justice by saying that he would prefer to let someone live instead of killing them. Augustus’ name was important to him as was his history, and his traditions he mentions refusing offices that
New improvisations had been created during the civil war, and could not, therefore, be disregarded during the work of restoration. Such initiatives included a permanent army under the leadership of Augustus, with Augustus himself as chief commander. His position gave him power to rule over Rome. However, he faced a few setbacks since the republic was not ready for a dictatorial leader. His desire to retain authority put the Roman Empire at a risk for future civil wars amongst other generals. He aimed at reconstructing and restoring Rome, but in order to retain his power, Augustus had to make the restoration of peace and unity possible within the Roman population. Roman citizens craved for the same peace that had reigned before the civil war had begun, and were ready to support Augustus so long as he was ready and willing to preserve Rome and the privileges of the people.
In the early first century AD, the Roman Empire was subject to autocratic rule and the old Republic was long dead. Augustus had been ruling for forty years and most of that time he was loved and praised by the Senate and the people of Rome. Throughout his reign, Augustus had the one lingering problem of finding a successor to take over the role of Emperor. He had chosen 3 different heirs in his time of rule; however, they all passed before they had the chance to inherit Augustus’ esteemed power. His fourth choice, Tiberius, was the one to succeed Augustus. He was often referred to, by Augustus, as an outstanding general and the only one capable of defending Rome against her enemies. The statement, ‘Tiberius is condemned by many ancient historians (including Tacitus), and his reign is often portrayed as being detrimental to the welfare of the Roman Empire’ is invalid as he treated the senate fairly, created strong economics and security in the state and boosted the empire into an unprecedented state of prosperity. This hypothesis will be proven through this essay by analyzing factors such as Tiberius’ administration of the Empire, his relationship with the senate, his financial control, the effect of Sejanus over his rule and why were his last years as Emperor referred to as a ‘reign of terror’ by Tacitus.
Caesar reformed Rome and prevented Rome from demolition. For instance, Caesar "reorganized the town governments in Italy, reformed the courts, planned to codify the law to improve administration. Besides that, Caesar brought peace and stability to Rome. Evidently, Caesar successfully stopped the civil war in 45 BC. This allowed the Romans to live in harmony and collaborate on improving their country.
Augustus created the office of emperor with the Augustan Principate, which was “to have no institutionalized authoritarian power, no perpetual dictatorship such as Julius Caesar had had himself voted early in 44, or anything like it (Stockton, 124).” Despite his wishes the people of Rome ended up giving Augustus eternal office, and powers to control the Senate with the rights to dictate agendas and veto (Stockton, 128). The people of Rome had created a position of absolute power, the exact thing Augustus was attempting to prevent. At the time the people of Rome could not have realized what they were creating in the office of emperor, for Augustus was a great man whose leadership created a great shadow over the shoulder of any future emperor.
...4 AD, one month away from his 76th birthday. Augustus’s ultimate legacy was the peace and prosperity the empire was to enjoy for the next two centuries under the system he started. Augustus’s patience and his tact all played a part in re-establishing Rome and directing the future of the empire down many lasting paths.
Augustus needed to legitimize his powers. He did this by handing back his powers to the senate and the people of Rome. The senate protested, and voted to give Augustus the powers of proconsul imperium over provinces that needed military defence as well as make him consul. As these powers were given by the senate and the people, they were
Augustus Caesar was very ambitious leader. He is best known for bringing peace to Rome. Augustus was considered the first great roman emperor, because He didn’t care about wealth and fortune. Augustus cared about the people of Rome. He was a great military leader and was successful in most of his missions. He showed people that being a good ruler requires a lot of hard work and dedication. He was a very generous man. Augustus was greatly admired by the Roman people.
...tablish the principate, where he established several legates to help govern the expanding empire. The system allowed the Emperor to remain in control, but also step away and allow others to take the lead if need be. Had Augustus not set this new form of government into play, Rome would have been torn apart several years before the fall of the Empire. His form of government proved strong enough to support the likes of Caligula and Tiberius, who was more concerned with his special interest museum than being Emperor.
Julius Caesar was a strong leader of the Romans who changed the course of the history for the Roman world decisively and irreversibly. With his courage and strength, he created a strong empire and guided the empire for almost 20 years. His life was short, but had many adventures. I will tell of some of this man’s remarkable life. He did many things, therefore, I will only discuss a few. His name, part of his reign, one of his greatest battles, and his death will be told.
Rome, even at its beginnings, proved to be a force to be reckoned with. It’s rapid growth and accumulation of power and repeated victories over powerful neighbors set Rome in a position of great authority and influence. As the leader of early Rome, Romulus’ effective command of his men and governance of his people provided the foundation for the building of a great city. Livy emphasizes Romulus’ possible divine origins and strong ties to deities as a validation and reinforcement of his ability to rule. A nation’s sole defense cannot be just bricks and mortar, it requires an army and a will and Romulus was able to successfully take action against the aggressors when action was needed.
Two powerful leaders, one power hungry whose ambitious ideas lead to his downfall, the other mindful of people who deserve their higher positions. A true leader is someone who has a vision, a drive and commitment to achieve what's best. In the play written by William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Brutus and Caesar are one of the main characters. They demonstrate leadership qualities that are still relevant to today. They are both very ambitious characters; however, they do so for different reasons and differ in their openness to others. There are many similarities and differences that lie between them. Both are noble and great men with loyal followers and neither man questions the rightness of his own path. Both made crucial mistakes that resulted in their death. However, Caesar acts out of love for for himself, his country, and to retain his power as ruler of Rome. Brutus on the other hand acts out of love for freedom of Rome. This essay will discuss and compare their qualities as leaders as well as their styles and how they are effective/ineffective in the play.
The Ara Pacis probably functioned as a memorial of Augustus’s succeeding events and surficial place for peace. The inner al...