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

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

Octavian was the son of Gaius Octavius, a senator, but was the adopted

son of Julius Caesar. Essentially Octavian, or Augustus as he became

known as in 27BC, was a conservative republican. This is shown by Res

Gestae Divi Augusti (literally 'the achievements of the Divine

August') paragraph 8: "I brought back into use many exemplary

practises of our ancestors which were disappearing in our time." And

also by Suetonius' "The Twelve Caesars, Augustus," chapter 93:

"Augustus showed great respect to all ancient and long established

foreign rites." The Republican system was based on a democratic

Timocracy (the rule of the rich) and Octavian needed to keep it this

way. However, Octavian learnt many things from his adoptive father,

Julius Caesar. Octavian believed that for the republic to be effective

there needed to be one man controlling it, but not becoming a

dictator. If someone were to become a dictator, not only would it be

completely unconstitutional, it would threaten the peace of the Empire

as the temptation of the Dictatorship may be too much for ambitious

nobles. Octavian needed to create a new constitutional position for

himself because he needed senatorial co-operation to run the empire

affectively. He would essentially create an oligarchy, without

claiming a dictatorship, if such a thing is possible. Henceforth I

will refer to this position, in Octavian's political philosophy, as

the Princeps, meaning the 'first man,' as he became known around 23BC.

The Senate was a group of the wealthy class of Romans who stood to
...

... middle of paper ...

...rsue political careers again.

In contrast with their former position, during the times of Sulla and

Caesar, the senators were superior. Even through they were controlled

by Augustus, they still had the respect of the people and they had

status. Everything they desired, they had. Everything that Augustus

needed control of, he had at least a say in. In this way, Augustus was

very effective in his dealings with the senate during his new

administration.

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Bibliography

Ancient Culture and Society, Augustus, AHM Jones

The Achievements of the Divine Augustus (Res Gestae).

Augustus and the Julio-Claudians, Pamela Bradley

A History of Rome, M. Cary and H.H. Scullard

The 12 Caesars, Gaius Suetonius Tranquillas.

The Annals, Tacitus

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