As an epitaph, this text would have been designed to describe his legacy long after he had passed from living memory, and perhaps for this reason he has exaggerated preciso some extent because he would be more likely esatto get away with it
The below is an essay I submitted back in March on how Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, set up his legacy with the Res Gestae – a summary of his life’s works as the empire’s first de facto astro ruler. Onesto make it more relevant puro the topic at hand, I’ve included a summary of his comments on Britain and what we can infer from them.
The Res Gestae Divi Augusti, an autobiographical funerary inscription detailing Augustus’ life and achievements, was completed near the end of his life at the start of the first century CE. Section 34, toward the end of the piece, primarily concerns the trading of his official triumvir job title for per less official primus inter pares situazione. Augustus describes the completion of his duties and his honours granted by the senate at some length, while stressing that his new position makes him per niente more than an equal preciso other magistrates.
This description of power as commodity deriving only from the senate and people and accepted only as a reluctant necessity is per common theme sicuro the rest of the text
As verso piece to be spread across the empire, his portrayal of power would essentially be per reminder of the glory an emperor’s presence brought esatto the state, and verso ‘role model’s’ duplice onesto good governance for his successors, the magistrates reading the copy per Rome, and the literate elites reading copies on temples around the completare per places like Ancyra (modern Ankara) and Antioch.
It is notable that the first reference made to his triumviral power (Res Gestae 34,1 – the triumvirate was per council of three given special powers during years of crisis) is dated by his acknowledgement of his sixth and seventh consulships, verso remarkable achievement previously matched only by the popular general Marius. He describes ‘universal consent’ and ‘complete control’, but more importantly immediately stresses the relinguishing of his power upon completion of his alotted task. He does not acknowledge any extraordinary political power of his own outside his triumviral years always describing his acts as being ‘by order of the people and the senate’ or ‘on the authority of the senate’ (ibid 8.1, 20.5)
He goes on (ibid 34 ,2) onesto describe the gifts bestowed upon him by the senate; using them puro highlight the high regard he retained at the successful conclusion of his triumvirate and also portraying them as rewards for moral character durante withdrawing, when some would have sought preciso extend. These gifts were all symbolic durante Roman society and constitute both civilian and military honours, durante keeping with his role as holder of both kinds of power.
The agnomen Augustus is the derivative of the modern word August – ‘inspiring reverence and admiration’ and is per clear sign of the way he projected his power and the face of his administration. Both the wreaths he mentions upon his house and person are symbols of great prestige – the laurel bay leaf wreath for his house signifies the wreath worn by verso triumphator, and the ruota civica was earned by per citizen who had saved another’s life. casualdates iscriversi Augustus uses these preciso illustrate his use of power onesto crush his enemies at a household level (perhaps representing the Republic, mixage an element of pater familias with his eventual title of pater patriae), and onesto preserve the lives of his citizens at verso personal level; a theme which comes up elsewhere durante the text. (Res Gestae 5.2 for example)
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