Octavian was the father of 200 years of peace and prosperity and the founder of the Roman Empire. He was heir to Caesar. History has been written as evidence to his great and powerful reign. His time as leader began the journey through the crossroads of a transitioning political policy. It was the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire spawned from the civil wars occurring during the republic. Ceasar was assassinated and the republic gave way to its new undisputed leader, Octavian. Octavian was given the name Augustus, ‘revered one’, by the senate in honor of his new position as leader . This essay will go into the accomplishments of Augustus and his acknowledgment thereof and how he planned to be preserved through history by in scripting his accomplishments on a bronze tablet.
Augustus was a fine ruler and held his position very well and wisely. Though this was the end of the republic, Augustus kept intact many republican principals all while blending monarchy. This system is also known as a veiled monarchy. Fortunately he used this power for good use and he made it a priority to restore and replenish Roman tradition.
Augustus was nineteen years old when he battled through the civil wars. At the start of what soon would be an empire, he brought justice to the men who assassinated his predecessor, Caesar, by exiling them with due process of law. Upon victory of the wars he battled, he spared the life of the ones who sought to be pardoned. Augustus also rewarded his soldiers for loyal service by bestowing them land and money .
Augustus was offered a role of dictatorship and with the risk of political distress, he humbly turned it down. He made decisions for the people with peace and prosperity in mind. In fact, he was asked several times to take absolute control of the laws and he refused. Though his intentions were to rule, he did not want to rule without his ancestor’s traditional methods intact. He honored the traditions in which he was born into and his seat in power did not deter him from making sudden, drastic and self-serving decisions.
He rebuilt cities and preserved structures to increase value for good quality of life and property. He invested money in rebuilding structures, including the Capitol while taking little credit. Temples were named after the architect who designed and built them. He honored his people and spared no expense at preserving and enhancing the quality of his empire. He also contributed to entertaining his people with the re-construction of the Pompey theatre and stadium for gladiators.
He restored peace between many borders and kept the civilized empire in order. He had soldiers settled in many different parts of the world with the goal to obtain peace. He not only protected the land but the sea as well, and managed to successfully subdue the pirates. He did not deal with a heavy hand but offered compassion and because of this, received allegiance from other countries, including the Germans .
Augustus called himself princeps which means first or leading citizen. He was very cautious as to his private and public behavior because he wanted to behave civilized and therefore reflect proper civilization . He was very devoted to his empire and his positive endeavors reflected imperialism.
Being the first emperor of the Roman Empire, he did a good job at providing stability to his people. Many leaders during those times were forthright as to announcing their achievements to the world. He boasted just like many other leaders but his boasts actually proved to be backed up by his successful achievements.
I believe the foundation to Augustus’s success was that he honored his past and had compassion for his present and future. He had the strong desire to rule, but he was not self-serving to rule all on his own. He made room for other leaders to contribute in the management of the republic. When he waged war, he had mercy on the defeated when they asked to be pardoned. He was not quick to shed blood but only shed blood to uphold the honor and civilization of his empire. “He found Rome made of clay and left it made of marble” . I think it was this way because he was compassionate and giving. Many leaders are not compassionate but very quick to absorb and abuse power. Many leaders can corrupt and have little mercy.
Augustus requested his bronze tablet to be displayed outside his mausoleum in Rome. His mausoleum is located in Campus Martius and also runs alongside the Tiber. The mausoleum still stands but is not open to the public due to decay and ruin. Though the mausoleum survived, the copy of the tablet did not; however there is one preserved in Turkey. Both tablets describe his accomplishments on restoring peace. Not every ruler makes such prosperous decisions that lead their people to stability and peace. Augustus is evidence that peace and good is possible and this greatness made an appearance in historical times and as history continues to write itself, will make an appearance again.
Works Cited
Craig, Albert M et al. The Heritage of World Civilizations Nineth Edition. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall Publising, 2011. Print.
Everitt, Anthony. Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2007.
Goldsworthy, Adrian. Augustus . New Haven & London: Yale Univeristy Press, 2014.
