Caesar Augustus was among Rome’s greatest rulers, leading the Republic’s development into an empire. Augustus, also named Octavian, revolutionized practically all areas of Roman society throughout his rule, restoring stability and prosperity to the Roman government. The emperor stated that he worked toward the Roman Republic’s dignity, not for selfish enrichment. Nevertheless, his reign entailed both progressive changes and negative influences, making Augustus a controversial emperor.
Octavian changed his name to Augustus Caesar with a Senatorial declaration after his victory over Antony and the start of his reign; many researchers have debated whether Augustus was a dictator, redeemer, idol, or culprit. Augustus effectively managed the frequent volatile moments of Roman politics with a systematic practical approach, allowing him to establish and maintain a centralized imperial administration that dominated Rome for the next few centuries. The ruling of Augustus was aggressive since the emperor desired to bring changes to all spheres of the realm.
Among the changes introduced by Augustus was the re-establishment of the rule of law. During the armed conflicts, Rome stopped being a republic and became a res privata, at the disposal of individuals with connections to legions to further their political ambitions and aims to gain dominance (Wiseman, 2019). These incidents brought to light the flaws in ancient Roman systems, which Augustus was eager to address. Consequently, Augustus’ triumph marked the culmination of private individuals operating outside Roman legal codes (Wiseman, 2019). Augustus restored a government-controlled by and maintained it for the sake of the masses, even if it required modifying the old Republic.
Additionally, Augustus established a slew of new initiatives and structures to ensure the Roman citizens’ stability and security. For instance, he split Rome into regions and districts, with residents electing local officers to oversee each area (Wiseman, 2019). To protect the land from fires, he established a nighttime patrol, and to improve public health and commerce, he enlarged and cleaned the Tiber (Wiseman, 2019). Aside from more global changes, he introduced changes aimed at specific community groups and regions (Wiseman, 2019). For example, the ruler waived large sums owed to persons who struggled financially and had been in debt for a long time (Wiseman, 2019). Moreover, by stationing forces around the province to suppress criminals and highwaymen, he abolished most of the anarchy in the rural areas.
Aside from the mentioned policies, Augustus cleared arrest histories of people whose trials had long been delayed, where the intelligence officers’ only goal was to satisfy their animosity by humiliating their adversaries. Augustus even served as a judge, often demonstrating significant attention and remarkable lenity (Wiseman, 2019). One of the most considerable contributions was made in 22 B.C. when Augustus saved Rome from a severe grain crisis by supplying the people with food with his expenses (Wiseman, 2019). He then established a new agency with the sole objective of controlling the grain supplies in order to avert recurrent crises.
Similar to many of the emperor’s initiatives, these endeavors in favor of the broader population fulfilled several aims. They resolved a slew of vexing issues in Rome that had gone unaddressed throughout the preceding century’s turmoil (Wallace-Hadrill, 2018). Such remedial efforts offered significant security in Rome, both for individual members and the municipal institutions as a whole, and helped to alleviate much of the dissatisfaction that had previously afflicted the city (Wallace-Hadrill, 2018). All of these initiatives also served to acquaint Augustus with the citizens of Rome, resulting in approval for Augustus among the general community. Augustus’ administration had a firm foundation and an impression of credibility owing to this support, which was fully connected with ancient republican norms (Wallace-Hadrill, 2018). The emperor could always rely on this undercurrent of public approval to legitimize the employment of whatever measures he desired to take.
Nevertheless, when it comes to the more aggressive and negative influences of Augustus, the ruler chose to implement stringent social policies to revive the Republic after obtaining authority and adopting a new name (Allen, 2019). These policies were viewed by many citizens as unsuccessful and controversial. The proscriptions were ordered by Octavian and his colleagues, and they demanded the execution of hundreds of legislators, including Octavian’s confidant Cicero.
Another example of Agustus’ failed initiatives is the one involving many colonized and oppressed regions due to Augustus’ interventionist foreign policy. Augustus aimed to eliminate many affluent nations and introduce tyrannical and brutal dictators in these regions (Wiseman, 2019). Many countries attempted revolts in response to the persecution, but only a few were victorious. The revolution in Germania in 9 A.D. was the most remarkable of these uprisings (Wiseman, 2019). Native populations led by Arminius overthrew the Roman commander Varrus, resulting in the Varian catastrophic event (Wiseman, 2019). This failure was a scar on Augustus’ reign, as it resulted in the loss of three armies and a lot of trophies (Wiseman, 2019). This resulted in the decline of faith in Augustus’ authority, requiring him to shift from an aggressive to a protective foreign strategy to defend his realm and reputation.
Thus, Octavian, later known as Caesar Augustus, is a famous historical figure, the actions of which tend to be controversial. While some historians see Caesar Augustus as a savior and innovator, others view him as villainous. Augustus was an aggressive leader who revolutionized many of Rome’s structures and systems, including the re-establishment of law. Nevertheless, some of his initiatives failed, notably expansion and effort to subjugate other nations.
References
Allen, J. (2019). The Roman Republic and the Hellenistic Mediterranean: From Alexander to Caesar. John Wiley & Sons.
Wallace-Hadrill, A. (2018). Augustan Rome. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Wiseman, T. P. (2019). The house of Augustus: A historical detective story. Princeton University Press.