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Lecture 2 - The Augustan Principate

The document outlines the Augustan Principate, detailing the evolution of power from 27 BC with the establishment of proconsular imperium to the consolidation of military and constitutional powers by Augustus. It highlights key events, figures, and battles during this period, including the assassination of Julius Caesar and the subsequent rise of Octavian. The text also emphasizes the political structure and military organization under Augustus, which laid the foundation for the Roman Empire.

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38 views46 pages

Lecture 2 - The Augustan Principate

The document outlines the Augustan Principate, detailing the evolution of power from 27 BC with the establishment of proconsular imperium to the consolidation of military and constitutional powers by Augustus. It highlights key events, figures, and battles during this period, including the assassination of Julius Caesar and the subsequent rise of Octavian. The text also emphasizes the political structure and military organization under Augustus, which laid the foundation for the Roman Empire.

Uploaded by

rancy123
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Augustan Principate

© Roman Numismatic Gallery. All rights reserved. This content is © Dirty Old Coins. All rights reserved. This content is excluded
excluded from our Creative Commons license. For more from our Creative Commons license. For more information, see
information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/. https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

1
© 2003 Ancient World Mapping
Center. Released under CC BY-NC
3.0.

2
© Cristiano64 on Wikimedia Commons. License CC BY-SA. All rights reserved.
This content is excluded from our Creative Commons license. For more information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/. 3
SPQR
Senatus Populusque Romanus

4
CURSUS HONORUM
Office Number Min. Age

Consul 2 42

Praetor 8 39

Aedile 4 36

Tribune 10 Unfixed

Quaestor 20 30

5
Prorogation / Promagistrates

• prorogatio imperii

• Proconsul (pro consule)


• Propraetor (pro praetore)

6
This image is in the public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
This image is in the public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Marius Sulla
157 - 86 138 - 78 7
This image is in the public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Pompey the Great


106 – 48 8
This image is in the public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Gaius Julius Caesar


100 – 44 BC
9
Le Glay, Marcel, Jean-Louis Voisin, Yann Le Bohec, et al. A History of Rome. 3rd ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 2005. © Wiley-Blackwell. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our
Creative Commons license. For more information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.
10
© 2003 Ancient World Mapping Center. Released under CC BY-NC 3.0.

49 BC – Crossing of the Rubicon 11

48 BC – Battle of Pharsalus
Caesar 49: Dictator I (to oversee elections)
Dictator
47: Consul II
Dictator II for a year after Pharsalus

46: Consul III


Dictator III annually renewed for 10 yrs.

© CNG on Wikimedia Commons. License CC BY-SA. All rights reserved. This


content is excluded from our Creative Commons license. For more information,

45: Consul IV – sole consul – resigned in Fall


see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

Dictator IV

44: Consul V
Dictator in perpetuity
12

© WildWinds. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our Creative Commons license.
For more information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.
The Assassination of Caesar
Ides of March, 44 BC

© The Trustees of the British Museum. License CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Denarius of Brutus, 43-42 BC


© Trustees of the British Museum

13
44 – 30 BC
Dramatis Personae

“Liberators” and Pompeians Supporters of Caesar

Brutus and Cassius M. Antonius

Cicero M. Aemilius Lepidus

Sextus Pompey

Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus


14
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TRESVIRI REIPUBLICAE CONSTITUENDAE


Commission of Three for the Organization of the Republic
15
© 2003 Ancient World Mapping Center. Released under CC BY-NC 3.0.

42 BC – Battle of Philippi ➔ Death of Brutus & Cassius

36 BC – Battle of Naulochus
16

➔ Death of Sextus Pompey; Lepidus ‘retires’


Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa

Image courtesy of Barbara F. McManus on VRoma. License CC BY-NC.

Tribune 43
Praetor 40
Propraetor (Gaul) 38
Consul 37
Photo: Wikipedia / Shakko. License CC BY.

17
44 – 30 BC
Dramatis Personae
“Liberators” and Pompeians Supporters of Caesar

Brutus and Cassius M. Antonius


– Died in 42

Cicero M. Aemilius Lepidus


– Killed in 43 - Retired in 36

Sextus Pompey
– Killed in 35

Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus 18


Antony and Octavia
Married 40 BC – 33 BC

© CNG on Wikimedia Commons. License CC BY-SA. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from Image courtesy of Barbara F. McManus on VRoma.
our Creative Commons license. For more information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/. License CC BY-NC.

19
Cleopatra

Cleopatra VII Philopator

Queen of Egypt – 51-30 BC

The Berlin Cleopatra


Altes Museum, Berlin 20

Image courtesy of Anagoria on Wikimedia Commons. License CC BY.


© 2003 Ancient World Mapping Center. Released under CC BY-NC 3.0.

31 BC – Battle of Actium ➔ Death of Marc Antony


21
Image courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum. License CC BY-NC-SA.

Denarius of 28 BC (BM 1860,0328.114)

22
753 BC (April 21) - Foundation of Rome
REGAL PERIOD

509 BC – Birth of Republic

REPUBLIC

27 BC - Augustus

EMPIRE This image is in the public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

AD 284 – Reforms of Diocletian

LATE EMPIRE
23

AD 476 – Deposition of Romulus Augustulus


Evolution of Augustan Power

1) First ‘constitutional settlement’ – 27 BC

2) Second ‘constitutional settlement’ – 23 BC

3) Grant of consular power – 19 BC

24
Res Gestae, 34

“In my sixth and seventh consulships (28–


27 BC), after I had extinguished the civil
wars, having become master of everything
by the consent of all, I transferred the
republic from my power [potestas] to the
control of the senate and the Roman
people.”
M.G.L. Cooley, ed. The Age of Augustus. Translated by B.W.J.G. Wilson. Cambridge University Press, 2003. © Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved. This
content is excluded from our Creative Commons license. For more information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

25
Ancient World Mapping Center 2003

© 2003 Ancient World Mapping Center. Released under CC BY-NC 3.0.

Settlement of 27 BC
• Proconsular Imperium for 10 years
• (later renewed; eventually effectively permanent)
• Control of ‘imperial’ provinces of:
• Most of Spain; all of Gaul; Syria with Cilicia and Cyprus; Egypt
26
Suetonius, Augustus 47

“The more important provinces, and


those which could not easily or safely be
ruled by magistrates with an annual term
of command, he himself took charge of,
while the others he left to the proconsuls
to be distributed by lot.”
Suetonius. Lives of the Caesars. Translated by Catharine Edwards. Oxford University Press, 2000. © Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our
Creative Commons license. For more information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

27
Cassius Dio 53.12
“(Octavian’s) professed motive in this
was that the senate might fearlessly
enjoy the finest portion of the empire,
while he himself had the hardships and
the dangers; but his real purpose was
that by this arrangement the senators
should be unarmed and unprepared for
battle, while he alone had arms and
maintained soldiers.”
Dio, Cassius. Roman History, Vol. 6. Loeb Classical Library Edition, 1917. This text is in the public domain.

28
Augustus’ Honors in 27 BC

© Heritage Auctions. All rights reserved. This content is excluded


from our Creative Commons license. For more information, see
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The corona civica

Image courtesy of Bibi Saint-Pol on Wikimedia Commons.


This image is in the public domain.
29
Munich Glyptothek
Augustus’ Honors in 27 BC
Image courtesy of Marjaara on Wikimedia Commons. License CC BY.

© American Numismatic Society. All rights reserved. This


content is excluded from our Creative Commons license. For
more information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

The clipeus virtutis

Arles, Musée départemental


30
Consulships
of 43 – Cos. I
Octavian/Augustus 33 – Cos. II*

Image courtesy of Peter E on Flickr. License CC BY-NC-SA.


31 – Cos. III
30 – Cos. IV
29 – Cos. V
28 – Cos. VI
27 – Cos. VII
26 – Cos. VIII
25 – Cos. IX
24 – Cos. X
23 – Cos. XI

5 – Cos. XII
2 – Cos. XIII
31
Ancient World Mapping Center 2003

© 2003 Ancient World Mapping Center. Released under CC BY-NC 3.0.

Settlement of 27 BC
• Proconsular Imperium for 10 years
• (later renewed; eventually effectively permanent)
• Control of ‘imperial’ provinces of: 32

• Most of Spain; all of Gaul; Syria with Cilicia and Cyprus; Egypt
Image courtesy of ArdadN on Wikimedia Commons. This image is in the public domain. Andrei nacu
33
- Wikimedia
Evolution of Augustan Power

1) First ‘constitutional settlement’ – 27 BC

2) Second ‘constitutional settlement’ – 23 BC

3) Grant of consular power – 19 BC

34
Consulships
of 43 – Cos. I
Octavian/Augustus 33 – Cos. II*

31 – Cos. III
Image courtesy of Peter E on Flickr. License CC BY-NC-SA.

30 – Cos. IV
29 – Cos. V
28 – Cos. VI
27 – Cos. VII
26 – Cos. VIII
25 – Cos. IX
24 – Cos. X
23 – Cos. XI

5 – Cos. XII
2 – Cos. XIII
35
The Augustan Principate
‘CONSTITUTIONAL’ POWERS:

From 27 BC:
- Proconsular imperium

From 23 BC:
- Imperium maius
- Tribunicia potestas – powers of a tribune for life

From 19 BC:
- Powers of a consul for life
36
The Augustan Principate
MILITARY POWER:

• 24 Legions spread around the empire

• Praetorian Guard at Rome – 9,000 men

37
Mausoleum of Augustus, Rome

38
Image courtesy of GIACOMO BRINGS on Flickr. License CC BY-NC.
39
© Europa Technologies, Tele Atlas, and Google. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our Creative Commons license. For more information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.
© Europa Technologies, Tele Atlas, and Google. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our Creative Commons license. For more information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.
40
© The University of Chicago.
All rights reserved. This content is
excluded from our Creative
Commons license.
For more information, see
https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.

41
Boatwright, Mary Taliaferro. Hadrian and the City of Rome. Princeton University Press, 1987. © Princeton University Press. All rights reserved. This content is
excluded from our Creative Commons license. For more information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/. © Steinby, Eva Margareta, ed. Lexicon Topographicum Urbis Romae, Vol. 3. Oxford University
Press, 1997. © Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our
Creative Commons license. For more information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.
Reconstruction by Gatti (1934)

von Hesberg, Henner, and Silvio Panciera. Das Mausoleum des Augustus: Der Bau und seine Inschriften. Verlag der Bayerischen Akademie
der Wissenschaften, 1994. © Verlag der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our
Creative Commons license. For more information,
see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/. Steinby, Eva Margareta, ed. Lexicon Topographicum Urbis Romae, Vol. 3. Oxford University
Press, 1997. © Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. This content is excluded from our
Creative Commons license. For more information, see https://ocw.mit.edu/help/faq-fair-use/.
42
Reconstruction by von Hesberg
Image courtesy of Stelios ZACHARIAS on Flickr. License CC BY-NC-SA. Temple of Augustus and Rome
Ankara, Turkey
43
44
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21H.336 The Making of a Roman Emperor


Spring 2023

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