Augustus: First Emperor of Augustus: First Emperor of RomeRome

Humor of Augustus• The hair of Julia, Augustus' daughter, began to

go gray at an early age, and she used secretly to pull the gray hairs out. One day her maids were surprised by the unexpected arrival of her father, who pretended not to see the gray hairs on her women's dresses and talked for some time on other matters. Turning the conversation to the subject of age, he asked her whether she would prefer eventually to be gray or bald. She replied that for her part she would rather be gray. "Why, then," said her father, thus rebuking her deceit "are these women of yours in such a hurry to make you bald?"

• - Macrob. Sat. 2.5.7

Octavian

• Grand-nephew & posthumously adopted by Julius Caesar

• Reading of Caesar’s Will– Octavian is appointed heir and inherits two-

thirds of Caesar’s estate• Marcus Antonius is furious

• Second Triumvirate – An alliance with Marcus Antonius & Marcus

Aemilus Lepidus to defeat conspirators of Caesar’s assassination and political enemies

Second Triumvirate

M. Antonius C. Julius Caesar Octavianus

Final War of the Roman Republic

• The members of the Second Triumvirate begin to distrust one another as they pursue their own political ambitions

• A civil war breaks out between Octavian & Antony

• Octavian’s forces under the command of Agrippa defeat Antony in 31 BCE

Pax Romana

• Octavian is awarded the honorary title of “Augustus” by the Senate– Augustus “revered one”

• Augustus becomes an autocrat & Rome’s first emperor (27 BCE – 14 CE)

• Pax Romana “The Roman Peace;” a period of some 200 years in which the Roman Empire prospered, was united, and “Romanized” the world.

Augustan Family Values Reforms

• A father could kill his daughter and lover if he caught them in the act of adultery.

• In his own home, a husband could kill his wife and her lover if he caught them in the act of adultery

• A husband must divorce his wife in 60 days if it is proven she has committed adultery

• A woman who has committed adultery is subject to the following additional penalties– Banishment– Loss of one-half dowry– Loss of one-third of any

additional wealth she possessed

Res Gestae