Augustus As The New Founder Of Rome

[Guest cropduster]

I am having trouble coming to terms with this therory. He was the start of a dynasty in the same way Romulus was the start of a monarcy but in what other ways was he a new founder.

[Ursus]

Well, he "reorganized" the Constitution in such a way that we have to call Rome a Principate rather than a Republic.

 

Then he also presided over a tremendous revival in all aspects of Roman culture that had been declining with generations of civil war.

 

From the provincial perspective, his reign markes the slow start of the shift from Rome the City to Rome as a cultural and world spanning ideal. He codified the various social orders in which there was a definite place for local elites.

 

And in the field of religion he marks the start of the infamous imperial cult, with the deification of himself and Caesar, or rather their divine essence (genius).

 

Basically, all aspects of Roman life were impacted and changed by his rule. Except, I suppose, for the "morals" of the day, which never returned to the romanticized austerity of the early Republic.

 

But he is the Founder of the Empire, the Father of the Fatherland.

[Quintus Artemis Sertorius]

Augustus tried to influence the morals of the Empire though. he passed into law various rules about the proper moral attitudes and practices. he attempted to strengthen marriage and discourage adultery, extravagence, and luxury. granted, these laws didn't neccesarily apply to the emperor, thats why it's good to be king. and we all know that later these laws were not even paid lip service to. augustus also started the trend of building massive public buildings in rome. i think he set the standard for the later construction of the colloseum, the pantheon, and all the other great basillicas. other emperors could look at the works of augustus and they have something to compete against. didn't he say something along the lines of "I came to a city made of brick and wood, and left it a city shethed in marble and stone"?

 

besides that, the romans liked to give truly great ment he title of founder of rome. the first was romulus who actually founded the origional 7 hill city. the second is marcus furius camillus who captured veii, defeated the volsci, and annexed tarentum, which greatly expanded the territory of eraly rome, and subdued rome's closest enemies. he also is given credit for forcing the patricians to give some concessions to the plebians, thereby defusing the class struggle for a time. finally you have gaius marius who defeated the invading german army, which was a huge looming threat to romans that still could remember, and see in some places easily see, the effects of the gaulish invasion and sack of rome. i think Augustus deserves the title, since for the first time in many many years there was no civil wars raging in the roman world.