Lecture 17, 18: Augustus
• Caesar deified by Senate
• Octavian: divi filius
◦ Son of a god
• 40: Antony and Octavian's marriage alliance and division of the
world
◦ Lepidus was increasingly leC aside
• Wasn't invited to meeEng at Brandisium at which they
formed their alliance
▪ Octavian would have Italy and the West and
Antony would have the East; Antony would
marry Octavia
• Antony had an affair with Cleopatra (the
Ptolemaic queen)
• 34 B.C.- Antony and Cleopatra staged public ceremony during
which Antony handed many Eastern lands (including Roman
provinces) to Cleopatra to rule
◦ Their 3 children and Caesarion sat with them on golden
thrones
• To Romans, the ceremony from above, would mean that Antony
was making himself King and Cleopatra as Queen; TreaEng the
property of Rome as his personal property belonging to him and
his family
◦ Octavian saw this as an opportunity to use as an excuse to
make war on Antony
• Octavian presented war as a reclamaEon of Roman
territory against Egypt/Ptolemies/foreigners BUT, it
was really a conEnuaEon of Rome's civil wars
• Octavian versus Antony and Cleopatra, represented by Octavian as
Rome versus Egypt
• 31: Ba]le of AcEum
◦ Antony won but, Antony and Cleopatra escaped
, • 30: Deaths of Antony, Cleopatra and Caesarion (Former 2
commi]ed suicide)
◦ End of the 3rd and only surviving HellenisEc palace
(AnEgonids and Seleucids had already fallen)
• 1st Se]lement of 27: Annual consulship, and provinces of Spain,
Gaul, Cilicia, Cyprus, Syria and Egypt for 10 years (legates)-
Augustus
◦ Antony handed over all of his power back to the Senate BUT,
said that he would hold one consulship each year to assure
and aid the Senate; Took the menEoned provinces because
he said they risked invasion and needed his military
experEse
◦ Antony appointed a deputy to govern all of these provinces
(Known as a Legate)
◦ In graEtude for the "restoraEon of Republican government",
Senate gave him the Etle "Augustus"
◦ First Augustan consEtuEonal se]lement
• 2nd Se]lement of 23: Resigns consulship and takes proconsulship:
maius imperium and tribunica potestas
◦ Both consulships now open for anyone BUT, he would
conEnue to govern his provinces and exercise authority of
proconsul
◦ Augustus now given maius imperium which means greater
imperium; Point was that Augustus would exercise authority
over all governors (including promagistrate; not just his
legates)
◦ Took tribunica… which was tribunican power which meant,
for life, would exercise authority of a tribune
◦ Others would occupy higher magistracies (praetorship and
consulship) BUT, Augustus could gather popular assembly
and bring up laws and had power to veto laws
• As tribune, idenEfied as protector of Roman people
◦ Augustus held an indirect sort of rule; Restored a sense of
authority and respect for the Senate
• Caesar deified by Senate
• Octavian: divi filius
◦ Son of a god
• 40: Antony and Octavian's marriage alliance and division of the
world
◦ Lepidus was increasingly leC aside
• Wasn't invited to meeEng at Brandisium at which they
formed their alliance
▪ Octavian would have Italy and the West and
Antony would have the East; Antony would
marry Octavia
• Antony had an affair with Cleopatra (the
Ptolemaic queen)
• 34 B.C.- Antony and Cleopatra staged public ceremony during
which Antony handed many Eastern lands (including Roman
provinces) to Cleopatra to rule
◦ Their 3 children and Caesarion sat with them on golden
thrones
• To Romans, the ceremony from above, would mean that Antony
was making himself King and Cleopatra as Queen; TreaEng the
property of Rome as his personal property belonging to him and
his family
◦ Octavian saw this as an opportunity to use as an excuse to
make war on Antony
• Octavian presented war as a reclamaEon of Roman
territory against Egypt/Ptolemies/foreigners BUT, it
was really a conEnuaEon of Rome's civil wars
• Octavian versus Antony and Cleopatra, represented by Octavian as
Rome versus Egypt
• 31: Ba]le of AcEum
◦ Antony won but, Antony and Cleopatra escaped
, • 30: Deaths of Antony, Cleopatra and Caesarion (Former 2
commi]ed suicide)
◦ End of the 3rd and only surviving HellenisEc palace
(AnEgonids and Seleucids had already fallen)
• 1st Se]lement of 27: Annual consulship, and provinces of Spain,
Gaul, Cilicia, Cyprus, Syria and Egypt for 10 years (legates)-
Augustus
◦ Antony handed over all of his power back to the Senate BUT,
said that he would hold one consulship each year to assure
and aid the Senate; Took the menEoned provinces because
he said they risked invasion and needed his military
experEse
◦ Antony appointed a deputy to govern all of these provinces
(Known as a Legate)
◦ In graEtude for the "restoraEon of Republican government",
Senate gave him the Etle "Augustus"
◦ First Augustan consEtuEonal se]lement
• 2nd Se]lement of 23: Resigns consulship and takes proconsulship:
maius imperium and tribunica potestas
◦ Both consulships now open for anyone BUT, he would
conEnue to govern his provinces and exercise authority of
proconsul
◦ Augustus now given maius imperium which means greater
imperium; Point was that Augustus would exercise authority
over all governors (including promagistrate; not just his
legates)
◦ Took tribunica… which was tribunican power which meant,
for life, would exercise authority of a tribune
◦ Others would occupy higher magistracies (praetorship and
consulship) BUT, Augustus could gather popular assembly
and bring up laws and had power to veto laws
• As tribune, idenEfied as protector of Roman people
◦ Augustus held an indirect sort of rule; Restored a sense of
authority and respect for the Senate
