Augustus Week 4 MMM

1. Love elegy by Cornelius Gallus a)…sad, Lycoris, by your misbehaviour. b) My fate will then be sweet to me, Caesar, when you are the most important part of Roman history, and when I read of many gods' temples the richer after your return for being hung with your trophies. c) At last the… Muses have made poems that I could utter as worthy of my mistress. …..the same to you, I do not, Viscus, I do not, Cato, fear…, even if you are the arbiter… d) Tyrian

2. Letter of Octavian to Rhosus, late 31 BC Imperator Casear, son of the god, imperator for the sixth time, consul | for the third time, consul designate for the fourth time, to the magistrates, council and people of Rhosus..., greetings. If you are well, it is good. I myself too with the army am well. The envoys sent by you, Seleukos my admiral, Heras (son) of Kalli| [--, ---]eros, Symmachos, good men from a good People, our friends and allies, | [having travelled] to Ephesus to me, spoke about the instructions which they had (from you). I accordingly | received the men... and I have accepted the honours and the crown | and I will try when I come to your area to be the author of some good to you and to watch over | the privileges given to your city... (Sherk, Greek East, no. 86)

3. Honours of 29 BC Thus they [the Senate] granted him a triumph, as over , an arch adorned with trophies at Brundisium and another in the Roman Forum. Moreover, they decreed that the foundation of the shrine of Julius should be adorned with the beaks of the captured ships and that a festival should be held every four years in honour of Octavius; that there should also be a thanksgiving on his birthday and on the anniversary of the announcement of his victory; also that when he should enter the city the Vestal Virgins and the senate and the people with their wives and children should go out to meet him. But it would be quite superfluous to go on and mention the prayers, the images, the privilege of the front seat, and all the other honours of the sort. And they voted to Caesar crowns and thanksgiving in great number and granted him the privilege of celebrating another triumph, this time over the Egyptians. For neither on the previous occasion nor at this time did they mention by name Antony and the other Romans who had been vanquished with him and thus imply that it was proper to celebrate their defeat. The day on which had been captured they declared a lucky day, and directed that in future years it should be taken by the inhabitants of that city as the starting-point in their reckoning of time. They also decreed that Caesar should hold the tribunician power for life, that he should aid those who called upon him for help both within the pomerium and outside for a distance of one mile, a privilege possessed by none of the tribunes,also that he should judge appealed cases, and that in all the courts his vote was to be cast as Athena's vote. The priests and priestesses also in their prayers in behalf of the people and the senate were to pray for him likewise, and at all banquets, not only public but private as well, everybody was to pour a libation to him. (Dio 51.19)

4. ’ account of 27 BC In my sixth and seventh consulates (28-27 B.C.), after putting out the civil war, having obtained all things by universal consent, I handed over the state from my power to the dominion of the senate and Roman people. And for this merit of mine, by a senate decree, I was called Augustus and the doors of my temple were publicly clothed with laurel and a civic crown was fixed over my door and a gold shield placed in the Julian senate- house, and the inscription of that shield testified to the virtue, mercy, justice, and piety, for which the senate and Roman people gave it to me. After that time, I exceeded all in influence, but I had no greater power than the others who were colleagues with me in each magistracy. (RG 34)

5. Dio’s version: Augustus’ speech You see for yourselves, of course, that it is in my power to rule over you for life; for every factious element has either been put down through the application of justice or brought to its sense by receiving mercy, while those who were on my side have been made devoted by my reciprocating their friendly services and bound fast by having a share in the government. Therefore none of them desires a revolution, and if anything of the sort should take place, at least the party which will stand by me is even more ready than it was before. My military is in the finest condition as regards both loyalty and strength; there is money and there are allies; and, most important of all, you and the people are so disposed toward me that you would distinctly wish to have me Augustus Week 4 MMM at your head. However, I shall lead you no longer, and no one will be able to say that it was to win absolute power that I did whatever has hitherto been done. Nay, I give up my office completely, and restore to you absolutely everything— the army, the laws, and the provinces,— not only those which you committed to me, but also those which I myself later acquired for you. Thus my very deeds also will prove to you that even at the outset I desired no position of power, but in very truth wished to avenge my father, cruelly murdered, and to extricate the city from great evils that came on unceasingly.... Since, then, Fortune, by using me, has graciously restored to you peace without treachery and harmony without faction, receive back also your liberty and the republic; take over the army and the subject provinces, and govern yourselves as has been your wont.... And yet, after all, I feel no hesitancy about suggesting to you in a summary way what ought to be done in each of the leading departments of administration.... I will close with this one further remark, that if you will conduct the government in this manner, you will both enjoy prosperity yourselves and you will gratify me, who found you engaged in wretched strife and made you what you now are; but if there is any part whatever of this programme that you shall prove unable to carry out, you will cause me to regret my action and you will at the same time cast the city again into many wars and grave dangers.” (Dio 53.4- 10)

6. ‘Augustus’ For when some expressed the opinion that he ought to be called Romulus as a second founder of the city, Plancus carried the proposal that he should rather be named Augustus, on the ground that this was not merely a new title but a more honourable one, inasmuch as sacred places too, and those in which anything is consecrated by augural rites are called "august" (augusta), from the increase (auctus) in dignity, or front movements or feeding of the birds (avium gestus gustuve), as Ennius also shows when he writes: "Afterwards, by august august illustrious was founded." (Suet, Aug 7)

7. Augustus’ first act His very first act was to secure a decree granting to the men who should compose his bodyguard double the pay that was given to the rest of the soldiers, so that he might be strictly guarded. (Dio 53.11)

8. Arles clipeus virtutis The senate and the Roman People to Imperator Caesar, son of the god, Augustus, consul for the eighth time (26 BC), offer this shield of bravery, mercy, justice, and piety in relation to the gods and fatherland

9. Pater Patriae When I administered my thirteenth consulate (2 B.C.), the Senate and Equestrian order and Roman people all called me father of the country, and voted that the same be inscribed in the vestibule of my temple, in the Julian senate-house, and in the forum of Augustus under the chario which had been placed there for me by a decision of the senate. When I wrote this I was seventy-six years old. (RG 35)

10. ‘Augustus’ Augustus alone bears a name that ranks with supreme Jupiter! Holy things are called by the fathers ‘august’: the epithet august is applied to temples that have been dedicated by priestly hands: from the same root comes augury and all such augmentation as Jupiter grants by his power. (, Fasti I.608-612)