augustus legacy Flashcards
why did Augustus need to manage his public image thoughout his lifetime
-to enable him to rise to power but in a way that was deemed acceptable by the Romans
-once he gained power his image would allow him to retain power
-future generations would remeber him in a particular way
-to ensure that he was not assainated just as Caesar had been
-he wanted to leave a lasting legacy so that he reign was remebered
what was the mausoleum of Augustus
-work began in 32 BC and was completed in 28 BC
-dwarfed the most lavish funerary monuments in rome all the time
-it was bigger than the mausoleum of Halicarnassus this could have implied several things
-he wished to be seen as a hellenistic-style monarch
-massive funeray monuments were comman in the Greek east and were favoured by the Macedonian royal family included alexander the great - forging another link to great leaders
-testament to the power and wealth of a hero who was part man, part god
-conveyed the idea of power and authority - big = important
what did the mausoleum of augustus contain
-topped with a bronze statue of A which must have shone and been visible for miles
-it contained multiple burial places for members of the imperial family and his closet friends
-being spearated from the rest of the city woul dhave alowed it tp dwarf surronding buildings
-created classical greeks temples
what was the res gestae divi augusti
-autobiographical account of A life
-elogium
-A was 76 at the time of writing - written it was in his final year
-reflects intentions and desried mesaages of A who was concerened with preserving his legacy
-in his will - left with the Vestal Virgins - inscribed on upon colossal bronze bronze pillars and displayed outside the mausoleum
-very long - immodest but he was the only roman to amass such achievements
-caesar only mentioned twice
-addresses the people of rome rather than the people of the empire
why is the wiring style of the res gestae simple
-expensive to write in great depth
-little peotic language; A is kown to have disliked the Asiatic school of oratory defined by exaggeration and embellishment
-augustus was writing for his medium - difficult to carve letters
-simply the manner in which A wrote
what are the important facts to note about the res gestae
-many figures are not named directly - particulalry enemies
-account of civil wars are brief and fail to ackowledge that the wars are in fact civil conflicts
-accounts of foregin campaigns stress the benefits that rome reaped
-it does not give the impression that A lifetime was dominated by war and conflcits
-his generosity is heavily stressed
-through referncing the senate and magistrates he reinforces that he was a champion of the republic
-he plaxces important emphasis on the titiles of Pater Patriae and A
when did A die
-19th August 14 AD in nola
why was A death unprecedented
-there was no legal precedent for what would happen next
-the senate had grown to diminsh power and few were prepared to take on the mantle of the governing without an A in place
-A had made himself seem nessacary for the continued success of rome - the stae would never revert back to being a true republic
who was the next emeror of rome
-tiberius
- army and senate convinced the principate should be conferred to him
what was A funeral like
-enormous funeral procession with mourners travelled with his body and on the day of his burial all the public and priavte business affairs were stopped
was A diefied after his death
-yes - become associated with Italy, Rome and fertility
when did livia die
-29 AD
-refered to as Augusta and was worshipped as a patron of marriages
how did the timing of the mausoleum help A consolidate power
started construction 32 bc
shows commitment of Octavian to rome against Antony - as he read out antonys will to the senate which showed how he wanted to be buried in Alexandria
what does the location the mausoleum indicate
-close to other buildings commissioned by A and his supporters
-built in parkland - gift to the people as it is open to the public which keep A in the mind of the public
-link to divine ancestors - where romulus ascended to the heavens and where JC was cremated
-people would see the scale of A authority and understand his role
what does the scale of the mausoleum indicate
-very obvious for everyone to see
-visible projection of his power
-42 metres high - dwarfed all the other buildings
-built in hellenistic style - part god part man - hero
