Augustus Quotes Flashcards
What does Velleius Paterculus say about Octavian’s victory at Actium?
History of Rome 2.89.1: When Octavian returned to Rome, he was greeted by “huge crowds and universal acclaim”.
How did Augustus present his victory at Actium in the Res Gestae?
“I raised an army by means I restored liberty to the republic, which had been oppressed by the tyranny of a faction”.
How did Virgil present Octavian’s victory at Actium?
Aeneid: “O shameless! his Egyptian spouse”, “her monster Gods”.
How did Horace present Octavian’s victory at Actium?
Odes: Describes Cleopatra as a “maddened queen plotting the Capitol’s and the empire’s ruin”.
Denarius of Augustus 29 - 27 BC
Reverse: Octavian holding branch, “Victorious Caesar”.
Commemorates Octavian’s victory in Actium and his resulting triumph.
What does Augustus say about the First Constitutional Settlement? (2 Quotes)
Res Gestae: “After this time I excelled all in auctoritas although I possessed no more official potestas than others”.
Res Gestae 34: he claimed that the state was again controlled by the Senate and People.
What does Cassius Dio say about Augustus doubling the pay of the Praetorian Guard in the First Constitutional Settlement?
“This shows how sincere he was to lay down the monarchy”
What does Cassius Dio say about Augustus gaining the power to redistribute the provinces?
Dio 53.12: notes that Augustus’ real aim was “that the senators should be unarmed and unprepared for war, while he possessed arms and controlled troops”.
Aureus of Augustus 27 BC
Obverse: legend “for saving the lives of the citizens”
Reverse: Eagle standing on an oak-wreath with two laurel branches behind.
Signifies Augustus’ being awarded the Civic Crown for “saving the life of a citizen in war” i.e. Rome from Civil War.
What does Tacitus say about Augustus gaining tribunicia potestas?
Annals 3.65: “the expression of the supremacy of the emperor’s position”
What does Cassius Dio say about Augustus gaining Imperium Proconsulare Maius?
Roman History 53.52.5: this reaffirmed the princeps as the head of the Roman army.
What does Suetonius say about Augustus wanting to restore the tradition and piety of Rome?
Augustus 40: tells us that Augustus had a severe attitude towards moral and social purity, not wishing “native Roman stock to be tainted with foreign or servile blood”.
What does Augustus say about his restoration of Rome?
Res Gestae: “I restored 82 temples”
Res Gestae 8.2: records Augustus’ census - the first official census of the Roman people in 42 years.
What does Velleius Paterculus say about Augustus trying to keep his reign traditional?
History of Rome 89.5: Augustus refused to become dictator despite being offered it repeatedly.
Aureus of Augustus 28 BC
Obverse: Head of Octavian
Reverse: Octavian seated on a Magistrates bench with a scroll, “He has restored to the Roman People their laws and rights”
What does Augustus say about trying to keep his reign traditional?
Res Gestae 6.1: claims that he took no office that contravened ancestral customs.
What does Suetonius say about Augustus and his attitude towards religion?
Augustus was respectful to long established religions but considered the worship of a living individual dangerous, especially in Rome and the west.
What does Tacitus say about Augustus and his attitude towards religion?
Annals 1.10.6: “There were no honours left for the gods, now that Augustus chose to be worshipped with temples and godlike images by flamines and priests”
Annals 4.37: Augustus didn’t stand in the way of the people of Pergamum in Asia Minor successfully building a temple to him and Rome 29 BC.
What does Augustus say about his attitude towards religion?
Res Gestae 7.2-3: tells us that he held seven simultaneous priesthoods.
How many shrines did Virgil mention Augustus built?
Mentions 300.
Denarius of Augustus 16 BC
Reverse: shows ladle, tripod and sacrificial bowl - symbols of Priesthoods.
What does Suetonius say about Augustus’ administrative changes to Rome?
Augustus 30: divided Rome into 14 districts.
Augustus 36: banned the publication of “Proceedings of the Senate”
Augustus 37: created new offices for the upkeep of public buildings, roads and aqueducts and for grain distribution.
What does Augustus say about his administrative changes to Rome?
Res Gestae 8.2: he revised the senatorial roll three times.
Res Gestae 25.3: claims that 700 senators served him at Actium, and as many as 300 may have sided with Mark Antony.
What does Suetonius say about Augustus’ building programme?
Augustus 28: Augustus “found a Rome built of bricks but left it one clothed in marble”
What does Strabo say about Augustus’ building programme?
Geography: Augustus constructed and improved public aqueducts
What does Augustus say about his building programme?
Res Gestae: “without inscribing my name anywhere on them”.
What does Tacitus say generally about Augustus’ relationship with different classes of Rome?
“Augustus seduced the soldiery with gifts, the people with corn, and everyone with the delights of peace”.
What does Tacitus say about Augustus’ relationship with the Senate?
Annals 2.27: Augustus gave money to individual senators
Annals 2.59: Banned senators from the province of Egypt.
What does Suetonius say about Augustus’ relationship with the Senate?
Augustus 37: Lower ranks of the cursus honorum were expanded to allow for more senators to gain political experience.
What does Augustus say about his relationship with the Plebs?
Res Gestae 15.1: In 24 BC Augustus gave 400 sesterces to each pleb.
Res Gestae 5.1-2: in 22 BC, the plebs rioted when there was a corn shortage- they demanded that Augustus should be appointed dictator to deal with the crisis
What does Suetonius say about Augustus’ health?
Augustus had been suffering from bouts of illness since 25 BC.
Aureus of Augustus and Agrippa 13 BC
Reverse: Augustus and Agrippa seated on a tribune’s bench.
- Could be designating Agrippa as his heir.
- Gives the impression that Augustus shared power with colleagues according to republican tradition.
Aureus of Gaius and Lucius Caesar 2 BC - AD 11
Reverse: Gaius and Lucius Caesar, veiled. “Gaius and Lucius Caesar, sons of Augustus, consuls designate, princeps iuventutis”
- Designating these two as heir before they died
Aureus of Augustus and Tiberius AD 13-14
Obverse: Head of Augustus
Reverse: Head of Tiberius
- From final year of Augustus’ life, illustrating that Tiberius will be his successor.
