sources Flashcards
RG 1
MUTINA
‘at the age of 19, on my own initiative, and at my own expense, I raised an army, by way of which i liberates the republic which was being tyrannicides.’
‘the people appointed me as consul.’
-emphasizes how constitutional his rise to power was
RG 2
MUTINA
‘i drove into exile those men who had murdered my father, avenging their deed by legal means’
-emphasizes his role as justified.
RG 3
CLEMENCY, AND MERCY 30-31BC, ACTIUM
‘i pardoned all the citizens who asked for mercy’ - links to JC
‘about 500,000 Roman citizens swore allegiance to me’
-however omits cruel details such as killing Cleopatra’s children
RG 4
HONOURS AUG’S TRIUMPHS
‘twice i earned ovations’
RG 5
EMPHASISES SERVICE TO THE STATE
‘when the dictatorship was offered to me by the Senate and people, I refused it.’
-23BC Aug consul, 22BC senate offered Aug dictatorship and refused
=DEMOCRAT, avoids JC connotations
RG 13
PEACE ACHIEVED
‘it was the wish of our ancestors that Janus Quirinus should be closed when there was peace’
‘it had been closed twice in all recorded memory’ - once in January 30BC.
-commends Augustus’ efforts
RG 25
‘the whole of italy of its own volition swore allegiance to me’ (as did Gaul, Sardinia, Africa and Spain) - demonstrates support and to reinforce his legitimacy
‘more than seven hundred senators fought under my standards’ - references senatorial support = republican and democratic
‘i freed the sea from pirates’ - removes any idea of civil wars with Pompey instead characterising him as a pirate, reluctant democrat
however the slaves he ‘returned’ 6000/30,000 were crucified.
RG 26
‘I extended the limits of all the provinces of the Roman people’ -
COOLEY: ‘i extended’ implies the personal nature of expansion under Aug, showing all military achievements were solely under Aug himself
‘i pacified the provinces of Gaul, Spain as well as Germany’ - omits the Varian disaster in 9BC where 3 legions were lost at the battle of Teutoberg forest.
RIDLEY: ‘this omission is to be expected and simply represents Aug’s selective approach to his reign as there is no way to spin the loss of 3 legions as a great achievement.
‘I sailed through the ocean eastwards’ - COOLEY: ‘ocean’ was believed to be the mass of water that surrounded the inhabited part of the ancient world and was said to be the point at which Alexander the Great had intended to subdue before his sudden death.
NENCI: not only has Aug emulated Alexander the Great by subduing new parts of the world - he emerges more successful as he has completed the project of western expansion that Alexander did not live long enough to see
‘i pacified the Alps’
COOLEY: speaks to the Roman war ideology which presented non-Romans as lawless and Barbaric. by suggesting the region was unruly and savage, citizens could justify the army’s savage treatment towards them
RG 24
‘in chariots were erected in about 80 cities, which i myself removed and from the money i placed golden gifts in the temple of apollo’ - Aug is modest and pious.
Horace Epodes 9
‘Hail Triumph! Why delay the golden chariots and the unblemished steers?’ - sarcastic tone, implies his foreign policy is more concerned with grand triumphs than actual governance.
‘golden’ suggests he is eager for extravagant displays of victory not welfare of the state
Horace Odes 1.37
- ‘salian feast’ roman culture traditional feast,
- ‘her crowd of deeply corrupted creatures’ -referring to the egyptians.
- ‘intending to perish more nobly’ - praises her suicide as was seen as cowardly to become enslaved
-omits MA from the civil war
-augustus is valorised due to negative presentation of cleopatra
Propertius Elegies 3.4
-poem 20BC, pre-return of the Parthian Standards where many Romans were in anticipation of his success.
-prayer that one day he will see the booty and prisoners displayed on a triumphal parade
‘i can cheer them on their Sacred Way’ - Propertius wishes Augustus well and divine protection on his journey, cheering soldiers on BUT not partaking.
Propertius Elegies 3.11 !!
- ‘why fabricate charges of my cowardice against my person, because i cant break the yoke and snap my chains’
-series of rhetorical questions serves as a direct question to the audience
-yoke is a collar for cows ploughing
=subverts blame as he is suggesting MA just cannot break free of Cleo’s imprisonment so how is it just for him to be called a coward when he is there in that state - gives lengthy series of mythical heroes such as Jason, Achilles and Hercules - all ruled by their love for a woman. reiterates power of women and presents the vulnerability of men
- ‘her obscene husband’ - failure to name MA removes his importance in his role in treachery.
-reduces MA in status and implies he was just under her control
-POSSESSIVE PRONOUN - ‘Truly that whore’ - denigrates cleopatra
- ‘dared to oppose our jupiter with yapping Anubis, and forces Tiber to suffer the threats of the Nile, banished the Roman trumpet with the rattle of the sistrum’ -contrasts a threatening Egypt with glorious Rome and its iconic culture.
‘the whole earth was terrified of a woman’s power and fearful of her threats’ - legitimises Cleopatra as a formidable enemy of whom possessed an abundance of power
‘saved by Augustus’ - reinforces main message of Augustus’ supreme power and as the saviour of Rome.
=Clears Aug of any notion of civil war as this presents MA as merely enslaved and Cleo as a formidable foreign threat.
Propertius 3.12
‘was the glory of Parthia’s spoils worth so much to you, with Galla repeatedly begging you not to do it’ - fictional figures who represent the damage war can do. challenges that material spoils of war are not valuable compared to the damage inflicted on relationships and relatives
- references Odysseus’ 20 year absence caused no harm to Odysseus but made Penelope miserable and depressed. says Galla ‘will outdo Penelope’ who is famed for her extreme loyalty and fidelity = highlights the sacrifice and dedication of Roman Matronas who are the real victims here.
=>criticises how Augustus is so desperate to further his military career that he has no care for his soldiers and citizens’ life. he only cares for himself and material achievements.
Propertius Elegies 4.6
-highlights Apollo (and minor God)’s role in the battle of Actium and Augustus as a bringer of peace.
-Apollo’s speech to Aug is designed to show how close their relationship is.
Suetonius 7
‘the custom is derived either from ‘increase’, or ‘the popular phrase avium gestus gustusve - ‘the posture of pecking birds’’ = either pious, increase or connection to Romulus founding the city
Suetonius 9
‘he fought in 5 civil conflicts’ - clearly references who Aug fought in each war and says ‘fought in’ implying he didnt lead or was responsible for the success.
-compared to RG 25, this is more clearly labelled as civil war. however, by referencing the enemies by name this shows how many figures he eradicated
Suetonius 10
‘he spent all he could muster on raising a force of veterans to protect himself and the state’ - this is heroic, noble and compassionate.
‘he shouldered the eagle of the legion and carried it for some time’ - aligns him with Rome and could also be suggesting he was literally carrying Rome.
Suetonius 11
‘the circumstances of Pansa’s death were so suspicious’
‘Aquilius Niger says further that Augustus himself killed Hirtius’
=> truthful exploration of Augustus’ true nature.
Suetonius 17
-about the reading of MA’s will in 32BC at the same time as building his Mausoleum.
-suet justifies his actions as he is doing everything for the state but is careful given how MA fell eg when Aug allows MA’s friends to aid him in Bononia
Suetonius 28 plus ramage
Aug says when he is seriously ill: ‘may it be my privilege to establish the state on a firm and secure basis
‘he could rightly boast what he found as brick he left as marble’ -
RAMAGE: references JC and implies he has surpassed his legacy by further improving Rome than that of JC’s regime. ‘SUBTLY UNDERMINES JC’
Suetonius 69
-MA accuses Octavian of marrying Livia with ‘indecent haste’ and suggests they are not in fact a traditional roman family as they claim to be
-seems far fetched and its position so late in the biography reduces its significance to mere gossip. plus, nobody would have given serious credence to the adultery of Augustus.
=letter from MA attempts to defile the traditional promotion of Augustus.
Suetonius 70
MA LETTER BE CAUTIOUS 38BC (same time as Pompey’s naval blockade and famine in Rome)
- the feast of The Twelve Gods - whilst there was a famine in Rome
‘impious Caesar played Apollo’s part mendaciously’
‘the Gods abandoned the feast’ - shows how scandalous this was to Romans.
-mocks expensive taste in contrast to his frugal image - and damages his reputation of a moral leader.
Suetonius 95
44BC
‘A halo formed around the sun’s disk as he entered the city.’
‘suddenly a lightning bolt struck the tomb of Caesar’s daughter Julia’ (symbol of Jupiter)
‘Twelve vultures were seen’ - same omen as Romulus
=> suggests divine approval from a deified Julius Caesar, Jupiter and Romulus
