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The Power of an Emperor: The Augustinian Agenda & Imagery As Propaganda |
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written
by odis / 09.08.2004 |
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Conclusion |
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Augustus officially ruled until his death in August (the month named for him) of 14 A.D. By 13, however, his successor, Tiberius, was essentially emperor, and the Pax Romana would continue for two centuries based on the footing he established. The implications of his passing would certainly have been enormous; few leaders had ever ruled with such a dramatic agenda for change and many citizens would have been unable to remember any ruler prior to Augustus, his reign standing out as one of Rome’s longest.
Looking at Augustus’s legacy, one could safely say that his emperorship dramatically altered the face of Rome’s political organization for centuries to come. The monarchy that he established set the standard for many emperors that followed. Perhaps more impressive than the political organization he instigated was the manner by which he personally carried it out. The intense campaign for sole leadership that mellowed into the careful, exemplar images of modesty; the glorification of public holdings at the expense of private wealth; the desire to legislate according to citizens’ concerns and then draw back such measures once they are considered too burdensome - these are all examples of the style that served as the root for his success in the carrying out of his cultural reformations. The twenty-year period at the beginning of his reign during which he implemented these reformations is the basis for the legacy that ultimately set him apart from all leaders before and all emperors after: the peace and prosperity that would follow the empire long after his death. It is this accomplishment that makes Augustus stand out in the long history of Roman rulers, and the reason that he is considered the ultimate model of what it means to be “imperator”.
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Personal Observations |
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In my research of Augustus, two elements stand out. The first is a newfound awe at the history of complex, intentional imagery used for the purpose of political propaganda. As I researched and wrote this article, of course, the American Presidential campaigns for the 2004 election are occurring. Each candidate is forced to try to portray himself in a positive and endearing light via whatever means are most likely to reach the intended voters. The parallels to the Augustan age, more than two-thousand years earlier, are fascinating: just as John Kerry tries to paint himself as a Vietnam War hero with a flashy thirty-second television commercial, Octavian erects an equestrian statue in the Senate chambers; and like Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attempts to offer a different, less heroic, interpretation of Kerry’s war service, Octavian uses Antony’s self-designated Dionysian image against him. And just as the Augustan image was malleable according to the times that required different forms of leadership, so too does George W. Bush turn from a compassionate conservative into a war president. The notion that an individual who is trying to appeal to the masses can cram so much potentially powerful information into one statue or coin or leaflet or commercial and use it as a main means for propelling that person to power or appeasing citizens is timeless. I enjoyed discovering these parallels.
The second aspect of my research that I feel compelled to write about also relates to Augustus’ politics. Despite his (relatively successful) attempts to portray his rulership as a return to a true Republic, Roman power had never previously been so invested in one individual. He was, after all, the first emperor. It is a powerful testament to his abilities as such a leader that he was capable of maintaining this power while portraying a façade of republicanism through such gestures as regularly consulting the Senate, establishing communication with the lower class, and strictly attempting to abide the laws which he put into place. Even when his laws were unpopular, such as those regarding childbearing, the system he put in place allowed them to be eventually phased out. Though these maneuvers were undoubtedly influenced by the necessity for maintaining peace and his hold on power, Augustus demonstrated an intelligence and flexibility that few Roman leaders before or after were capable of.
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Bibliography |
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Fagan, Garrett G. De Imperatoribus Romanis. 1999. Pennsylviania State
University. 23 Aug. 2004.
Gill, N.S.. From Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus to Emperor Augustus
Caesar. 23 Sept. 1997. University of Minnesota. 24 Aug. 2004.
Kreis, Steven. The History Guide. 1996. Wake Technical Community College.
24 Aug. 2004.
La Regina, Adriano, ed. Palazzo Massimo Alle Terme. Milan: Electa, 1998.
61-62.
Zanker, Paul. The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1988.
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