Essay from the year 2007 in the subject History - World History - Early and Ancient History, grade: 1,0, Hawai'i Pacific University, course: Introduction to Greco-Roman Civilization, language: English, abstract: How did Augustus transform the Roman republic into an empire? Why was he successful where Julius Caesar had not been? What was the process and what were the results of the changes Augustus introduced? In this essay, various sources about the first emperor of the Roman Empire will be examined, such as those of Augustus himself, of contemporary or later historians, and archaeological evidence. Generally, it can be stated that Augustus rather used the Republican system including all its traditional positions and regulations to gain power, whereas Caesar opposed the traditional ways of political life and therewith made himself the enemy of the state. Augustus achieved his position as the mightiest man in the empire through several strategies, e.g. by clever political/military strategies such as...

In this updated edition of his concise biography, Werner Eck tells the extraordinary story of Augustus, Rome's first monarch. Incorporates literary, archaeological, and legal sources to provide a vivid narrative of Augustus' brutal rise to power Written by one of the world's leading experts on the Roman empire Traces the history of the Roman revolution and Rome's transformation from a republic to an empire Includes a new chapter on legislation, further information on the monuments of the Augustan period, more maps and illustrations, and a stemma of Augustus' family Thorough, straightforward, and organized chronologically, this is an ideal resource for anyone approaching the subject for the first time

Augustus and the Destruction of History explores the intense controversies over the meaning and profile of the past that accompanied the violent transformation of the Roman Republic into the Augustan principate. The ten case studies collected here analyse how different authors and agents (individual and collective) developed specific conceptions of history and articulated them in a wide variety of textual and visual media to position themselves within the emergent (and evolving) new Augustan normal. The chapters consider both hegemonic and subaltern endeavours to reconfigure Roman memoria and pay special attention to power and polemics, chaos, crisis and contingency – not least to challenge some long-standing habits of thought about Augustus and his principate and its representation in historiographical discourse, ancient and modern. Some of the most iconic texts and monuments from ancient Rome receive fresh discussion here, including the Forum Romanum and the Forum of Augustus, Virgil’s Aeneid and the Fasti Capitolini.

Caesar Augustus is the single man who had the most influence over the story of our world. Caesar was a strong personality. He's intriguing, intelligent, strategic, smart and ambitious. His life is full of drama, gambles, risks and success. A true leader of men. In this book we will discover the life of Caesar Augustus, his major accomplishments and the man behind the emperor. A truly unique biography.

In this concise biography, Professor Werner Eck, one of the world's leading experts on the Roman empire, tells the extraordinary story of Augustus, Rome's first emperor. A concise and gripping account of Augustus and his age. Written by one of the world's foremost experts on the Roman Empire. Examines the transformation of Rome from a republic to a monarchy. Covers domestic and foreign policy, constitutional developments, and cultural achievements. Compares Augustus' own account of his life to other historical narratives and archaeological records. Includes a new translation of Augustus' Res Gestae with a short introduction and a substantial bibliography to aid further study.

*Weaves the lives of Caesar and Augustus into one gripping narrative detailing the fall of the Republic and the creation of the Roman Empire. *Includes pictures of famous art depicting Caesar, Augustus, and important people, places, and events in their lives. *Discusses the facts and legends surrounding the assassination of Caesar and the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra. Possibly the most important man of antiquity, and even all of history, was Julius Caesar. Alexander Hamilton, the famous American patriot, once remarked that “the greatest man who ever lived was Julius Caesar”. Such a tribute, coming from one of the Founding Fathers of the quintessential modern democracy in reference to a man who destroyed the Roman Republic, is testament to the enduring mark that Caesar left upon the world. The ultimate conqueror, statesman, dictator, visionary, and opportunist, during his time in power Caesar expanded the borders of Rome to almost twice their previous size, revolutionized the infrastructure of the Roman state, and destroyed the Roman Republic for good, leaving a line of emperors in its place. His legacy is so strong that his name has become, in many languages, synonymous with power: the Emperors of Austria and Germany bore the title Kaiser, and the Czars of Russia also owe the etymology of their title to Caesar. His name also crept further eastward out of Europe, even cropping up in Hindi and Urdu, where the term for “Emperor” is Kaisar. Even in his time, Caesar was in many ways larger than life, and because of his legacy as virtual founder of the Roman Empire, much of what was written about – and by – him during his life and immediately after his assassination was politically motivated. His successor, Octavian Augustus, had a strong interest in ensuring that Caesar's life be painted in a favorable light, while Caesar's political enemies attempted to paint him as a corrupt, undemocratic dictator who was destroying the old order of the Republic. Of course, Caesar's life and death left a vacuum of power in Rome that was ultimately filled by his chosen heir, Octavian. The importance of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (or as he was known from birth, Gaius Octavius “Octavian” Thurinus) to the course of Western history is hard to overstate. His life, his rise to power, his political, social and military achievements, all laid the foundations for the creation of an Empire which would endure for almost five centuries, and whose traditions, laws, architecture and art continue to influence much of Europe and the world today. Octavian was the first true Roman Emperor, and the first man since the Etruscan Tarquins, five centuries earlier, to establish a successful hereditary ruling dynasty in what had been a proud Republic for over half a millennium. He was a canny strategist, an excellent orator, a fine writer, a generous patron of the arts and enthusiastic promoter of public works, but above all he was a master politician. Octavian's great-uncle (and adoptive father) Julius Caesar was a great general, his rival Mark Antony was a great soldier, but as a politician Octavian outmatched them all. Like his adoptive father before him, Octavian is one of those figures whom it is difficult to know exactly what to make of, because he appears, even at a distance, to be larger than life. Yet the amount of personal correspondence and contemporary writings penned by Octavian himself, as well as his friends and associates (and rivals) is such that, when we analyse it all together, a clear picture of the man behind the bronze statue begins to emerge – the man who found Rome a city of bricks, but left her behind a city of marble. Creating the Roman Empire chronicles the lives of Rome's two most important leaders, separating fact from fiction and analyzing their legacies. Along with pictures and a Table of Contents, you will learn about Caesar and Augustus like you never have before.

Augustus and the Destruction of History explores the intense controversies over the meaning and profile of the past that accompanied the violent transformation of the Roman Republic into the Augustan principate. The ten case studies collected here analyse how different authors and agents (individual and collective) developed specific conceptions of history and articulated them in a wide variety of textual and visual media to position themselves within the emergent (and evolving) new Augustan normal. The chapters consider both hegemonic and subaltern endeavours to reconfigure Roman memoria and pay special attention to power and polemics, chaos, crisis and contingency - not least to challenge some long-standing habits of thought about Augustus and his principate and its representation in historiographical discourse, ancient and modern. Some of the most iconic texts and monuments from ancient Rome receive fresh discussion here, including the Forum Romanum and the Forum of Augustus, Virgil's Aeneid and the Fasti Capitolini.