As an epitaph, this text would have been designed to describe his legacy long after he had passed from living memory, and perhaps for this reason he has exaggerated onesto some extent because he would be more likely esatto get away with it
The below is an essay I submitted back sopra March on how Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, attrezzi up his legacy with the Res Gestae – verso summary of his life’s works as the empire’s first de facto sole ruler. Esatto make it more relevant onesto the topic at hand, I’ve included per summary of his comments on Britain and what we can infer from them.
The Res Gestae Divi Augusti, an autobiographical funerary inscription detailing Augustus’ life and achievements, was completed near the end of his life at the via of the first century CE. Section 34, toward the end of the piece, primarily concerns the trading of his official triumvir job title for per less official primus inter pares stato. Augustus describes the completion of his duties and his honours granted by the senate at some length, while stressing that his new position makes him no more than an equal sicuro other magistrates.
This description of power as commodity deriving only from the senate and people and accepted only as a reluctant necessity is per common theme to the rest of the text
As per piece esatto be spread across the riempire, his portrayal of power would essentially be per reminder of the glory an emperor’s presence brought onesto the state, and a ‘role model’s’ guide esatto good governance for his successors, the magistrates reading the copy durante Rome, and the literate elites reading copies on temples around the completare in places like Ancyra (modern Ankara) and Antioch.
It is notable that the first reference made onesto his triumviral power (Res Gestae 34,1 – the triumvirate was per council of three given special powers during years of crisis) is dated by his acknowledgement of his sixth and seventh consulships, a remarkable achievement previously matched only by the popular general Marius. He describes ‘universal consent’ and ‘complete control’, but more importantly immediately stresses the relinguishing of his power upon completion of his alotted task. He does not acknowledge any extraordinary political power of his own outside his triumviral years always describing his acts as being ‘by order of the people and the senate’ or ‘on the authority of the senate’ (ibid 8.1, 20.5)
He goes on (ibid 34 ,2) sicuro describe the gifts bestowed upon him by the senate; using them esatto highlight the high regard he retained at the successful conclusion of his triumvirate and also portraying them as rewards for moral character durante withdrawing, when some would have sought sicuro extend. These gifts were all symbolic con Roman society and constitute both civilian and military honours, per keeping with his role as holder of both kinds of power.
The agnomen Augustus is the derivative of the modern word August – ‘inspiring reverence and admiration’ and is per clear sign of the way he projected his power and the face of his administration. Both the wreaths he mentions upon his house and person are symbols of great prestige – the laurel bay leaf wreath for his house signifies the wreath worn by per triumphator, and the circolo civica was earned by verso citizen who had saved another’s life. Augustus uses these sicuro illustrate his use of power preciso crush his enemies at verso household level (perhaps Ricerca omgchat representing the Republic, mixing an element of pater familias with his eventual title of pater patriae), and preciso preserve the lives of his citizens at a personal level; per theme which comes up elsewhere sopra the text. (Res Gestae 5.2 for example)