| Augustus gathered almost all the republican powers under his official title, princeps: he had powers of consul, princeps senatus, aedile,censor and tribune – including tribunician sacrosanctity.[69] This was the base of an emperor's power. Augustus also styled himself asImperator Gaius Julius Caesar divi filius, "Commander Gaius Julius Caesar, son of the deified one". With this title he not only boasted his familial link to deified Julius Caesar, but the use of Imperatorsignified a permanent link to the Roman tradition of victory. He also diminished the Senatorial class influence in politics by boosting the equestrian class. The senators lost their right to rule certain provinces, like Egypt; since the governor of that province was directly nominated by the emperor. The creation of the Praetorian Guardand his reforms in military, setting the number of legions in 28, ensured his total control over the army.[70] Compared with Second Triumvirate's epoch, Augustus' reign as princeps was very peaceful. This peace and richness (that was granted by the agrarian province of Egypt)[71] led people and nobles of Rome to support Augustus and increased his strength in political affairs.[72] In military activity, Augustus was absent at battles. His generals were responsible for the field command; gaining much respect from the populace and the legions, such as Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Nero Claudius Drusus andGermanicus. Augustus intended to extend the Roman Empire to the whole known world, and in his reign, Rome had conquered CantabriaAquitania, Raetia, Dalmatia, Illyricum and Pannonia.[73] Under Augustus's reign, Roman literature grew steadily in the Golden Age of Latin Literature. Poets like Virgil, Horace, Ovid and Rufusdeveloped a rich literature, and were close friends of Augustus. Along with Maecenas, he stimulated patriotic poems, as Virgil's epic Aeneidand also historiographical works, like those of Livy. The works of this literary age lasted through Roman times, and are classics. Augustus also continued the shifts on the calendar promoted by Caesar, and the month of August is named after him.[74] Augustus brought a peaceful and thriving era to Rome, that is known as Pax Augusta or Pax Romana. Augustus died in 14 AD, but the empire's glory continued after his era. The Julio-Claudians continued to rule Rome after Augustus' death and they remained in power until the death of Nero in 68 AD.[75] Augustus' favorites for succeeding him were already dead in his senescence: his nephewMarcellus died in 23 BC, his friend and military commander Agrippa in 12 BC and his grandson Gaius Caesar in 4 AD. Influenced by his wife, Livia Drusilla, Augustus appointed Tiberius, her son from another marriage, as his heir.[76] The Senate agreed with the succession, and granted to Tiberius the same titles and honors once granted to Augustus: the title of princeps andPater patriae, and the Civic Crown. However, Tiberius was not an enthusiast of political affairs: after agreement with the Senate, he retired to Capri in 26 AD,[77] and left control of the city of Rome in the hands of the praetorian prefect Sejanus (until 31 AD) and Macro(from 31 to 37 AD). Tiberius was regarded as an evil and melancholic man, who may have ordered the murder of his relatives, the popular general Germanicus in 19 AD,[78] and his own son Drusus Julius Caesar in 23 AD.[78] Tiberius died (or was killed)[78] in 37 AD. The male line of the Julio-Claudians was limited to Tiberius' nephew Claudius, his grandsonTiberius Gemellus and his grand-nephew Caligula. As Gemellus was still a child, Caligula was chosen to rule the Empire. Being a popular leader in the first half of his reign, Caligula became a crude and insane tyrant in his years controlling government.[79][80] Suetonius states that he committed incest with his sisters, killed some men just for amusement and nominated a horse for a consulship.[81] The Praetorian Guard murdered Caligula four years after the death of Tiberius,[82] and, with belated support from the senators, proclaimed his uncle Claudius as the new emperor.[83] Claudius was not as authoritarian as Tiberius and Caligula. Claudius conquered Lycia andThrace; his most important deed was the beginning of the conquest of Britain.[84] Claudius was poisoned by his wife, Agrippina the Younger in 54 AD.[85]His heir was Nero, son of Agrippina and her former husband, since Claudius' son, Britannicus, had not reached manhood upon his father's death. Nero is widely known as the first persecutor of Christians and for the Great Fire of Rome, rumoured to have been started by the emperor himself.[86][87] Nero faced many revolts during his reign, like the Pisonian conspiracy and the First Jewish-Roman War. Although Nero defeated these rebels, he could not overthrow the revolt led by Servius Sulpicius Galba. The Senate soon declared Nero a public enemy, and he committed suicide.[88] |
About us|Jobs|Help|Disclaimer|Advertising services|Contact us|Sign in|Website map|Search|
GMT+8, 2014-8-15 23:46 , Processed in 0.117786 second(s), 17 queries .
