Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula . . . the list of Roman emperors goes on and on, but a Classics talk attended by UC and SFC students on Wednesday 20th September centred around the first: Augustus. Held at Dean Close and delivered by Dr Hannah Cornwell of the University of Birmingham, the lecture opened with the collapse of the Roman Republic and the messy aftermath of Caesar’s assassination, before delving into the rise of Augustus, or Octavian as he was known before becoming emperor. As a central theme, Dr Cornwell focused on how Augustus changed his name during his lifetime, with various stories woven into the facts.
To get his hands on Julius Caesar’s fortune, Octavian had to become Julius Caesar’s adopted son to proclaim direct lineage; part of this act was to change his name to Gaius Iulius Caesar Octavianus, better known as simply ‘Caesar’. In 27 BC, Octavian’s name was changed again to Augustus (the one we all know him by today) to show his newfound power, while he changed his first name to Imperator (General or Emperor). The final change was to add in his relationship to the now deified Julius Caesar, creating the full name of ‘Imperator Caesar divi filius Augustus’, and so asserting himself as the son of god.
Dr Cornwell also discussed how Augustus made use of his power. Having quashed his civil war opponents, he held a huge amount of authority over Rome. To extinguish any idea of him being a tyrant, he stated that he had transferred all his power to the Roman Republic and that he held no greater influence than his colleagues. The lecture went on to cover Augustus’ unspeakable acts of violence during the civil war, which - along with his dismantling of the Roman Republic - wasn’t painting him in a good light. On the other hand, as Dr Cornwell pointed out, it is possible that the emperor’s opponents were villainising his image. Indeed, the civil war had taken a large toll on Rome and the Augustan Peace allowed them forty years of stability and economic recovery - not to mention the flourishing of literature under his rule!
After combing through Augustus’ life and the different opinions held towards him, it was time for the session to end. So, was Augustus a good ruler? There’s a question for you.
Queena, UC4
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