Augustus: First Emperor of Rome

This is my second copy of it. One of my favorite books of all time. The first one was left out on display in my den and got to much sun and cover faded. Hence the second copy. If you like your history with some story telling not just dates and places this is it. One of the best.

Augustus, by British historian Anthony Everitt, is a detailed biography of Rome's first emperor. A few aspects of Octavian's (Augustus' name before the Senate voted him the honorific "Augustus") that I found particularly interesting include the following.1. Octavian was a favorite of his great uncle, Julius Caesar. Caesar invited him to join his military staff for the campaign in Spain against Pompey's sons at the end of the civil war. However, Octavian's health was less than robust and he arrived in Spain just as the campaign was ending.2. In another attempt to provide Octavian with military experience, Caesar sent him to Illyricum along with six legions that Caesar had deployed there as the initial part of an army he planned to lead against the Parthian Empire. Just as Caesar was preparing to leave Rome to join this army, he was assassinated. As Caesar's adopted heir, Octavian also inherited the loyalty of Caesar's veterans, placing him at the head of a formidable army that was already motivated to avenge their fallen commander. This force placed him, as a very young man, in a position to negotiate a role as co-leader of the Caesarian faction along with Mark Antony.3. Octavian did not inherit Caesar's military genius. Throughout the civil wars, he depended on more capable commanders for victory. His alliance with Mark Antony defeated the republican forces of Cassius and Brutus. In the subsequent civil war with Antony for absolute supremacy, he depended on his old friend Agrippa for both strategy and tactical leadership.4. Octavian's genius was as a political leader. As the sole ruler of the Roman Empire after defeating Antony, Octavian was astute enough to recognize the three dominant problems he faced. First, he needed to end the series of civil wars that had plagued Rome for almost a century. Under the Republic, former consuls were placed in command of substantial armies to govern provinces or fight neighboring tribes. All too frequently, these armies were used by their commanders against other Roman armies to advance their own political careers. Consequently, Octavian's second problem was that in order to end the pattern of civil wars, he needed to drastically change the way Roman Republic was run. His third problem was that any overt move to drastically change the Republic would almost certainly lead to a new civil war with the still powerful republican elements. Octavian solved these three problems by maintaining the power of a sole ruler but adhering to the practices of the Republic, in form is not in substance. He was repeatedly elected consul, he consulted regularly and respectfully with the Senate, and he refused to take any royal title, referring to himself as princeps, first citizen.5. Octavian's political genius failed him in his attempt to provide the basis for a stable regime following his death. The selection of subsequent rulers soon reverted to the prior pattern based on armed force.

Gaius Octavius Caesar, better known as Augustus is without question one of the most influential men in the history of the West.The story of his life and accomplishments is an astonishing one, and yet full of contrasts. He was the first emperor of the Roman Empire, yet he never used that title. Augustus began his life as the son of a relatively minor Italian aristocrat but became the most powerful man in Rome. He was the grandnephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar and used this connection to leap to the heights of Roman politics, yet his cautious personality was the opposite of Julius Caesar's more flamboyant style. His rise to power showed a ruthless and often bloodthirsty deposition, yet when he had achieved absolute power, he governed justly and humanely. He had little military skill, unlike his grand uncle, but, with the aid of his friend Agrippa, he was able to defeat his rivals in the civil wars that ended the Republic. He was an absolute ruler, but he maintained the fiction that he had restored the Republic and scrupulously followed the forms of the old Constitution, while remaking Roman politics in a form that endured for the next two centuries. He always suffered from uncertain health, but he outlived nearly every one of his associates, including several possible heirs to his position.Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor by Anthony Everitt is a wonderful biography about the first Roman Emperor. Everitt tells the story of Augustus from his boyhood to his climb to power and his death. This is a sympathetic biography and while reading it, one feels exhilarated by Augustus's victories and sorry for his losses, especially in his last years when it seemed that no one would be able to maintain the political structure he so carefully built after his death. Everitt portrays Augustus as a statesman, who for all of his faults was concerned to leave Rome better than he found it. His influence lasted as long as the Empire lasted and on to the present day.Augustus's last words were reputed to be, "Have I played the part well? Then applaud as I exit." He certainly had played his part well.

A couple of years ago on a visit to Rome, I came across, almost by accident, the Mausoleum of Caesar Augustus. It had just been reopened. Even as a renovated ruin it is impressive so imagine what it must have been like when it was built so many years ago. My interest in the first Emperor was piqued and bought Everitt's book.And thoroughly enjoyed it!In the introduction the author sets out the difficulties of writing about people and events in ancient times. He lets the reader know that in many cases he had to rely on works written long after the events they describe and often the authors had their own political agenda. Many times in the book he admits that due to the limitations of historical sources we don't know the reason for or details of events mentioned.Given the limitations described above Everitt has done a fine job. We get a great insight into the public and private lives of Augustus (AKA Octavian). He was a rather peculiar character in many ways. Brought up in a well off but not very influential rural family a prominent public life seemed unlikely. However his adoption by his great-uncle Julius Caesar opened many doors for him. He used his connection to the great man throughout his life. However he was completely different to Julius. That may explain why he was assassinated and Augustus lived a long life!His record as a general is mixed to say the least, which surprised me. His tendency to get ill before major battles is interesting. More than once he relied on better generals such as Agrippa to garner vital victories for him, though that didn't stop him from often taking the credit for them.However it was as a cool and calculating politician that he was at his best. His triumphs over Brutus, Cassius, Mark Anthony and others were as much the fruits of political manoeuvrings as of the military victories that marked their end.Despite ending the Roman Republic Augustus always supported traditional Republican values. He saw see his dictatorship as a necessity caused by the instability caused by Republican politics but seemed to genuinely believe in ancient values such as the need for noblemen to do public service. He at least pretended to take heed of the views of the Senate. In this way he differed from Julius Caesar, a genuine revolutionary.The author does a great job in describing and explaining the extensive political and military events through Augustus' life. He also describes the relationships that influenced his (often intermingled) personal and political lives. Of course the names of the people in Augustus' life jump off the page: Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Mark Anthony, Brutus, Cassius Tiberius and Agrippa. At the end of this book I wanted to find out more about all these characters as well.In summary a highly enjoyable historical book.

This is a wonderfully well written book which has none of the dryness of some historical writers who shall remain anonymous for legal reasons. I have to admit that the Roman Empire has been a fascinating subject for me since I was a wee boy of ten or so and I am 67 now. I bought this book on the back of Conn Igguldens fantastic historical novels about Julius Caesar and in particular the last book in that series which dealt with the aftermath of Caesar's brutal murder in the form of the retribution metred out to his murderers by Octavian/Augustus. An interesting fact is that none of the assailants died of natural causes.

A magnificent and well written life of this great Roman who dominated his Empire's public life for half a century and gave his name to a title used by his successors, a month of the year and a modern English adjective. He created the idea of Western Europe. The author's style is partly chronological and partly thematic, dictated by the paucity of surviving sources for the second half of Augustus's life as helmsman of the Roman world, a surprising state of affairs for such a prominent subject. A great read.

This was just what I wanted for teaching Classical Civilisation AS Level, Imperial Image. Nice to have a range of sources.

An engaging and highly readable account of Augustus' life and career.