Lessons From the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire (Part 8)

 

We last left off with Rome encountering a period of civil war after the murder of Caesar, as people jockeyed for position. The Second Triumvirate, founded by Marc Antony, Octavian and Lepidus, was disbanded when Octavian declared war on Marc Antony (who had fallen in love with Cleopatra). Sensing inevitable defeat, Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide, leaving Octavian as the sole ruler of Rome .

Octavian--now triumphant--became the true first emperor of Rome in 27 BC, and was soon named Augustus (meaning "the revered one") by the Senate. Thus, the stage is set for the most glorious time in Roman history. Let's see how this happened.

From Republic to Empire--The Times of Augustus

Augustus was an anomaly. In his earlier days as part of the Second Triumvirate, he was extremely shrewd, and often gained obedience through brutal means. He was also somewhat unforgiving. According to Suetonius (in his book, The Twelve Caesars), he once had a knight stabbed and killed just for taking notes at a speech he was addressing to a soldiers' assembly. He thought the note taking was perhaps suspicious. During this time, many such acts won him the hatred of the people.

Ironically, he would eventually be remembered for his leniency and fairness, the most revered emperor of all, and later regretted many of his prior actions. Of course, whether he was truly transformed …

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