The Political Reforms of Augustus (3/9)

• What are the key titles/powers that Octavian/Augustus used; what types did he accept, what type did he reject?
• What did he offer to do on Jan 13, 27 B.C. and what was the Senate's response three days later?
• How were the provinces arranged and governed?
• How were governors picked and why was there a difference in the selection process?
• How and why was Egypt treated differently that other Roman territories?
• How did Augustus reform/change the army; significance/importance of this reform/change?
• Whom did Augustus turn to to provide "new blood" into the ruling class?
• What trend did he thus start?

• How did Augustus' religious reforms in Rome involve the key components of revival, rebuilding, and building?
• What was the nature of Augusus' religious reforms outside of Rome?
• What are some of the ways that Augustus tried to improve the moral climate of Rome?
• Were any of his social reforms successful?

• What are some of Caesar's building projects in Rome that Augustus completed and their significance, i.e. how do they relate to his reforms mentioned above?
• What are some of the new building projects of Augustus in Rome and their significance, i.e. how do they relate to his reforms mentioned above?
• What types of building projects did Augustus work on in the provinces and their significance, i.e. how do they relate to his reforms mentioned above?
• What are two of ways that Augustus promoted his programs in the provinces via art and how do they relate to his reforms mentioned above?
• Web sites:
• Augustus--Slides from UCCS (http://harpy.uccs.edu/roman/html/augustus.html)
• Augustus--Images of Power (http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/users/morford/augimage.html).
• Biography of Augustus (http://www.salve.edu/~romanemp/auggie.htm)
• Coinage:
• databank on civil war period (http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/imp/i.html)
• databank on Augustus (http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/augustus/i.html)
• Virtual catalogue of Roman Coins (http://artemis.austinc.edu/acad/cml/rcape/vcrc/index.html)
• more on Augustus (http://www.lawrence.edu/dept/art/buerger/essays/romanc4.html)

• Who are they, what are they significant for?

• Livy: What did he write, what were his key themes, what did he consider to be the two key virtues to Roman success, is it Augustan or anti-Augustan and why?
• Ovid: What were the themes of his poetry, how does his poetry relate to the virtues of the mos maiorum, is it Augustan or anti-Augustan and why?
• Horace: What were the themes of his poetry, how does his poetry relate to the virtues of the mos maiorum, is it Augustan or anti-Augustan and why?
• Virgil: What were the themes of the Georgics, how does it relate to the virtues of the mos maiorum, is it Augustan or anti-Augustan and why?

• Characters: Who they are and why they are important for the work (i.e. what do they do?)?
• Aeneas, Anchises, Ascanius (Iulus), Creusa, Dido, Anna, Nisus & Euryalus, the Sibyl, Latinus, Amata, Lavinia, Turnus, Evander, Pallas, Camilla, Jupiter, Venus (& Cupid), Juno
• Themes: What are the key themes of the work and how are they developed?
• Historical Parallels: How are the characters and themes like/unlike historical individuals of this time period and what is their significance?

Possible Essay Questions:

• The Augustan Program: Augustus is credited with changing Rome from a Republic to an Empire. Discuss his reforms with an eye to the recent past [i.e. how do his reforms resemble and/or differ from some of the approaches of Pompey and Caesar] and/or future [i.e. how do the other Julio-Claudians modify his system]

• Augustus & Art: Augustus used/transformed Roman art & architecture to illustrate his key messages. Discuss with respect to at least two of the following: the  Ara Pacis, the Horologium, the Forum of Caesar, the Forum of Augustus, statues (e.g. the Prima Porta Augustus), the cult/temples of Roma & Augustus, and the coins.

• Augustus & Literature: How did the themes of the literature of the time period relate to the key themes of Augustus' reforms? Make sure you discuss at least one other work (Livy, Ovid, Horace, Virgil's Georgics) but the emphasis should be on the Aeneid.