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Macr

Macrobius, Saturnalia

Mart

Martial, Epigrams

Meijer

Fik Meijer, The Gladiators

Men Double

Menander, The Double Deceiver

Nic

Nicolaus, Life of Augustus

Ovid Am

Ovid, Amores

Ovid Ars Am

Ovid, Ars Amatoria

Ovid Pont

Ovid, Epistulae ex Ponto

Ovid Trist

Ovid, Tristia

Pliny

Pliny, Naturalis Historia

Plut Apo reg et imp

Plutarch, Moralia, Apophthegmata regum et imperatorum

Plut Aem Pau

Plutarch, Aemilius Paullus

Plut Ant Comp

Plutarch, Antony and Demetrius Comparison

Plut Brut

Plutarch, Brutus

Plut Cat Maj

Plutarch, Cato the Elder [Cato Major]

Plut Cat Min

Plutarch, Cato the Younger [Cato Minor]

Plut Cic

Plutarch, Cicero

Plut Ant

Plutarch, Mark Antony

Plut T & C Grac

Plutarch, Tiberius and Caius Gracchus

Plut Pomp

Plutarch, Pompey the Great

Powell/Welch

A. Powell and K. Welch, eds., Sextus Pompeius

Prop

Propertius, Carmina

Quint Inst Or

Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria

Sall Bell Cat

Sallust, Bellum Catilinae

Sen Contr 10 Praef

Seneca the Elder, Controversiae 10 Praefatio

Sen Suas

Seneca the Elder, Suasoriae

Sen Ep

Seneca the Younger, Epistles

Sen Clem

Seneca the Younger, De Clementia

Serv Ad Aen

Servius, Ad Aeneidem

Stambaugh

John E. Stambaugh, The Ancient Roman City

Strabo

Strabo, Geography

Suet Aug

Suetonius, Life of Augustus

Suet Clau

————, Life of Claudius

Suet De Vir Ill

————, On Famous Men

Suet Gaius

————, Life of Gaius

Suet Galb

————, Life of Galba

Suet Caes

————, Life of Julius Caesar

Suet Nero

————, Life of Nero

Suet Tib

————, Life of Tiberius

Syme AA

Ronald Syme, The Augustan Aristocracy

Syme RR

Ronald Syme, The Roman Revolution

Tac Ann

Tacitus, Annals

Tac Dial

Tacitus, Dialogus de Oratoribus

Val Max

Valerius Maximus, Memorable Doings and Sayings

Varro

Varro, Res Rusticae

Vell Pat

Velleius Paterculus, History of Rome

Virg Aen

Virgil, Aeneid

Virg Ecl

Virgil, Eclogues

Virg Geo

Virgil, Georgics

PREFACE

“most events began” Dio 53 19 3.

INTRODUCTION

The introduction is an imagined narration of Augustus’ death. I take as my premise the proposition that the sometimes extraordinary stories told by the ancient sources are broadly correct, and attempt as satisfactory an explanation as possible. My central assumption is that the regime was, over-whelmingly and rightly, determined to effect as painless a transition as possible from Augustus to his successor. I note that the regime’s obsession with maintaining its power was accompanied by an undeviating patriotism and a willingness to sacrifice personal interests. Although there are problems and implausibilities with the stories, the explanation I offer is, just about, credible. This is how it might have happened. I use Suetonius’ Life of Augustus, especially chapters 97 to 100; Tacitus 15, 6; Dio 56 29–30; Velleius 2102, 123.

“Poor Rome” Suet Tib 21 2.

I. SCENES FROM A PROVINCIAL CHILDHOOD

The main ancient sources for this chapter are Suetonius and Nicolaus. The stories classical writers tell of the childhood of famous men are unreliable. That of Augustus is no exception. Children were of little intrinsic interest to Roman adults and their doings were seldom recorded, so historians devised fictional beginnings appropriate to their subjects’ later lives and propaganda needs. I have tried to weed out obviously legendary material (to which I return when dealing with the period when it was probably invented). Nicolaus knew Augustus, who may have been the source of the more day-to-day events of his early life.

“coin-stained hands” Suet Aug 42.

“came from a rich old equestrian family” Ibid., 23.

bad prognosis This story, told with circumstantial detail in Dio 45 1, may be a later invention by historians and biographers wishing to create an appropriately interesting childhood for Augustus.

“a small room” Suet Aug 6.

“a dignified person” Vell Pat 2592.

“a talking instrument” Varro 117.

“I can prove” Suet Aug 71.

“justly and courageously” Ibid., 32.

many health hazards