Augustus Octavian Analysis

At the inception of any empire, there is always upheaval and a degree of disrupting the “natural order.” Whether it is a revolution of the common people against the aristocracy or a dictator rising to take total control, reforming an entire system of government is neither smooth nor clean. However, when a politician sets out to change the government to their advantage, they will often masquerade as champions of the people to gain their trust and disable power amongst their competition. None pulled this off better than Augustus Octavian, the first unofficial Roman Emperor and simultaneous icon of the Republic. Shortly after his political ascent, Octavian began his quest to eventually become the most powerful person in Rome and achieved overwhelming

success. However, his rise was not without its critics. Cicero, a respected senator and colleague of Octavian’s adopted father, Julius Caesar, concluded that while Octavian was pious, that it was “impossible for him to be a good citizen.1” But why did Cicero fear and oppose this young Roman who, by all accounts, had Rome’s best interests at heart? It all came down to the fact that while Octavian wanted to establish himself as a proper Roman republican, while also beginning his own Roman monarchy and removing the Senate’s power.
Before analyzing why these juggernauts of Roman politics and philosophy, one must understand where they come from and their mindsets.

Cicero, the older senator who comes into conflict with the young Octavian, embodied the core ideals of the Roman Republic. Highly influenced by Greek philosophy, he developed a moral code known as Humanitas, based around the “quality of humanity,” and emphasized generosity and honesty based on natural law.2 This fits his role as a member of the Populares, or one who supports the general public of Plebeians. Cicero believed in a pure republic, one whose goal was to serve its citizens without corruption within the government. In his own words, “He will dedicate himself unreservedly to his country, without aiming at power or influence for himself... as to further the interests of all.3” In Cicero's eyes, a perfect Roman citizen would be one who is concerned with the good of all the citizens of the Republic, and is never motivated by ambition or self-interest. When commenting on the state of politics, Cicero claimed “A most wretched custom, assuredly, is our scrambling and electioneering for office.4” This ideal of a humble politician was what put Cicero into conflict with Julius Caesar, as their ideas of how to rule the Republic diverged further as Caesar’s ambition grew. Only after Caesar’s death would Cicero meet the man who would bring his downfall and stand as his ultimate opponent: Augustus

Octavian.
Despite his eventual position as the ruler of Rome, Augustus had many attractive qualities for a Roman republican. Augustus was popular for his generosity, which he showed in support of the people. In his autobiography, he recounts “when I was nineteen, on my own initiative and of my own expense, I raised an army to restore freedom to the state.5” This, and his claim that “to the Roman plebs, I paid 300 sesterces under my father's will and 400 sesterces in my own name6” show that Augustus was a model of the Humanitas that Cicero advocated for so strongly. Not only that, but his humility and apparent lack of hunger for power lead to him refusing kingship or being honored as a god, and only accepted dictatorship at the request of the Senate.7 However, for all his honor and piety, the influence of his uncle and adoptive father, Julius Caesar, pulled his rule in a direction that would later inspire the more imperial emperors. He began widespread worship of Caesar as a god, and worship of the succession of emperors, which implicates him by extension. That, coupled with his later conflict with the Senate lead him to conflict with the old Republican and rival of his father: Cicero.
So, how did the young Octavian terrify Cicero and, eventually, become the ruler of Rome without upsetting the status quo? In short, he represented everything the Republic feared without revealing his aspirations to continue his reign. On the surface, he was a humble man who dressed in common clothes,8 promoted traditional values and only acted under “the decree of the Senate.9” However, all this masked a conniving political genius who controlled the Senate like puppets. To start off, Augustus was the adopted son of the man who became dictator-for-life and nearly declared himself king before his assassination. So Augustus posed a direct threat to the Senate as an heir to Caesar’s “throne.” Another sign of rebellion manifested in his subtle power grab from the Senate. He first had the Senate give him the powers of both principate and tribune, but only the title of principate10, so that he both held high power and the ability to veto any proposed law. He also formed the Second Triumvirate with Marc Antony and Lepidus that was wholly responsible for restructuring and rebuilding the government after civil war- opposing the Senate and exiling and murdering many of their enemies11. All in all, though Augustus presented himself as a humble man of the people, he was perfectly willing to scheme, lie and murder his way to the top to fulfill his political ambitions. He was the ultimate perversion of the ideals old Republicans like Cicero believed in. Shortly before the Second Triumvirate formed, Augustus, according to Cicero, “offered himself as our military leader, and thinks that it is our right policy to stand by him.” Upon refusing to comply and the creation of the Second Triumvirate, Cicero's fate was sealed and he was forced into exile and killed. All of this only fulfilled all of Cicero's fears and dread when he declared so soon after Octavian's rise to power “I declare that it is impossible for him to be a good citizen.12”
Augustus not only revolutionized Rome for years to come and brought unheard prosperity and stability in the process, but he also did so by pulling the wool over everyone's eyes.

His successor was approved by the Senate and his line of succession was secured without the impotent Senate ever posing a real threat. Though Augustus filled all the criteria for a perfect Roman citizen in theory, his actual motivations were based on ambition and furthering his personal goals. Cicero and all the other senators saw, in Augustus, a future lead by the antithesis of all that they believed in. The rise of Augustus, and by extension the rise of the Roman Empire, shows that how a person presents themselves and what their actual intentions are, can be vastly

different.