Divine Augustus Analysis

Augustus intentionally used comparative linguistics in Deeds of the Divine Augustus to better establish and control his legacy by creating references in which he compared his accomplishments to those of past Romans. Comparative language in this context means writing that directly or indirectly references one thing to another. In the text, Augustus used this language to describe many of his deeds to enhance their significance to readers that understood the references being made. Historical context suggests that these comparisons were intentional because Augustus would have been well trained in the use of rhetoric due to his status, so each sentence would have been carefully selected and revised with the preservation of his legacy in mind. In

“Although before my birth it had been closed twice in all recorded memory . . . the senate voted three times in my principate that it be closed” (14). This may have been a political statement, but by speaking comparatively instead of just numbering the times he caused the doors to be closed in his reign, it served the dual purpose of complimenting his skills in managing his military. The wording of this deed used the already respected Roman militaries of the past to support his accomplishment better than descriptive words could have done by stating that he was able to do in one lifetime what every Roman leader in history combined had only done twice, meaning that the reader must multiply whatever respect they had for these past rulers in their respect for Augustus. Again, the reference fails to impress if the reader has no knowledge of these past Romans because he or she would have no reference to understand how difficult it was to have the doors

For example, “I enlarged the foundations and I began to rebuild it in the name of my sons,” referring to the reconstruction of the basilica, compared to “I sailed my ships . . . where no Roman had gone before that time” (16, 17). In both cases, Augustus was doing something bigger or better than those before him, but the wording was significantly less direct. Indirect comparisons like this were found in at least seven deeds, equal in number to those with directly worded comparisons. As a well-educated person, Augustus likely used these subtler comparisons to utilize their effectiveness without repetition and better persuade the reader that his superiority was an opinion of his or her own formulation rather than something being told to them. This heavy use also serves as evidence that he understood their ability to secure his legacy and intentionally used them in most, if not all, of the deeds where he included