Imperial Image Yr 13
Contents
Augustus as a culture hero Pg
Pater Patriae Pg
Later representations Pg
,Augustus as a culture hero
Myths of the Saturnian Golden Age and Augustus as a new Saturn / Saviour
Morality
Authors prior to 40s BCE spoke about the lack of morality:
Source Quote Explanation
Hesiod Initially the gold race No wars, lived in peace
W&D Iron race Violent, associated with warfare
Trust has broken down in our society,
the morally corrupt hold political
power, we still have hope
Catullus, Earth trained by impious wickedness
Poem 64 Brother’s hand was stained with a brother’s blood / Impious mother spread
herself beneath the unknowing son
Gods turned against men [no longer visit]
Sallust, Avarice destroyed honour, integrity and other noble qualities
Histories People tempted by eastern luxury
Virtue began to lose its lustre
Passion for gluttony
Men played women / women offered chastity for sale
Cicero, Restrain licentiousness
Pro Marcellus Increase birth rate
With severe laws
Moral decline manifested in the form of avarice – indulgence, pleasure-seeking and sexual immorality
are all focus points of this. Romans were rejecting their original moral code.
Vergil, in his Eclogues argues that a new Age would restore morality:
Quote Explanation
Favour the child… under whom the first race of Likely about the son of the consul at the time –
iron shall end & golden race rise could suggest Augustus’ coming was foretold
Great roll call of the centuries begins anew
Traces of our evils that remain will be cancelled Augustan new age could restore morality
Plain will slowly turn golden w tender wheat Peace and prosperity
Merchant will quit the sea… land will produce Opulent paradise comes w a new golden age
everything
Horace, Odes 3.6 – published 23 BCE but written 28 BCE, talks about moral laxity. As patron was
Maecenas, could be example of Augustus attempting to prove laxity before laws.
Quote Explanation
You’ll still expiate your father’s sins, till you’ve Augustan restoration of temples, 28 BCE (built
restored the temples 82, restored 13)
Neglected gods have made woes for sad Italy Quid pro Quo (e.g., Parthians taking standards)
Our age is fertile in its wickedness Same word as Vergil describing myth of ages
Girl takes delight in learning Greek dances Overly-Hellenised population
Not without her husbands’ knowledge Julian laws called this pimping
,Augustus took this advice and implemented it in his own reign.
Slaves entering the citizen body:
Name Year Restrictions
Informally freed slaves given ‘Latin rights’ (like allied communities)
Lex Junia 17 BCE Could not dispose property easily / children became citizens
Becomes more expensive to carry out manumission, discourages it
Lex Fufia 2 BCE No. of slaves freed in will proportionate to no of slaves owned
Caninia Could not free over 100 slaves in will
No slave who had been severely punished by master or state could gain
Lex Aelia 4 citizenship
Sentia CE If freed, had to live 100 miles away from Rome
Have to be 20+ to free a slave, slave had to be 30+
Adultery and marriage:
Name Year Restrictions
Unknown 28-27 Forced men to get married and have children
(*) BCE May have given the impression that he wanted to introduce
Concerning Husband had to divorce wife if she was committing adultery
adultery 17 BCE Her & her lover could be exiled to separate islands and lose property
Previously was done by the family, officialises it
Could marry freedwomen - some avoiding cost of legitimate marriage
Concerning Marriage mandatory for males 25-60 and females 20-50
marriage 17 BCE Divorced = 6 months to find new partner / widowed = 1 year
Tax relief for women with 3+ children
Harder for unmarried men / women to inherit or leave inheritance
Lex Papia Amended MO e.g. less financial penalties onto married w/o children
Poppaea 9 CE Candidates could stand for political office before required age (no. of
children = no. of years before)
(*) Propertius 2.7, may have been exaggerated for satirical value:
- Cynthia was overjoyed when that law was repealed
- Jupiter himself can’t separate two lovers against their will
- Suggests he would have had to get married, didn’t want to “humour a bride”
- “There’ll be no soldiers from my line” – links to Cicero’s demand
Suetonius:
- He was unable to enact it because of an open revolt against some of its provisions
Attempts to encourage birth rate among senatorial class was not successful and it led to legacy
hunters. These were individuals that latched onto childless senators to be named in their will.
“Many exemplary practices of our ancestors” – R.G. (comparison to leges novae – new laws)
Augustus may have been a hypocrite; Antony had implied that he had affairs w/ married women. He
also removed Livia from her husband & married her as she was pregnant w husband’s child.
Also included restrictions on the youth to protect their morality (Suet, DA31):
- At the Lupercalia, youth could not run
- At the Secular Games, youth could only attend night performances if chaperoned
, The Significance of the Secular Games
The Secular Games were held in 17BCE and were intended to herald in the New Golden age.
They were meant to be held every 110 years.
They were 3 days and 3 nights long
The Carmen Saeculare
Context
- Performed in the Capitol (Jupiter) and outside the Temple on the Palatine Hill
- Dis Pater (Pluto) & Prosperina were originally involved in the ritual
o The song was changed for Apollo to be the patron god (*)
- It was meant to be organised by the quindecemviri, but in reality it was purely
Augustus and Agrippa, his adopted son
- Performed by 27 boys and girls, singing in pure white
o Ensuring the protection of the future
(*) This is significant, previously it had been for underworld gods and so the patron god
Apollo makes the ceremony more optimistic and reminds the audience of the role Augustus
plays
Quote Explanation
Sybilline verses have Augustus received control over the Sybilline books in the earls
issued their warning 20s BCE
You will never know Rome has eternal glory and greatness, reminiscent of Jupiter’s
anything mightier prophecy to Aeneas in the Aeneid (19BCE) this is said to Apollo
than Rome!
protect gentle mothers This may be because Julia was pregnant, or just reinforcing birth
Bring to fruition the Asks to see the result of changes to law – getting divine
Senate’s decrees endorsement. The policies of Augustus are presented as those of
concerning the the entire senate
wedlock
Fixed cycle of years Horace states that this is every 110 years – in reality the last
games were in 140s BCE. Gives the appearance of structure and
order, like he is following MM but is manipulating in his favour
3 times by daylight Interaction with the moment of performance
Let earth that is Link to Hesiod’s idea of golden ages and the imagery of
fruitful in crops abundance encouraged by Augustus (like cornucopia coin)
Gentle and peaceful Seen in Aeneid 8 and Propertius 4.6 – significant transformation
Apollo of Rome. Sung outside TOPA
Chaste Aeneas…grant Chaste – links w children singing in white and moral laws
him much more than Links to the prophecy and dynasty
he’d lost
[Anchises is] merciful Ancestry. Clementia (on the shield of virtue) – he erases his
to our fallen foe previous imagery. Ars Romana B6 Aeneid
Parthians … fear the Acceptance and reinforcement of Augustan imagery
