The Regime of Caesar Augustus
Through time and history, the key to a successful empire has been a skilled leader. Caesar Augustus was one example, and he is known to many as the first true emperor of Rome. His reign lasted from 27 BCE to 14 CE. During this time, he became the sole ruler of the Roman empire, and brought with him peace and order. However, these positive steps did little to hide the fact that he crippled Rome’s government and took advantage of its people. Augustus manipulated the governmental system so that he alone controlled Rome, which resulted in a monarchy. He also used his power to deceive citizens into supporting him. Because he abused the powers given to him, the reign of Caesar Augustus was detrimental to ancient Rome.
Almost immediately after Augustus came to power, he began manipulating Rome’s entire political system in order to give himself absolute control. In an excerpt from the Annals by Tacitus, Augustus’s predecessor, Julius Caesar, is described as “an aged sovereign… who had provided his heirs with abundant means to coerce the State.” After Caesar was killed, every authority he held was passed on without consideration. From the very beginning of his career, Augustus was practically handed his place as a powerful leader, and he used this position to continuously strip Rome’s Senate of its influence, giving himself more authority. Historian Cassius Dio writes: “He gave the Senate control of the weaker provinces, on the ground
…show more content…
He is responsible for the destruction of democracy and the wildly unequal distribution of power. His blatant overextension of his rights made him more of a threat to Rome than a valuable influence. He also effectively exploited his own people, and used their unwavering support to further damage the empire’s political system. Caesar Augustus was nothing short of a cruel dictator, and his reign was ultimately detrimental to ancient