Although Augustus ushered Rome into a period of peace, he accomplished this through some rather violent means. First off, Augustus sought out political enemies, namely the conspirators in the assassination of Caesar, and had them killed as part of his series of proscriptions. He then pursued the remainder of his enemies in battle. He defeated the conspirators at the Battle of Philippi and the forces of Marc Antony at Actium. At this point, Augustus had one of the largest armies in the world at his disposal. There was no one left to oppose him. With those who would lead armies against him nullified, a peaceful period ensued and Augustus was able to consolidate more political power than any Roman since the time of kings.
Although he could have probably grabbed total power in one fell swoop, Augustus went about it gradually. He likely knew that a total power grab might...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
lead him to share in Caesar's fate. However, retiring after his victories would likely lead to a resumption of hostilities like it did with Sulla. Therefore, Augustus took a subtle approach. At first, he gained power under the auspices of the Principate. He took on a series of consulships. During this time, he gradually increased the power of this position.
In 27 BCE, August made a risky political gambit. After presenting the Senate with an account of his successes and how the Roman economy had recovered now that the nation was at peace, he offered to resign. However, the Senate urged him to stay. It offered to elevate him to Proconsulular imperium, commander of the military. He was then raised to the position of Emperor, a position to be inherited by his successors. Over the years, Augustus strengthened this position even more. In 23 BCE, his position was thoroughly cemented when he gained total civil authority.
When we look at how Augustus first thoroughly defeated his rivals and gained power through subtle means of political tact, we can see that he was very successful in creating peace in Rome. If he had tried a more heavy-handed approach, it is quite likely that he would have found new rivals and that further civil wars would have occurred.
References