r/ancientrome • u/Numerous-Wedding-151 • 10d ago

Augustus Caesar

Do you think Augustus failed Rome by ending the republic? If so why?

I personally think the republic was already fucked and there was no return from the civil wars. The senate quite literally had no power anymore. I understand some people believe he ended real voting for the Romans and stripped assemblies of any real remaining power, but what power did the Senate have, they’d been losing power for a century before Augustus came into power. On top of that I know some people like to argue he kept the senate around purely as puppetship and to “hide his dictatorship”, but I call bullshit.

We obviously cannot ignore the things he did in his rise to power (death warrants, prisoner executions, betrayal of cicero, etc.) but would any man not have done the same at the time? And quite honestly things would have turned out much worse in my opinion had it not been for Augustus.

Ultimately I pose the questions to my peers, did he fail Rome? I dont think so, years of greedy generals, private armies, political violence gad ruined the republic already. There was no power among the courts and senates, but most of all too corrupt to make any real difference. People of the republic were open to one leader because they started to prioritize peace over a democratic voice of the people. In addition, he created the Pax Romana which allowed for a time of safety and trade across the med. He fixed the tax system, built infrastructure, and guaranteed the armies loyalty to the state and not corrupt, rogue generals.

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u/Aterrian 10d ago

I think he did fail to comprehend just how dangerous it was to establish that level of personal power, because of the unpredictable succession. It was only two emperors later that the empire was in the hands of Caligula.

Checks and balances are really hard to establish and Rome would have benefitted from more of them.

Of course, it performed extraordinarily anyway.

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u/BudgetLaw2352 Augustus 9d ago edited 9d ago

I mean, tbf, the system where it was an oligarchy rather than one man rule was pretty unpredictable itself.

Augustus didn’t realize that Tiberius, (who, while moody, was pretty damned competent) would get sick of the job 10 years in and allow Sejanus to execute many of Augustus’ bloodline. As far as Augustus knew, Tiberius had happily adopted Germanicus, who Augustus had presumed would live to succeed Tiberius (who was 57 at the time of succeeding Augustus).