Res Gestae Divi Augusti Flashcards
What is the Res Gestae
Res Gestae Divi Augustus
‘The deeds of the divine Augustus’
It is an elogium consisting of his life and achievements
When was the Res Gestae written/ published
between 13 and 14 CE, Augustus claims to be 76 at the time of writing and it was put on bronze pillars at the enterance to his mausoleum when he died in 14CE
where is the Res Gestae
It was originally inscibed on bronze pillars set up outside at the enterance to the Mausoleum of Augustus (as requested in his will). These pillars are lost, but the text was reproduced and displayed all across the empire.
what is an elogium
it was a self-obituary
what was unique about the Res Gestae divi Augusti as an elogium
The Res Gestae is very long, more like an autobiography than an epitaph.
what is an epitaph
a phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died, especially as an inscription on a tombstone.
what was put into the Res Gestae
bare minimum answer
Augustus’ titles, military victories and family.
It focuses on Augustus’ actions in Rome, rather than the whole empire. While it does not lie, because all the events and actions would have been public knowledge, he does omit certian names and details.
How does Augustus refer to Rome and its surroundings regarding its point in history (eg, kingdom, republic empire) in the beginning of the Res Gestae.
elabourate…
In the second line of the first paragraphy he claims to have liberated the republic (“i liberated the republic”).
he claims that is was “being tyrannised by a faction” this faction refers to Marc Antony, his supporters and the battle of Mutina, he claims to have restored the senate by helping remove the sole leader and putting the republic and senate back in control. This may have been true at the time but certianly not by the end.
By chapter 13 he refers to Rome and her surroundings as “the whole of the empire” but in chapter 34 he returns to refering to it as a republic.
describe the style of the Res Gestae
It was written in 1st person, and was 2,500 words long. Augustus used a succinct and straightforward writing style where he focused on his life and achievements with references to family and ancestors.
How does Augustus present himself in the Res Gestae
Augustus presents himself positively but it should be kept in mind this is not an objective source and that should be refected in arguements
break down the structure/ content of the Res Gestae
It consists of 35 paragraphs making up 4 sections.
* 2-14 discuss his political career - offices and honours, including those which he refused.
* 15-24 discuss his public donations - lists money donations, land and grain to citizens and soldiers, public works and gladiatorial spectacles emphasising on his own coin
* 25-33 discuss his military achievements - deeds, alliences
* 34-35 are a political statement he returns the republic to the senate and is honoured by the people and the senate.
what did Augustus leave out of the Res Gestae
He does not mention his enemies by name this is a way of insulting them often used in literature in Rome, by taking away their identitiy.
He makes no reference to any civil wars, which are mentioned in other sources, such as Suetonius
He does not mention his imperium maius nor his exeptional tribunicial powers.
define imperium maius
Res Gestae (left out)
as compensation for laying down consulship, given maius imperium (‘greater power) which gave him the right to override provincial powers and enter their provinces at will as well as right to exercise his imperium within the pomerium (the city boundary of Rome)
what were Augustus’ exeptional tribunicial powers
Res Gestae (left out)
tribunical powers were powers equivalent to those of a tribune without actually being one.
we hear on two previous occasions of Augustus taking the tribunician power, first in 36 BCE, and then again in 30 BCE. However, Augustus clearly states in the Res Gestae that his tribunician power began in 23.
Suggest quotes from the Res Gestae that support Augustus’ emphasis on legality
“I drove into exile those men who had murdered my father, avenging their deed by legal means”
“When the dictatorship was offered to me by the Senate and the people, in both my absence and my presence…. i refused it”
“I refused to be made Pontifex Maximus, in the place of my colleague”
“by the authoriy if the Senate”
“I transferred the republic from my power to the control of tge senate and Roman people
