Augustus Caesar Essay

In the current essay I would like to consider Caesar Augustus’s activity, his leadership style and deeds. To begin with it should be noted that Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, at birth – Gaius Octavius ”‹”‹Thurinus (September 23, 63 B.C. – August 19, 14 A.D.) ”“ is outstanding Roman statesman, founder of the principality, Great Pontiff from 12 B.C., Father of the Fatherland from 2 B.C. Great-nephew of Caesar, adopted because of the promises by the will.

It is essential to note that Augustus Caesar introduced a new form of rule, which was called the principate. The essence of the principate is that the autocratic power of emperors, in fact, based on control over the army and the Praetorian Guard, who were recruited by the Emperor. Moreover, the principate was legally issued as a combination of national and honors graduates, with Augustus and his successors reasonable diligently avoided the odious title of a king or dictator and did not resort too often to the censorial power. As a matter of fact, after 27 B.C., Augustus and subsequent emperors had the following graduate and honors:

¾      Tribunicial power ”“ the most important prerogatives of the princeps, in which the possession and assumed the reign, places great emperor inviolable.

¾      Proconsular power over the imperial provinces, the former is both civil and military, that is given by the command of a majority of Roman legions.

¾      Supreme power, which followed the proclamation of the princeps by the army.

¾      Position of Supreme Pontiff – provide control over the worship.

¾      The title of princeps of the Senate, which allow to be the first, who express his views in the Senate, used to refer to the emperor in the legal literature, and which gave the later name of the whole political system.

¾      Father of the Fatherland title, which did not give new powers, but it was such an honor, that some of the emperors refused it, as described in Who Was Augustus Caesar?

However, at the same time, with principate continued to exist formally republican system: Senate, comitias (public meetings), but these institutions have gradually lost their former political significance, since elections in them and their activities were controlled by the princeps. The real central authority was concentrated in the hands of the imperial bureaucracy (the Consistory), which staff was continuously growing and expanding fields of activity.