Augustus' Rhetoric: Public Relations for the Politically Ancient

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that the transformation of Octavian to his deified identity of Augustus was done so as a result of Julius Caesar's death and the Senate's decision to grant him proconsular power. The writer maintains that it was with this duty and privilege that Augustus was able to develop Rome into an expansive empire of wealth, power and culture - a feat that he did not let the Roman people soon forget. The writer points out that while the vitality of the empire was a concern for Augustus, he also found value in preserving his image as emperor and as his personal self, Augustus. The writer discusses that in order to leave an infamous legacy that illustrated an intense devotion to Rome, charisma toward his people and the feats that he accomplished for the benefit of the empire, Augustus utilized rhetoric by way of art, literature and political prowess.

From the Paper:

"In addition to Augustus' own endeavors at his self-promotion, he relied on the third-party assistance from others to gain reputable standing. While he claimed to encompass many virtues, the freedom of expression in literature was not necessarily imperative to the emperor. Possibly in an attempt to save face with his public, Augustus exiled famous author Ovid from Rome after the publication of one of Ovid's poems. Though the exact motivations behind why Augustus felt threatened by Ovid are unclear, it has been hypothesized that the poet withheld valuable information from the emperor about a political upheaval against him. This can be drawn from Ovid's statement ..."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Sarolta Takacs. "Augustus." Roman Empire class. Rutgers University. New Brunswick, NJ. 10 Sept. 2009.
• Fred S. Kleiner and Christin J. Mamiya. Gardner's Art through the Ages: the Western Perspective, Volume 1 (New York, NY: Wadsworth Publishing, 2005).
• Sarolta Takacs. "Augustus." Roman Empire class. Rutgers University. New Brunswick, NJ. 10 Sept. 2009.
• Glen Warren Bowersock, Kurt A. Raaflaub and Mark Toher. Between Republic and Empire: Interpretations of Augustus and his Principate (University of California Press, 1993).

More papers on Augustus' Rhetoric: Public Relations for the Politically Ancient:

• Term Paper # 104311 : "Public Relations and the Schools"
• Essay # 3178 : "The Role of Public Relations"
• Analytical Essay # 140766 : "Industrial Relations for the Twenty-first Century"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: