The Pax Romana:Augustus' Personal Beliefs

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the Pax Romana that began under the rule of Emperor Augustus, and demonstrates that this era of relative peace and prosperity was ushered in due to Augustus' wise political maneuverings and his unwavering faith in the high value of morality in Roman life. Augustus firmly believed that the wicked and evil people of the world had undeniably corrupted Roman society and culture, which led to the civil wars that plagued the Romans during the waning years of the Republic. Under the imperial rule of Augustus, he desired to restore morality to the people and thereby ensure a lasting peace. A brief history of Augustus is given at the beginning of the paper, telling of his early life and adoption by Julius Caesar as his appropriate heir. Ancient sources are heavily quoted in order to give an extensive background into Augustus' character and the emphasis he put on honor and ethical living. As Emperor, Augustus' foreign and domestic policies are examined in order to demonstrate how his actions would set the foundation for years of peace throughout the civilized world. His peaceful dealings with the "barbarians" in the Middle East and his desire to firmly establish a Northern border in Central Europe would help outline the Roman Empire for all people and establish a strict yet orderly system of enforcing the borders and keeping the citizens safe. The paper ends with an examination in how Augustus' personal beliefs were reflected in the policies that he created as Emperor. The main point of this section summarizes that due in large part to Augustus viewing himself as the moral savior or Rome, he desired that his legacy be as a unifier, not a conqueror, so many of his policies were created as a way to keep Rome secure and stable long after Augustus' own death.

From the Paper:

"When Octavian became the emperor Augustus, he brought about drastic changes to Rome's political and social environments. Augustus' foreign and domestic policies during his reign created safety and security for the Roman people that were unparalleled at the time of their initiations. As Augustus began to consolidate his power in Rome as emperor, the city and its territories entered into an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity that would be dubbed the Pax Romana, literally translated as the Roman Peace. This concept was directly linked to Augustus' handling of foreign nations and domestic affairs, transforming potential problems into subdued and passive situations that would hold for nearly 200 years after Augustus' death. The Pax Romana was a period of time that was directly inspired by Augustus' own personal beliefs and early experiences; Augustus realized that without order and control over Rome and her territories, the civil wars, violence and political unrest would control Rome, just as it did when he was growing up into adulthood."

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