How did Augustus create a foundation for the Roman Empire?
AAFTER AUGUSTUS (R. 27 B.C.E.–14 C.E.) ENDED THE CIVIL WARS, he faced the monumental problems of reconstruction. He first had to reconstruct the constitution and the organs of government. Next he had to pay his armies for their services and care for the welfare of the provinces. Then he had to address the danger of various groups on Rome’s European frontiers.
Augustus as ImperatorIn this marble statue, found in the villa of Augustus’s widow, Augustus is depicted in a military uniform and in a pose usually used to show leaders addressing their troops. This portrayal emphasizes his role as imperator, the head of the army. The figures on his breastplate show various peoples the Romans had defeated or with whom they had made treaties, along with assorted deities. (Vatican Museums and Galleries, Vatican City/The Bridgeman Art Library)
Augustus was highly successful in meeting these challenges. The result of this work was a system of government in which the emperor held all executive power in both the civil government and the military. The Senate remained as a prestigious advisory body whose members functioned at the desire and request of the emperor.