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The Res Gestae By Caesar Augustus

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The Res Gestae, written in 14 A.D. by Caesar Augustus, is defined by its name as the deeds of Augustus. Born with the name Gaius Octavius, he was the successor of Julius Caesar, and successfully ruled from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D.1 He was a successful ruler, and wrote the Res Gestae is a potential was of justifying his deification after his death.2 The Deeds of Augustus has many recurring themes, but for the sake of this analysis the focus will be on Augustus’ emphasis on how much of his personal wealth went towards the benefit of the empire, people, and construction of various monuments.3 The document mentions these contributions in at least nine chapters. Augustus emphasis on his monetary support of the empire emphasized that he provided protection for and served the interest of the empire in a superior manner to others who many have been inclined to rule. Although the Res Gestae is concerned with historical fact, the writing of this would have also served as propaganda. Augustus would possibly have intended that including the monetary contributions that were put forth by him would secure the idea that he put his wealth and power towards the good of the people. It is a means of showing that he protected the empire from the internal …show more content…

The opening of the Res Gestae shows a correlation between this monetary expense and the new government when it states “I raised an army with which I set free the state, which was oppressed by the domination of a faction”.5 His references to his personal monetary contribution in conjunction with the restoration of the republic show the necessity of his actions of liberation.6 They also demonstrate his superiority and the superiority of his form of government, which could be viewed as further propaganda with the intent to shore up his new form of

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