The Aeneid and Augustus

Dictator for life

dictator perpetuo

The Second Triumvirate’s Leadership

Werner Eck: virtual dictators

Second Settlement powers from the Senate

proconsular maius imperium, tribunicia potestas

Brunt and Moore

a useful republican cloak- disguising the reality of power which depended without question on imperium.

Plutarch

a vote was passed to wage war against Cleopatra, and to take away from Antony the authority which he had surrendered to a woman.

Antony’s will

Cassius Dio: Public feeling was so strong- that they stripped him of the consulship- and of all his other powers.

Marion Findlay

they had failed to carry out the rituals demanded by the gods- the destructive civil wars were their punishment.

Res Gestae

28 BC: restored eighty-two temples of the gods in the city on the authority of the senate

Year of Ceasar’s deification

42 BC

Temple, how long it had been open for, date

Temple of Janus, 200 years, 29 BC

Year Augustus reads Antony’s will

32 BC

Battle of Naulochus

36 BC

Battle of Philippi

42 BC

Second Triumvirate Creation

November 43 BC

Ceasar claims himself dictator

44 BC

Octavian becomes Augustus

27 BC

Suetonius on the Consuls

the rumour spread that he had caused the death of both

Revolt

Teutoburg, Suetonius: at times struck his head against the door, crying ‘Quintilius Varus, give back my legions.’

Actium, Antony’s betrayal

Plutarch: Only a few were aware that Antony had fled

Augustus as a dictator

Karl Galinsky: nor was he going to repeat Caesar's mistake of appointing himself dictator for life.

Antony’s relationship with Cleopatra

Plutarch: an appendage

Augsutus’ Will

Suetonius: Since the cruelty of Fortune has snatched my sons Gaius and Lucius from me, Tiberius Caesar is to be my heir

Father of the country: Name, date

Pater Patriae, 2 BC

Aeneas’ introduction

If only I’d gone down under your right hand- and poured out my life on the battlegrounds of Troy!

Aeneas’ suffering by Dido

he takes the full force of love and suffering deep in his great heart.

Aeneas kills Turnus

blazing with wrath he plants his iron sword hilt-deep in his enemy’s heart.

Dido’s death

 death not fated or deserved

Carthages’ stasis

The towers of Carthage, half built, rise no more, and the young men quit their combat drills in arms.

Dido’s poisoning

tragic Dido, doomed to a plague about to strike,

Hector tells Aeneas to flee

Escape, son of the goddess- The enemy holds our walls. Troy is toppling from her heights. You have paid your debt to our king and native land.

Aeneas’ piety

Spurred by Panthus’ words and the gods’ will,

Aeneas’ character

a prototype of the Roman character- [with] the kind of qualities which had made Rome great and would make her greater still. -Deryck Williams

Aeneas leaves the Underworld

then sets a course straight to Caieta’s harbour.

Virgil and suffering

Virgil’s sympathy for the defeated- often seems to conflict with the triumph of Rome’s achievement -Deryck Williams

The Victims

The progress toward Rome, in human terms, is not a happy one. -David Ross

Juno messes with Aeneas’ destiny

An iron fact of Fate. But I can drag things out, delay the whole affair

Horace

Caesar, this age has restored rich crops to the fields, and brought back the standards

Roman Ruling Virtues

to spare the defeated, break the proud in war.

Aeneas wanting to rebuild Troy

of my own free will- I’d safeguard, Troy and all that’s left of my people

Pallas’ body

its glow and its lovely glory still not gone

Aeneas’ rage towards Helen

avenge our fallen country – pay Helen back, crime for crime

Divination signs asked and not asked for

impetrativa, oblavita