Mrs. Brannan
HUM-2211
October, 15, 2012
Person of the year: Augustus
How does one define person of the year? Someone who is appointed this title of great honor above every other man or woman in the world. For what it’s worth, I can sum it all up into one name, Augustus. A brave and loyal leader, educated and intelligent man, a political connoisseur, patron of the arts, and a loving husband, what else could be asked from a man of such great achievement? We will be looking into the life, rule, and accomplishments of Augustus, then finish off with an exclusive interview to give us more of an insider look on the “Person of the year.”
“On March 15, 44 BC, a group of Roman Senators stood over the dead body of Julius Caesar, bloody knives in their hands. They had murdered the Roman leader in an effort to save the Republic from Caesar 's aspirations for sole power” (McGill, Sarah Ann)
In spring of 44 BCE Augustus formerly known as Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, or Octavious for short, became ruler of Rome. Adopted by Julius Caesar after traveling alongside him for many years and throughout many battles, being the only male relative and it being written in Caesars will, Augustus was heir to the throne and quickly began making an impact on roman society.
“Caesar Augustus rose from near obscurity to become the most powerful man Rome had ever seen, and he became perhaps the single most important figure in Rome 's long history.” (Sizgorich, Tom. "Augustus)
Starting his reign at age 18, very young and inexperienced he would have to gain the trust and support of the empire as a whole. Very intuitively and keen, he started at the base of it all, the people. Initiating public games loved by them as a source of entertainment, when a comet flew by on the first day, everyone took it as Caesar’s soul ascending to the heavens, this greatly helped win his popularity among his great uncles army he left and also made him allies within the senate. But with allies,
Cited: * "Augustus, Caesar Octavianus." Ancient Greece and Rome: An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. Carroll Moulton. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner 's Sons, 1998. 87-91. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. * Sizgorich, Tom. "Augustus." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2012 * McGill, Sarah Ann. "Augustus." Augustus (2009): 1. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. * "Augustus, Caesar Octavianus." Ancient Greece and Rome: An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. Carroll Moulton. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner 's Sons, 1998. 87-91. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. * Fears, J. Rufus. "Augustus." Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 630-631. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 15 Oct. 2012 * Dunstan, William E. Ancient Rome. n.p.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 15 Oct. 2012 (I was not able to log into this EBook the whole time I have been writing this paper, but you have it down as a required cite.)