Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor by Anthony Everitt

This book is very easy to read in its narrative.  I found it very appealing and the only book to give you the vague hints on what Octavian was like because of where he came from and of course as always, HIS ACTIONS. We have a lot of what he supposedly said.  But his actions actually speak louder than his words and show what a supreme politician he definitely was.  If I was a politician (and I don't tend to even like their sort!) I would probably have him as a hero.  He managed to be an EMPEROR by acting like a normal senator.  Everyone KNEW of his special status.  But he took no pretensions.  He refused to accept all great honors so he couldn't be buried under so many like Julius Caesar that they could think he was throwing his power in their face.  Octavian Caesar Augustus was a very astute man and incredibly wise.  He learned right away from his adopted father's mistakes.


If you look at the decisive battle at Actium, in Greece--all his Roman supporters put the blame on Cleopatra and defected to the other side. For Romans, a WOMAN acting as a General was too much to bear. Even those most loyal to Antony felt this insulted their very Roman sensibilities of manhood and proper decorum. Many of his closest, dearest supporters and friends that at great personal risk, backed Antony couldn't understand why a 'mere woman' (Queen or not, the title didn't impress Roman males exactly, it in fact made them even more dubious of her character because Independent women in Ancient Rome, were a scandalous breed. It is true that high society women of Rome had the ability to move freely in society and conduct family business as her husband laid out. She was allowed to go out of the home and move about more freely in society than her lower class compatriots. Though she was also seen as an extension of her husband! If he was out on Campaign she did the work of keeping the family connections and business going. When that business is political, we can only imagine the wife had to tread carefully but work hard since she was always handicapped by the constant belief by Roman men that, that women were created for domination first by their fathers, then by husbands as the 'weaker' sex. It would have been nice if the Gods or Goddesses....forced these males into inglorious childbirth and then see after that if they still felt females so weak!

So now this Queen of Egypt that had been shredded in a war of propaganda, was to be like a "CO-GENERAL" With Antony. Maybe since they couldn't make Antony see at least on a Roman male perspective she made them uncomfortable. Was it considered bad luck? And her presence all but proved every ridiculous bit of propaganda that she had enchanted him magically or stole his mind with her eastern Greek sexuality. Things they considered all ready she had done to Caesar. This mistake not to force his lover to go back if not all the way to Alexandria, to some other guarded location rendezvous point made it a certainty in all of Antony's closest friends, associate's, client kings, and his faithful ROMAN legions.......he was lost to the bewitched powers of Cleopatra.

I know and gather from the book that Antony pleaded with her to back off but she would not. She was in a way, for the first time not the cool headed ruler she normally was. Something had shaken her very badly. Some would say it was Antony of course! Being out there and she wanted to make sure he would conquer the day. I agree with the author. There was something more profound at work. That Something was of course, Cleopatra's fear for her kingdom. Lets be practical. The things in life that mattered the most to her were her status as Queen and her continuation of the dynasty under the protection of Rome--meaning her children continuing with her dynasty.

It is unlikely she was ever so dumb to consider taking on the Roman Empire to Rule It! She had just expanded Egypt to it's proportions during the height and 'golden age' of Ptolemaic power! She picked and backed Anthony as a calculated political move. Was it ever really more for her? Well, when she sensed a wind to Egypt she had told Antony she was leaving. Antony so deluded and it seems in obsessive love for her, followed her!! He knew what she was doing. He was supposed to stay with his men and fight--NOT ABANDON them. They had a plan to meet at prearranged place. Had he stayed, though he suffered massive losses in the sea battle he might have been able to save more soldiers and organize them to their retreating spot as planned. But instead in one of his FAMOUS mood swings that will blame on another individual (I.E. Cleopatra; Who by now has all Roman's treating her as a bewitching!

In the end, we have to remember that Augustus was in charge of how her story ultimately ended up being told.  As we have learned, one harsh reality is the WINNER of a war or the WINNERS--they get to write how and why.  Cleopatra was the one Octavian declared war on (no one liked to admit they were at war with other Romans, so they always tried to cover a civil war with the trappings of another one).  From day one Octavian and Antony were rivals, no question about it.  But when Caesar's will was read it hurt two people more than any other.  Antony clearly didn't understand what Octavian himself would even try to do later with his own nephew from his beloved and long suffering sister Octavia's (loyal to BOTH Octavian and Antony when her brother schemed to breed insult between them by offering her in marriage!  She found herself in love with Antony and tried to be as dutiful a wife and sister to both men.  Not an easy task since she was being used by her brother.) first marriage.  Antony thought probably ridiculously Caesar would leave him something.  Cleopatra probably expected SOMETHING for his son.  He is said have recognized him in the full roman way.  With the baby being put at his feet before nourishment. The pride of Ancient men was to have sons--which they ALWAYS thought was the fault of the wife.  He recognized him in Egypt in front of his officers in the Roman way. But no matter what, he could NEVER be legitimate in Rome.  None the less both Antony and Cleopatra just might have felt a bit jilted by what Caesar had done.  Even if it was probably the more sensible acts of his life.

I will never say that Octavian who grew into Augustus wasn't the most ruthless politician of all.  While Antony and Cleopatra were probably content to stay in the east and just live, he wanted them ON "PROSCRIPTION", He wanted them dead, and their assets liquidated to cover his debts in Rome to pay the Vets for all the Civil Wars once and for all.  Annexing Egypt was the Golden Goose for Rome.  If Antony could have been that Ruthless, IF ONLY--he might have held his own better.  But again, I think we are thrown with affairs of the heart! No matter what, as much as Octavian KNEW he found his soul-mate in Livia the moment he met her....There is room for that kind of concept here even if they didn't think of it in those terms.  And after all this thinking and the reading of TWO brilliant books....I can't deny the power and majesty of it all.  I read first Cleopatra: A Life.  Then I went and read Augustus: The First Emperor.  Reading them both gave me a an explicit understanding I think of all we have left of the personalities of that time!

Octavian may have been RUTHLESS! But he really was the man suited for the power that was now needed to stabilize Rome.  As we see in his dynasty immediately AFTER his death, the excess they began to live in, the debauchery, depravity,  the family murders...it is something Cleopatra's family was well long used to.  But the Julian Dynasty had decidedly few able men up to the task of what Augustus was able to do.  All they had to do at least was to maintain it! And they could barely manage that.  And therefore...the Julian Dynasty was so very very short!