Rome: Augustus and the Pax Romana

Ahhhhh, all these civil wars! Will they never end? Isn’t it time for peace? Well, actually, it’s time for Pax, Pax Romana. The ‘Roman Peace’.

The civil war between Octavianus and Marc Anthony is over, and Octavianus is sole ruler. He takes the name Augustus Caesar and becomes the first emperor. The Republic is over. Now, during the reign of Augustus, begins the peaceful... well, fairly peaceful time, known as Pax Romana.

Pax Romana is regarded as the Roman empire’s golden age and lasts about 200 years. During these two hundred years the Roman empire conquers new territories and wars with new people there, but within the empire there is more peace than before. There is less unemployment. More and better architecture is built. The merchants can sail further afield with no need to beware of war — so trade flourishes.

They travel as far as India and China! The same currency is used throughout the empire, and the tax system becomes more efficient. What has this got to do with Augustus? He was tired of the constant civil wars but what did he do about it? Augustus believes that for the empire to become more stable, it must be ruled by one person, not the senate.

But he is cautious about repeating Caesar’s mistake, and quarrelling with the senators. Caesar got himself killed by doing that. Augustus makes it look like the senate is still in power, but at the same time he takes on several lifetime positions that mean he can decide almost everything. Instead of the title, ‘dictator’ that Caesar chose, Augustus chooses a title that means, ‘the first’ or, ‘the foremost’; Princeps. This means ‘the first of the senate’.

He ranks above the senate. But the title doesn’t sound as bossy as ‘dictator’. So it doesn’t seem to be such a threat to the senate. The title of princeps is taken by all emperors after Augustus, and onwards to the year 284 CE. That is why this period of the Roman Empire is also called The principate.

So what are the most important things Augustus does? He expands the empire to reach lakes, seas, and mountains - clear natural boundaries. This way, Rome can more easily defend its borders. He creates a delivery system so that official announcements and tax revenues can be carried throughout the empire. He builds stations along all main roads where the messengers - the couriers - can rest and get new, fresh horses.

The Roman couriers are still, however, not very fast. It takes about a day to travel a hundred kilometres, and two months for a message from Rome to reach Egypt. Augustus introduces an Imperial Bodyguard: the Praetorian guard. The Praetorian Guard accompanies the Emperor wherever he goes in the empire. He also creates a police force in Rome - now the streets become safer.

But of course Augustus doesn’t do all this solely for the good of the empire. He is thinking also about his own security, and that of the emperors who will follow after. Can you guess what god is being worshipped here? It’s Julius Caesar! Augustus has proclaimed his own adoptive father a god.

Since ‘daddy’ - Julius - is a god, Augustus himself gets the status: ‘demi-god’ even during his lifetime. Smart huh? Who can go against the decisions of a demi-god? And when Augustus eventually dies the senate proclaims him a real god, for all the Romans to worship. After Augustus, the emperorship is passed on to his family - the Julio-Claudian family.

You will hear more about that in another film.