Did Augutus Caeser do ANYTHING wrong?

Answer 1

Great leader, greatly flawed. I would say, however, that most of his mistakes took place in his youth. You may be aware that he seemed unable to handle extreme adversity on the battlefield, earning himself a reputation as a coward (deserved or not). When Varus lost his legions he was hardly an inspiration to others having, essentially, a nervous breakdown. He murdered his own grandson... Shall I go on?

Answer 2

He wasn't exactly an angel. Before Marc Antony went to Egypt and became the lover of Cleopatra, he was a member of the triumverate that ruled Rome. Augustus Caesar then convinced Rome that when he left, he had really turned traitor and he declared war on them both. When it was obvious that they were losing, Marc Antony committed suicide, and Cleopatra was imprisoned. The legend was that Cleopatra committed suicide by having an asp bite her, but there is only one ancient source stating this, and even that says it MIGHT have happened that way. Actually, Cleopatra was very skilled with poison, and she would have known it was chancy whether or not that would work. It was probably only a romantic notion, since the asp was the symbol of the Egyptian pharoah. More likely, she used another poison, or it's also possible that she was killed by Augustus himself. The place where she was being kept by the Romans after she was captured was within walking distance, and even though she would have made a great trophy to parade through the streets of Rome, Augustus was known to have a temper, and he could easily have been provoked into killing her.

Answer 3

Yes he worshiped pagan gods for one. He ended the Republic of Rome instead of reinstating it. Those are some examples of the things he did wrong. The list could go on for a while but not everything we know of is proven to be true.

But yet Augustas was the greatest leader known to the Rome. Like the saying goes... "Be luckier then Augustas and greater then Trajan."

Augustas made audaltery a crime. He lowered the taxes on the people. He was the greates emperor for Rome (in my oppinion).

Answer 4

Sending 2 legions into Germania only to be annihilated by Germanic tribes in the Teutoburger forest.

Answer 5

he didn't strangle caligula in his cradle!!!he didn't give pompeii the great his due rewards!!he married livia the poisoner!!he was to laisse faire with his conquered lands!!he let an untrained and willfull legionary ,varus,lead several of his best legions on the northern frontier into the tuteborg forest where my relatives could easily massacre them in detail in the black forest!!!he let tiberias rule at livia's request he was an able commander,but personnally uninspiring and was a bit addicted to perverse pursuits,bad politically arranged marriages and his mother livia's court intrigues!!all of this augustus could have unmercifully nipped in the bud!!drusus germanicus and several other "great romans" of distinct leadership potential and quality were poisoned or undone by the intrigues of his wife who sometimes used his seal to sign their exile or death sentences;all to line her son tiberius's way to the throne!!

Answer 6

Yes. He divided Rome & Rome's public opinion by spending too much time with Cleopatra. His love for her has cost him the throne. That's pretty much the only thing I know that could eventually be juge as something "wrong"... however, considering the legendary beauty of cleopatra, then maybe he didn't do anything wrong! :)
One thing to his favor: he rebuilt Carthage.

Answer 7

Augustus didn't have an affair with Cleopatra; that would be Julius Caesar and later Marcus Antonius. He didn't directly cause their deaths either. You must remember that Rome at this point had been torn apart by numerous civil wars. One over ambitious general died only to see another over ambitious general try to grasp power. By the time of the struggle between Marcus Antonius and Octavian (Augustus), Rome had already seen Marius vs. Sulla, Pompey vs. Caesar, Caesar murdered by conspirators, etc. Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra were not a noble couple, deeply in love, only to be thwarted cruelly by Octavian. Marcus Antonius was a ruthless general, who (along with Octavian) caused the deaths of countless prominent Romans through the conscriptions (Cicero included). He even had a chance for an alliance with Octavian when he married his sister Octavia. However, his downfall came when he decided that he wanted the East over the West. With him in the East, he had no control over how Octavian would spin his actions and decisions in the Senate. His alliance with Cleopatra was strategic. Egypt was immensely wealthy and she had vast resources at her disposal. Alliance for him meant that he could get access to these resources; alliance for her meant more power, a vaster empire. With Octavian in the West he was able to exploit this affair (and I'm sure he was also partly enraged on the part of his slighted sister) and make it look like Marcus was not at all taking Rome's best interest at heart. The eventual war was inevitable. If we trust Plutarch, Marcus Antonius was a reckless coward. Cleopatra chose to kill herself rather than be displayed as war booty by Octavian in the eventual triumph. So was he directly responsible? Not really - he did what he had to do; Marcus and Cleopatra would have done the same had the civil war gone their way.

The eventual spin and version that we get of this are, of course, courtesy of Augustus. In times of war it is always the victors who get to tell the story. Whether he did anything wrong, that's complicated. We get very little negativity from our ancient sources which is troubling. There is always dissent in any reign and the lack of this suggests to me that much of it was covered up and silenced. Octavian was more ruthless in his days before he became emperor, but I could argue that he had to be. His adoptive father had been murdered, the conspirators were at large, and there was pressure from the masses that they be brought to justice. He did what he did to stay alive and he learned from his predecessors' mistakes. As emperor he was a brilliant politician. He was a jerk, but at the same time I admire him immensely. I wouldn't so much trust the version of Livia's character that we get from Suetonius. We know from archaeological and epigraphical evidence that she was an influential figure but up to a point where she manipulated affairs and had people murdered? We will never know. Augustus didn't murder his grandson. Two died mysteriously abroad (Suetonius will allude to Livia's involvement but these boys were involved in military affairs so their deaths are not at all that surprising). Another, Agrippa Postumus, died in exile abroad. The circumstances surrounding this exile are completely unknown - it is written nowhere, but whatever it was it must've been terrible considering the focus on family in Augustan laws. A. Postumus didn't die when Augustus was alive. If we trust our source, Tacitus, he died immediately following Augustus' death ('primum facinus'). It's debated whether this was something that was ordered by Augustus before he died, whether his successor Tiberius orchestrated the whole thing, or whether it was something else.

Augustus was by no means perfect but any major mistakes or flaws as emperor are difficult to find in our sources. As I said he was a brilliant politician who managed to bring Rome back to life after decades of bloody civil wars. He created a system of government that gave him all the power without giving anyone the impression that he had all the power. His foreign policy ensured for a long lasting peace (the pax romana), and prosperity. Even though we all know that Augustus sucked in battle, his emphasis on peace and diplomacy was incredibly successful. On his deathbed we are told that he advised that his successors not expand the borders of the Roman Empire. Tiberius followed this policy. Caligula and Claudius did not (Claudius added Britain). Rome wouldn't see another emperor quite as successful and brilliant as Augustus until Trajan.

Answer 8

He had Cleopatra and Mark Anthony killed.

Answer 9

Being human and a leader, probably, but what does your reading indicate ? Do you think he did ?

He's mentioned here incase you lost your book . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus