What personal qualities helped Augustus to bring stability and peace to the empire?

Answer 1

Augustus was a consummate politician adept at Propaganda. He based his bid of power on the fact that he was the adoptive son of Julius Caesar and turned the surname Caesar into his first name to get people to associate him closely to Julius Caesar. He pretended that he was restoring the war-torn Roman Republic whilst in reality he dismantled it and established his absolute personal rule. He presented himself as the upholder of old Roman virtues which had been decaying, of traditions and of morality. He revived some religious cults which had fallen into disuse.

Augustus was a good administrator. He created an imperial bureaucracy which he headed, creating an efficient centralised state which the Republic had lacked. He took control of the treasury to finance this. He created professional tax collectors who were under his control. This ended the practice of "tax farming". Tax collection in the provinces had been tendered to private individuals who "farmed" this by lining their pockets though extortion. He reorganised the Roman army, turned into a fully professional force and brought it under his sole control. He also created a military treasury to fund the army.

Augustus ordered the construction of road networks in the provinces, especially Gaul and Hispania, to improve communications, military control and to facilitate trade. He also had ports built in the Mediterranean. Augustus promoted trade to increase prosperity. In Egypt canals in despair were restored and new ones were built to improve agriculture in this key agricultural area of the empire .Besides ordering infrastructure projects, he kept taxes low so as not to hamper private enterprise. Augustus also encouraged trade with Ethiopia and India via Egypt. He also commissioned monuments and infrastructure project in Rome and embellished it by making large scale use of marble for the first time. On his deathbed he said "I found Rome a city of bricks and I have left it a city of marble.

Answer 2

Agustus was originally called Octavian-but he was given hios new name(Augustus) from the Senate.

Augustus is famous for defeating Mark Antony and Queen Cleopatra at the battle of Actium.

He was a Kind and a Fair Ruler who had strong links with the Senate.

He was a brilliant Millitary General.

He set off designing new buildings.