What was the leadership style of Augustus?

Answer 1

The reign of Augustus was one of showmanship. After winning the civil wars of the Roman Republic he made himself an absolute ruler, which was what Julius Caesar had tried to do. Augustus learnt from Caesar's assassination about the danger of arousing suspicions of trying to become a king, which was anathema to the Roman Republic. Augustus pretended that he was restoring the Republic after the civil wars, while in actual fact was replacing it with his absolute ruler. He presented himself and the restorer decayed archaic religious traditions and of republican values. He chose the title of priceps, which roughly meant first man/citizen and had a "first among equals" connotation.

Augustus also created a personal cult. He continued the association of the Julian family with the goddess Venus which Caesar had made and used this to create a cult based on himself as divine as Caesar had done. He also transformed Roman art from the previous republican art to an imperial art which glorified him. He created artistic images of himself as semi divine and as a victorious imperator (which meant victorious commander). His last words before his death were: "Have I played the part well? Then applaud as I exit"

Answer 2

The leadership style of Augustus was one of pretence.

Augustus turned himself into an absolute ruler while pretending that he was restoring the republic and that he respected its constitution. He learned from Julius Caesar's mistake. Caesar wanted to restore the central government's control over the provinces, which had become the personal fiefs of their governors, and the efficiency of the state by concentrating power in his hands. However, he had given the impression that he wanted to become a king, which outraged conservative republicans and was seen as a threat to the republic. As a result, a group of conservative senators assassinated him. Augustus had the same agenda as Caesar, but had learnt that he needed to try not to antagonise the conservatives and the senators.

In the First Settlement Augustus reached with the senate (27 BC) the senate gave him control of the border provinces of the empire (imperial provinces) with a ten year "pacification" mandate, while the senate retained governance of the core provinces (proconsular or senatorial provinces). This gave the idea that the senate and the traditions of the republic had been respected by allowing the senators in remain in charge of the core provinces. However, it institutionalised Augustus's military power. The border provinces had most of the legions, giving Augustus control of 20 legions, while the senate controlled only five. Moreover, it sanctioned Augustus's extra-constitutional power. Constitutionally, only senators could govern the provinces, but the senate agreed to give Augustus the border provinces because he controlled the army. He was also made permanent consul (head of state), even though the term of office of consuls was meant to be one year and consuls were meant to be elected. As such, he also had power over the governors appointed by the senate.

Augustus also used other tactics to maintain his pretence that he was restoring and preserving the republic. He retained the popular assembly and its right to vote on bills and to elect the officers of state. However, he became the real legislator and only made token submissions of bills for the assembly to vote on. He retained the officers of state of the republic and their election by the assembly. However, this was just a formality because he created his own administration and the state was run by officials appointed by him. He revived archaic religious cults which had been forgotten to portray himself as a champion of tradition. However, he called himself son of the divine Caesar and created a religious cult centred on his person like Caesar had done. He chose the title of Princeps, which roughly means first man and first among equals. He derived this title from that of the Princeps Senatus who was the eldest senator and the first member of the senate by precedence and could speak first, but was a first among equals. Augustus pretended that he was a first among equals and that he ruled in conjunction with the senate while acting as an absolute ruler and turning the senate into an instrument for his power. He took up some precedents set by Caesar. He had the senate bestowing titles on him: Princeps and Augustus (the illustrious one) which was a religious rather that a political title.

Augustus' famous last words on his deathbed were, "Have I played the part well? Then applaud as I exit. "