During the Roman golden age what achievements were made?

Answer 1

Golden Age is a term which refers to Latin literature. The nineteenth century German scholar Wilhelm Sigismund Teuffel coined the terms Golden Age and Silver Age of Latin literature. The Golden Age is said to have begun in 83 BC and ended the death of Ovid. It is subdivided into the Age of Cicero and the Age of Augustus.

The Age of Cicero (80-43 BC) is the age of this author who is considered the master of Latin prose. His writing exceeds that of any Latin author in terms of quantity, variety of genre and subjects, and stylistic excellence. His philosophical works were the basis of medieval moral philosophy. His oratory brilliance made him a model for rhetoric for many centuries.

The Augustan Age started before and ended after the reign of Augustus (27 BC-14 AD). It spanned from the death of Cicero in 43 BC to that of Ovid in 17 AD. It was the most flourishing period of Latin literature. The interest in great orators and rhetoricians, like Cicero, faded and attention shifted to poetry. Augustus had a keen interest in literature. This period had the three canonical poets of Latin literature: Virgil, Horace and Ovid. Virgil's epic poem, the Aeneid, is recognized as the greatest work of Latin literature. Horace's Odes is considered perfection in content, form and style and had provided inspiration to poets for centuries. His Art of Poetry influenced poetry theory well beyond the Roman days. Ovid was the master of elegy and created vivid characters. He has been an artistic inspiration beyond the world of poetry.

The writing of the Golden Age was one of freedom of expression and spontaneity. The writing of the subsequent Silver age of Latin literature changed. Under the most of the next emperors this freedom of expression ended. The emperors exercised censorship and displeasing them could lead to execution or exile. The style of much of the writing, though not all of it, lost spontaneity and became more stilted, rhetorical and bombastic.