장음표시 사용
51쪽
89. Very sew, indeed, of the assassi s ouilived Caesar for more than three years, or died naturally. Alt were condemned to death under the Pedian Law, and ali met it in different ways - sonae in Shipwreck some in batile, sonae using the very daggers with whicli they hadtreacherousty murdered Caesar to take their own lives.
53쪽
THE OCTAViANs, by ali accounts, were famous in ancient Velitrae. An 'Octavian Street' runs through the bustest part of the city, and an altar is stlown there consecrated by one Octavius, a locat commander. Apparently news of an attach by a neighbouringcity reached him while he was sacrificing a victim to Mars: snatching the intestines from the fire, he offered them only half-burned, and hurried away to win the batile. The Velitraean records include a decree that ali future offerings to Mars must be made in the samefashion, the carcase of every victim becoming a perquisite of the
a. Κing Tarquinius Priscus admitted the Octavians, among other plebei an families, to the Roman Senate, and though Servius Tullius awarded them patrici an privileges, they later reverted to plebeianrank untii eventusty Julius Caesar made them patricians Once more. Gaius Rufus was the first Octavian elected to ossice by the popularvote - he won a quaestorship. His sons Gaius and Gnaeus Athered
54쪽
two very different branches of the fami ly. Gnaeus's descendanis heldali the Lighest offices of state in turn ; but Gaius's branch, et ther by
accident or choice, remalaed simple knighis untii the entry into the Senate of that Gaius Octavius who became famous as Augustus'sfather. Augustus's great-grandiather had fought as a colonet under Aemilius Papus λ in Sicily during the Second Punic War. His grantis ather, who enjoyed a comfortabie income, was apparently content ιwith a municipat magistracy, and lived to an advinced age. These historices delatis are not derived from Augustus's own memoirs, whicli merely record that he came of a rich old equestrian famib, and that his fallier had been the first Octavian to enter the Senate. Mark Antony Wrote scoria fully that Augustus's great-grandfatherhad been only a seeedman, a ropemaker from the neighbourhood of Thurii: and his grandiather, a mone changer. This is as much information as I have managed to glean about Augustus's fa lyhistory. 3. I cannot belleve that Gaius Octavius, the fallier, was also amone changer who distributed bribes among the voters in the Campus and undertook other electioneering services. He was certainly born ricli enouis to achi eve ossice without haring to engage insuch practices: and proved a capable administrator. Aster his praetor-ship, he became governor of Macedonia, and the Senate commissioned him to pass through Thurii on his way there and disperse agroup of ouilawed flaves who, haring fought under Spartacus and Catiline, were now terrorieting the districi. He govemed Macedonia
against the Bessians; and letters survive froni Cicero reproaching his brother Quintus, then proconsular governor of Asia, sor inessiciency,
and ad vising him to make Octavius his modet in ali diplomaticdealings with allies. . Gaius died suddenly on his return to Rome, be re he could stand as a candidate for the Consulfhip. He lest three children Octavia the Elder, Octavia the Younger, and Augustus. The mollier of Octavia the Elder was Ancharia: the other two were his children by Atia, daughter of Marcus Atius Balbus and Julius Caesar's sister Julia. Balbus's family originaled in Atricia, and could boast of many
ancestrat busis of senators; his mother Was also closely related toPompey the Great. Balbus served frsi as praetor, and then with a
55쪽
Commission of Twen appotnted under the Julian Law to divideestates in Campania among the commons. Mark Antony likewise tried to bellule Augustus's maternat line by alleging that his great- grandiather Balbus had been bom in Africa, and kept first a perfumery and then a bakehouse at Africa. Cassius os Parma similarly sneers at Augustus as the grandson os a baher and a money-changer, writingin one of his letters: Your mother's flour came froni a miserable Arician bahery, and the coin-stained hanI of a Nerullan moneychanger kneaded it.' S. Augustus was bom just be re sinesse on 23 September, Iwhile Cicero and Gaius Antonius were Consuis, at OX Heads, in the Palatine districi: a stirine to his, bulli soon after his death, marks thespot. The case of a young patrician, Gaius Laetorius by name, figures in the published book of Senatorial Procredings. Pleading his youth and position to escape the maximum punishment for adultery, he further described himself as 'the occupant and, one might even say, guardianos the place first touched at his birth by the God Augustus'. Laetorius begged sor pardon in the name of his 'own espectat god'. The Senate afte Nards consecrated that part of the bullding by decree. 6. In the comtry mansion, near Velitrae, which belonged to Augustus's grandiather, a smali room, not unlike a buller's pantry, is still shown and described as Augustus's nurse : the locat peopte firmly belleve that he was also bom there. Religious scruples forbid
tion. It had long been belleved that casual visitors would be overcome by a sudden awful terror; and recently ilus was proved true When, one night, a new owner of the mansion, et ther from ignorance orbecause he wanted to test the truth of the belles, went to fleep in theroom. A few hours later he was hvrled out of bed by a supematuralagen and found lying hal Ddead against the door, bedclothes and all. 7. I can prove pretiy conclusively that as a child Augustus was called Thurinus 'the Thurian'), perhaps because his ancestors hadonce lived at Thurii, or because his fallier had deseated the flaves in
that neighbourhood soon aster he was bom: my eviden e is a bro estatuetie whicli Ι once owned. It shows him as a boy, and a rus , almost illegibie inscription in iron letters gives him this name. I have presented the statuette to the Emperor Hadrian, who has placed itamong the liousehold-gods in his bedroom. MoreoVer, Augustus Was
56쪽
osten sneeringly called 'The Thurian' in Anto 's correspondence. Augustus answered by confessing himself p gled: why should aname wluch he had outgrown be thrown in his face as an insuli Later he adopted the sumame Caesar to comply with the wis of his mother's uncte, the Dictator; and then the titie Augustus, after amotion to that effect had been introduced by Munatius Plancus. γSome senators wished his to be called Romulus, as the second - der of the City; but Plancus had his way. He argued that 'Augustus' was both a more original and a more honourabie titie, since sanctuaries and si places consecrated by the augurs are known as 'august' - the word being either an enlarged form os auctus, implying the 'increase' os digni thus given such places, or a wor down form of the phrase auium gratus gustu νe, 'the bellaviour and appetite os birds', whicli the augurs observed. Plancus supported his possit by a quota tion from Ennius's Annali: When glorious Rome had founded been, by augury august.'8. At the age of four Augustus tost his fallier. At twelve he deli ered a funerat oration in honour of his grandinother Julia, Julius Caesar's sister. At si xteen, having now come of age, he was awarded milita decorations when Caesar celebrated his African triumph, though he had been too young for overseas service. Caesar then mentio figlit Pompey's fons in Spata: Augustus followed with a very smallescori, along roads held by the enemy, after a sit ipwrech, too, and ina state of semi-convalescence from a serious illness. This energeticaction delighted Caesar, who soon formed a high estimate of
Haring recovered possession of Spala, Caesar planned a waragainst the Dacians and Parthians, and sent Augustus ahead to Apollonia, in Illyria, where he spent his spare time studying Greeh liter ture. News then came that Caesar had been assassinated, after natanghim his heir, and Augustus was tempted, for a ite, to put himselfunder the protection of the troops quartered near by. FIOweVer, deciding that this would be rasti and injudicious, he returned to Romeand there entered upon his inheritance, despite lais mother's doubis and the active opposition of his step-father, Marcius Philippus thee Consul. Augustus now took command of the Army, and govemedihe Empire: frst with Mark Antony and Lepidus as his colleagues;
57쪽
9. Aster this bries ouillae of Augustus's life, Ι shali fili in iis various phases: but the story will be more readable and understandable is, instead of heeping chronological order, I use subjeci headings and bestin with the civit wars that h fought There were sve campaigiis in ali: associaled respectively with thegeographical names of Mutina, Philippi, Perugia, Sicily, and Actium. Those of Mutina and Actium were against Mark Antony: that os Philippi against Brutus and Cassius: that os Perugia against Antony'sbrother Lucius; that of Sicily against Sextus Pompey, son os Pompeythe Great.
Io. The underi ying motive os every campaim was that Augustus seli it his duty, above ali, to avenge Caesar and keep his decrees in rce. On his return frona Apollonia, he decided to punish Brutus and Cassius immediately; but they foresaw the danger and escaped, so heliad recourse to the law and prosecuted them for murder. Fiding that the officials who fhould have celebrated Caesar's victory with public
Games did not dare to carry out their commission, he undertook thetask himself. Because stronger authori was needed to implement his other plans, Augustus announced his candidature for a tribuneship of the people - death had created a vacancy - ait ough nei ther a patriciannor a senator, and thus doubly disqualifed from standi g. MarkAntony, one of the two Consuis, on whose assistance Augustus had particularly counted, opposed this action and deni ed him even lais ordinary legat righis, excepi on payment of a heavy bribe. Augustus there re deserted the popular party and went OVer to the aristocrais, weli aware that they hated Antony, who was now besieging Decimus Brutus at Mutina and trying to expel him froni the province to whichhe had been appotnted by Caesar with the Senate's approVal. On the advice of certain aristocrais, Augustus actualty engaged assasscis tomurder Antony and, when the plot came to light, spent as muchmoney as he could rai se On enlisting a force of veterans to protecthimself and the Constitution. The Senate awarded him praetorianrank, gave his the command of this army, and instructed his to join Hirtius and Pansa, the two new Consuis, in the relies of Mutina. Augustus brought the campaign to a successisl close within three monilis, after fighting a couple of batiles. According to Antony, heran away from the frst of these and did not reappear untii the next
58쪽
day, having lost both his charger and his purple cloia. But it is
generasy agreed that in the second engagement he showed not oesyskill as a commander but courage as a soldier: when, at a crisis in thefighting, the standard-bearer of his legion was seriousty wounded, Augustus lilmself shouldered the Fagle and carried it for some time. II. Because Hirtius feli in batile, and Pansa later succumbed to a WOmd, a rumour ment about stat Augustus had engineered bothdeaths with the object of gaining sole controi over their victorious armi es after Antony's deseat. Pansa certainly died in such suspicious circumstances that Glyco, his physician, was arrested on a charge of polsoning the wound ; and Aquilius Niger goes so far as to asseri that in the confusion os batile Augustus despalched Hirtius with his own his d. I 2. However, When Augustus heard that Mark Antony had beentaken under Lepidus's protection and that the other military commanders, supported by their troops, were coming to terms with these o, he at once deserted the aristocratic party. His eXcuse was that
some of them had contemptuo ly called him 'the boy', while othershad not concealed their view that, once publicly honoured, he shouldbe done away with - to avoid having to pay liis veterans and himselfwhat they eXpected. Augustus silowed regret for this temporary defection from the popular cause by imposing a heavier fine on the Nursians than they could possibiy meet, and then exiling them stomtheir ci : they had offended iam by erecting a monument to fellowestigens hilled at Mutina, with the inscription: 'Fallen in the cause offreedomi' 13. As member of a triumvirate consisting of Antony, Lepidus, and himself, Augustus deseated Brutus and Cassius at Philippi, though in ill-heath at the time. In the first of the two batiles fought he wasdrisen out of his camp, and escaped with some diffficulty to Antony's
command. Aster the second and decisive one he showed no clemencyto his beaten enemies, but sent Brutus's head to Rome for throwingat the seet os Caesar's divine image: and insulted the more disti
guished of his prisoners. When one of these humbly asked for theright of decent buriat, he got the cold amwer: 'That must be setiled with the carrion birds.' And when a fallier and liis son pleaded fortheir lives, Augustus, it is sald, told them to decide wltich of the twoshould be spared, by casting lois. The Ather sacrificed his life for the
Son, and was executed; the son then committed stacide: Augustus
59쪽
walched them both die. His conduci so disgusted the remainder of the prisoners, including Marcus Favonius, a wel known disciple of Cato's, that while being ted off in chalas they courteousty saluted Antony as their conqueror, but abused Augustus to his face with themost obscene epitheis.
The victors divided be een them the responsibilities of govem- ment. Antony undereook to pacisy the easterii provinces is Augustus led the veterans bach to Italy and setiled them on municipat lands However, Augustus fassed to satis' either the lando ers, who complained that they were betag evicted froin their estates; or the veterans, who selt entilled to beller rewards for their service. 14. At this porit Lucius Antonius seli strong enough, as Consul and brother of the powerful Marh Antony, to raise a revolt. Augustus forced his to take refuge in the city of Perugia, which he sta ed into surrender, but only after being twice e osed to great danger. On thefrst occasion, bes ore the revolt brohe oui, he had found a private soldier watching the Games froin one of the seais reserved for knighis, and ordered his removal by an attendant; when Augustus's enemies then circulated a rumour that the offender had been tortured indeXecuted, an angry crowd of soldiers began to demonstrate at onceand Augustus would have lost his life had not the missing soldier
suddenly reappeared, sase and unituri. On the second occasion Augustus was sacrifcing close to the walis of Perugia, during the siege, When a party of gladiators made a sortie and nearly cut Osf his
13. Aster the fas of the city Augustus took Vengeance on crowdsos prisoners and returned the fame answer to ait who sued sor pardonor tried to explain their presence among the rebeis. It was simply: You must diei' According to sonae historians, he chose 3Oo prisoners of equestrian or senatorial rank, and offered them on the Ides of Marchat the altar of the God Julius, as human sacrifices. Augustus fought, itis sald, because he wished to offer his secret enemies, and those whomsear rather than affection hept with his party, a Chance to declare thenaselves by joining Lucius Antonius; he would then crusti them, confiscate their estates, and thus manage to pay off his veterans. 16. The Sicilian war, one of his first enterprises, lasted for eight years.λ It was interrupted by two stornas that wreched his fleets in thesummer, too - and obliged him to rebulld them: and by the Pom-
60쪽
peians' success in culting his coria supplies, whicli forced his to granta popular demand for an armistice. At last, however, he got his newships into fighting condition, with 3o,ooo freed flaves trained as Oars-men, and formed the Julian harbour at Baiae by letting the sea into the Lucrine and Avernan lahes. Here he exercised his crews ali onewinter and, when the fassing season opened, des eated Sextus Pompeyoff the Sicilian coast belween Mylae and Naulochus: although on the , eve of lae batile he fel l so fast afleep that his staffhad to wake him andask for the signat to begin hostilities. This must have been the occasionos Mark Antony's taunt: 'He could not even stand up to review his fleet when the ships were atready at their fighting stations; but lay on his bach and gaged up at the shy, never rising to fhow that he was alieuntii his admirat Marcus Agrippa had routed the ene .' Augustus has been taken to lask for crying oui, when he heard thathis fleets were sunk: 'Ι will win this war, whatever Neptune may dol' and for removing the god's image from the sacred procession at thenexi celebration of Games in the Circus. It would be fas e to say that the Sicilian was by far his most dangerous campaign. He once tandedan army in Sicily and was stiling bach to Itala, where tiae bulk of higforces were stationed, when the Pompeian admirais Demochares and Apollophanes suddenly appeared and he just managed to escape them With a single si ip. He was also nearly captured in Calabria: as hewa ed along the road to Reggio by way of Epizephyrian Locri, hesaw a flotilla of two-oared navat vesseis heading for tiae stiore and, not realiging that they were Pompeians, went down to greet them onthe beata. Afierwards, while burriedly escaping inland by narrow, winding pallis, he faced a new danger. Some years preriousty he had proscribed the fallier of Aemilius Ρaulus, an officer of his staff, one ofwhose Simes, now seeing a good opportunity to pay olf an old score, tried to murder him. Lepidus, the third member of the triumvirale, whom Augustus had summoned froin Africa to his suppori, thought himself so importantas the commander of twenty legions that, when Sextus Pompey hadbeen beaten, he violently demanded the Lighest place in the govern-ment. Augustus deprived his of his legions and though successsullypleading for his lisse, Lepidus spent what was tesse of it hi permanent exile at Circei. II. Eventuatly Augustus broke his friendship with Mark Antony, which had always been a tenuous one and in continuous need of