Augustus Caesar, also known as Caesar Augustus, was the son of Julius Caesar and founded the Roman Empire. He was the first Emperor of Rome after defeating Brutus and Cassius, the killers of his father, with the help of Marc Antony. The battle of Phillipi would go on to be the first of many Augustus Caesar’s major accomplishments.
1. Accomplished Feats Never Done Before
Augustus Caesar managed to accomplish what no Roman nobleman, warrior, general or senator could in over a hundred years. Peace. He did not just ensure peace across his empire but also established a single currency to have uniformity. He embarked on a constructive agenda of building roads, highways, aqueducts, bridges and buildings. He was the one who wanted a road network or highways that would connect the entire empire with Rome. That is where from we get the saying ‘all roads lead to Rome’. He formed a postal system. He supported arts and allowed people to publish their works. Famous litterateurs like Horace, Virgil, Livy and Ovid flourished at the time and could enlighten the Romans.
An Efficient Administrator
Augustus Caesar was an efficient administrator and was also a skilled warrior. He was a great strategist as his conquests and subsequent expansion across Gaul, Spain, Egypt, Dalmatia and Panonia go on to prove. He did not like being called a dictator and denied the title. He worked as princeps after having ruled Rome as one of the triumvirates who in a way liberated Rome from the tyranny that was established after getting rid of the apparent tyranny of erstwhile protectors of the Republic.
Population Increase Contributed Greatly
The fact that Augustus Caesar was a great ruler can be inferred from the staggering rise in the population during his reign. The Roman populace increased by almost a million people during his rule as the censuses have shown. That only happens when there is peace and order. Rome had more peacetime than its immediate history through the transition of B.C. to A.D.
A Generous Ruler
Augustus Caesar was a generous ruler. He often indulged in donations and gifted ordinary Romans substantial amounts of money. He had a penchant for buildings and other constructive work, quite in the literal sense. He commissioned the Curia project, the development of the Senate House. He built the Chalcidicum, the temple of Apollo, the Lupercal, the Circum of Flaminius and the temple of Julius Caesar.
Created the Gladiatorial Fights
Augustus Caesar, famously and infamously, organized the gladiatorial fights for the entertainment of Romans.