Augustus - Imperator Caesar divi filius Augustus

Japanese: アウグストゥス - あうぐすとぅす（英語表記）Imperator Caesar divi filius Augustus

Roman politician and first emperor of the Roman Empire (reigned 27 BC to 14 AD). His previous name was Gaius Octavius, and he was born on September 23, 63 BC to his father of the same name and Caesar's niece Atia. After his father's death, he was protected by his great-uncle Caesar, and after Caesar's assassination (44 BC), when he learned that he was the main heir and adopted son in Caesar's will, he immediately went to Rome, changed his name to Gaius Iulius (Julius) Caesar Octavianus, and claimed his rights. He came into conflict with Caesar's former subordinate Marcus Antonius over Caesar's inheritance, and sided with the senatorial faction led by Cicero. He defeated Antonius at the Battle of Mutina in April 43 BC, and forced the senate to elect him consul.

[Makoto Shimada]

The Second Triumvirate

In November 43 BC, Octavian, Antony, and Caesar's former subordinate Marcus Aemilius Lepidus met in Bononia (Bologna) and established the Triumvirate. Unlike the first Triumvirate, which was a private pact, Octavian was officially appointed as the "three commissioners for the restoration of the state" and first expelled, executed, and confiscated the property of many opponents, starting with Cicero. Octavian ruled the West, Antony the East, and Lepidus Africa. Octavian fought against Sextus Pompey, who was based in Sicily and had blocked Italy by sea in opposition to the Triumvirate. He struggled, but with the support of Antony and the command of his subordinate Agrippa, he won, expelling Lepidus from his position as a triumvirate and taking control of Africa. Later, he again came into conflict with Antony, and taking advantage of his relationship with Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, and the Roman people's resentment towards her, he declared war on Cleopatra in 32 BC. He defeated the fleet of Cleopatra and Antony at Actium in 31 BC, and took Alexandria the following year in 30. Cleopatra and Antony committed suicide, and the civil war that had continued for over a century came to an end.

[Makoto Shimada]

Establishment of the Principate

In 29 BC, Octavian returned to Rome, where he was given a grand triumphal procession and became the head of the Senate (Princeps Senatus). He had been Consul for many years since 31 BC and had made wealthy Egypt his private domain, but in 27 BC, he shared the provinces with the Senate and took charge of most of the provinces where troops were stationed, and was given the title of Augustus (the Anointed One) by the Senate. This is usually considered the beginning of the Imperial government.

He worked hard to improve the administration of the provinces and to wage a war of conquest in Spain, but there were opponents, and in 23 BC a conspiracy was discovered. This, combined with his serious illness, led to a major political crisis, but after recovering he resigned his consulship to the Republicans and was instead given full tribune powers and the power of a senior consul in lieu (power to command the entire empire, including the provinces under the senatorial jurisdiction), and set off on a journey to the East, including Greece and Asia Minor. By obtaining both of these powers, his position was actually strengthened. In 22 BC, he was offered the positions of dictator and grain supply administrator, and only accepted the latter. In 19 BC, he was given the power of consul, and his position was established. Foreign relations were also stabilized in the East, with the return of the military flag that had been taken from Parthia in 20 BC after the defeat of Crassus, and the sending of hostages. The only remaining task was to subdue the Germanic peoples in the north, who had been making small incursions and moving about since the time of the civil war.

In 18 BC, he enacted three laws to eliminate both public and private abuses that had existed since the days of the Republic: the "Julian Law on the Bribing of Elections," which established the ban on those who offered bribes to obtain public office; the "Julian Law on the Regulation of Marriage," which gave privileges to married senators with children and imposed disadvantages on unmarried senators; and the "Julian Law on the Punishment of Adultery," which made adultery a criminal offense. The "Julian Law on the Regulation of Marriage" was strengthened by the Law of Papius Poppaeus in 9 AD.

Around this time, the generation that had come of age after the Battle of Actium entered the political world, and the Augustan regime became stable. Among them were his step-sons Tiberius and Drusus, who worked to improve the administration of Rome and Italy during the Germanic campaign, appointing a city governor, establishing a fire brigade, and reorganizing the administrative districts of Rome. In 12 BC, after the death of Lepidus, he became the Archbishop of Rome, the highest religious position in Rome. After that, the position of Archbishop of Rome became the exclusive domain of emperors. In 2 BC, he was given the honorary title of Father of the Nation. Once Augustus' regime was stable, the question of his successor arose. First, the husbands of his only daughter Julia, his nephew Marcellus, and his capable subordinate Agrippa were considered as possible successors. Next, Agrippa and Julia's sons, Gaius and Lucius, were adopted, but they died young. Finally, he adopted Tiberius, who was also Julia's husband, and made him his successor.

Augustus died of an illness on August 19, 14 AD in the town of Nola, Italy. He was declared a god after his death. Along with his will, he also wrote and left behind a record of his achievements in the form of an epitaph.

[Makoto Shimada]

The Age of Augustus

The age of Augustus was also the zenith of Roman literature in terms of culture. In prose, Livy, who wrote the history of Rome from its founding, is known. Latin poetry reached its golden age under the patronage of influential figures such as Augustus's close aide Maecenas, and many great poets emerged. Representative poets include Virgil, who wrote the Aeneid based on the myth of the founding of Rome, Horace, Propertius, Tibullus, and Ovid.

[Makoto Shimada]

"Biographies of the Roman Emperors, Vol. 1, by Swetonius, translated by Kakunami Ichiro (1974, Shakaishisosha)" ▽ "Roman State and State Thought, by E. Meyer, translated by Suzuki Isshu (1978, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "State and Society in the Roman Empire, by Yuge Tatsu (1964, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "On the Roman Empire, by Yuge Tatsu (1966, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)" ▽ "The Mediterranean World and the Roman Empire, by Yuge Tatsu (1977, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Emperor Augustus and the Poets, by Kunihara Yoshinosuke (included in Gods and Men in Greece and Rome, 1979, Tokai University Press)"

Augustus
14-37, marble, 30.5 cm, owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Augustus

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

古代ローマの政治家、ローマ帝国初代の皇帝（在位前27～後14）。前名をガイウス・オクタウィウスGaius Octaviusといい、同名の父とカエサルの姪(めい)アティアとの間に、紀元前63年9月23日誕生した。父の死後、大伯父カエサルの保護を受け、カエサルの暗殺（前44）後、遺言により主要な相続人・養子とされていることを知ると、ただちにローマに赴き、ガイウス・ユリウス・カエサル・オクタウィアヌスGaius Iulius (Julius) Caesar Octavianusと改名、権利を主張した。カエサルの遺産をめぐり、カエサルの旧部下マルクス・アントニウスと対立し、キケロを指導者とする元老院派に味方し、前43年4月ムティナの戦いでアントニウスを敗走させ、元老院に強制してコンスルに選ばれた。

［島田　誠］

第2回三頭政治

前43年11月、オクタウィアヌス、アントニウス、カエサルの旧部下マルクス・アエミリウス・レピドゥスは、ボノーニア（ボローニャ）で会見し、三頭政治を樹立した。私的盟約であった第1回三頭政治と異なり、公式に「国家再建のための三人委員」に任命され、まずキケロを筆頭に多数の反対派の追放、処刑、財産没収を行った。オクタウィアヌスは西方を、アントニウスは東方を、レピドゥスはアフリカを分担支配した。オクタウィアヌスは、シチリア島を本拠に三頭政治に反対してイタリアを海上封鎖したセクストゥス・ポンペイウスとの戦いを担当、苦戦したが、アントニウスの支援と部下アグリッパの指揮により勝利を得、その際レピドゥスを三人委員の地位から追放し、アフリカを支配下に置いた。その後、ふたたびアントニウスと対立し、彼とエジプト女王クレオパトラとの関係と、彼女へのローマ民衆の反感を利用し、前32年クレオパトラに対し宣戦を布告した。前31年アクティウムでクレオパトラとアントニウスの艦隊を破り、翌30年アレクサンドリアを陥落させた。クレオパトラとアントニウスは自殺し、1世紀余り続いた内乱は終結した。

［島田　誠］

プリンキパトゥス（元首政）の成立

前29年オクタウィアヌスはローマに帰還し、盛大な凱旋(がいせん)式をあげ、元老院首席（プリンケプス・セナトゥス）になった。前31年以来、連年コンスルであり富裕なエジプトを私領化していたが、前27年、属州を元老院と分担し、軍隊の駐屯する属州の大部分を管轄することになり、元老院よりアウグストゥス（尊厳者）の称号を与えられた。普通これを帝政の始まりとする。

　彼は属州行政の整備、スペインでの征服戦争に奔走したが、反対派が存在し、前23年陰謀が発覚した。彼の重病も重なり、重大な政治危機が生じたが、回復後コンスル職を共和政派に譲って辞任し、かわりに完全な護民官権限と上級のコンスル代理命令権（元老院管轄属州を含む全帝国への命令権）とを与えられ、ギリシア、小アジアなど東方旅行に出発した。この両者の権限を得ることにより彼の地位はむしろ強化された。さらに前22年には独裁官と穀物供給管理官との地位を提供され、後者のみを受けた。前19年コンスル命令権を与えられ、その地位は確立した。対外関係も、前20年パルティアからクラッススの敗北により奪われた軍旗が返還され、人質も送られ、東方では安定した。残る課題は内乱の時代以来、小規模な侵入、移動を繰り返す北方のゲルマン人の制圧のみとなった。

　前18年、彼は共和政時代以来の公私両面の悪習を除くための立法を行った。すなわち、公職を得るため贈賄した者を締め出すことを定めた「選挙買収についてのユリウス法」、元老院議員身分中、結婚し子供をもつ者に特権を与え、未婚の者に不利益を課した「結婚規制についてのユリウス法」、姦通(かんつう)を刑法上の犯罪とした「姦通処罰についてのユリウス法」の3法である。「結婚規制法」は紀元後9年パーピウス・ポッパエウス法により強化された。

　このころアクティウムの海戦以後に成人した世代が政界に登場し、アウグストゥス体制は安定した。彼らを代表し、彼の継子ティベリウス・ドルスス兄弟などがゲルマニア遠征中、ローマ市およびイタリアの行政整備に努め、ローマ市長官の任命、消防隊の設置、ローマ市の行政区画の再編などを行った。前12年には、レピドゥスの死後、大神祇(じんぎ)官長となり、ローマの宗教上の最高の地位を得た。以後、大神祇官長の職は皇帝たちの専有物となった。前2年には国父の栄誉称号を与えられた。アウグストゥスの政権が安定すると、彼の後継者が問題となった。まず、ひとり娘ユリアの夫たち、甥(おい)のマルケルス、有能な部下のアグリッパが後継者に擬された。ついでアグリッパとユリアとの息子、ガイウスとルキウスの兄弟が養子とされたが若死にした。最後に、やはりユリアの夫であったティベリウスを養子とし、後継者とした。

　アウグストゥスは紀元後14年8月19日、イタリアのノラの町で病没した。彼は死後に神とされた。遺書とともに、自らの治績を記録した『業績録』を作成して残しており、碑文として現存している。

［島田　誠］

アウグストゥスの時代

アウグストゥスの時代は、文化面ではローマ文学史上の最盛期でもあった。散文では、ローマの建国以来の歴史を著したリウィウスが知られる。ラテン詩は、アウグストゥスの側近マエケナスなどの有力者の保護下に黄金時代を迎え、大詩人が輩出した。ローマ建国神話を題材とした『アエネイス』を著したウェルギリウスや、ホラティウス、プロペルティウス、ティブルス、オウィディウスなどが代表である。

［島田　誠］

『スウェートーニウス著、角南一郎訳『ローマ皇帝伝　上』（1974・社会思想社）』▽『E・マイヤー著、鈴木一州訳『ローマ人の国家と国家思想』（1978・岩波書店）』▽『弓削達著『ローマ帝国の国家と社会』（1964・岩波書店）』▽『弓削達著『ローマ帝国論』（1966・吉川弘文館）』▽『弓削達著『地中海世界とローマ帝国』（1977・岩波書店）』▽『国原吉之助著『皇帝アウグストゥスと詩人たち』（『ギリシア・ローマの神と人間』1979・東海大学出版会・所収）』

アウグストゥス
14～37年ころ　大理石　30.5cmメトロポリタン美術館所蔵">

アウグストゥス

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