The Development of ‘Imperial Ideal’

Augustus became the emperor of the Roman Empire in 27 BCE. The Roman Empire was also established during this period. Augustus is renowned as one of the Roman rulers that lived for a long time. Previously, some of the rulers died at young that they could not finish their time of service. Having lived for a long time,

Augustus made remarkable transformations and reforms in the Roman Empire. Augustus accomplished many improvements during his tenure as compared to his successors. He wrote his personal history known as the Acts of the Divine Augustus. In his writings, he noted the achievements that he made to the Roman Empire (The Roman, 2014).

The ‘Imperial Idea’ began after the assassination of Julius Caesar. Augustine took the throne with a mission to transform Rome by securing its frontiers. In addition to this, Augustine formed new laws to govern the empire. During his reign, he also advocated for infrastructural developments. For example, different roads and buildings in the city were constructed during Augustus’ tenure. This marked the achievement of the goals of Imperial Rome.

He was considered as the self-proclaimer of the Republic. As the first emperor of Rome, he was respected as the highest authority of the land. Due to the powers vested in him, he came up with different reforms that were considered to help society. However, some of the reforms were geared toward infringing the rights of some people.

Augustus believed in ancestral values that enabled him to rule the Roman Empire. Some of the values include chastity, monogamy, and piety. These values enabled the emperor to enact rules that are not self-centered. In other words, the rules and the reforms made by Augustus not only reflected his interest but were also formed on the basis of societal issues.

In his ‘Imperial Ideal,’ he wanted to reform the Roman Empire based on moral values and other ethical values. His idea was to transform a city as well as the empire. To fulfill his desires, he made various reforms to the town. The reforms were evident even after his tenure. Augustus began the restoration of monuments as part of his changes in the empire.

Augustus was concerned by the religious practices of the people. With this regard, he restored the places of worship, temples of God. In other words, he embarked on religious revivals to restore the dignity of the people.  

Concerning the restoration of monuments, Augustus commissioned the construction of monuments such as the Ara Pacis Augustae. Such statues were built to serve the community. These are some of the substantial reforms that were done during the emperor’s tenure. The construction of monuments was also fuelled by the availability of precious materials such as marbles.

During his tenure, he thought to revive other public monuments in the empire. Many people were amazed by the construction of different sites. As a result, Augustus achieved remarkable improvements towards the imperial ideal.

Augustus also made religious reforms that were geared towards moral uprightness. He reviewed the priesthood by making it more meaningful. As a result, he was appointed as pontifex Maximus. In other words, he became the secular head of the Roman Empire. Notably, religious beliefs played a vital role in the development of the Roman Empire.

The emperor considered the people’s religious orientation by ensuring that the dignity of the priesthood is maintained. During the period between 27 BC and 500 BC, many developments in the empire geared the growth of a new city.

During the period in question, the empire had approximately 50 million people. Due to population growth, running the empire was becoming difficult. Therefore, the emperor adopted effective strategies to improve the lively hood of the people. Some of his policies were the adoption of new laws and adherence to religious values.

Also, the empire was becoming expensive to run. In response to this, the emperor introduced new tax reforms to increase the empire’s revenue. For instance, unmarried men above the age of 38 years were penalized by the imposition of additional tax that those who were married were not subjected to. As a result, the emperor collected revenue to administer and to run the empire. The unmarried men were not also allowed to receive an inheritance and to attend public games.

The imposition of taxes to unmarried men, but it also improved morality in the empire. To promote morality, the emperor enacted social reforms that encouraged families to have children. Children were considered to have an impact on the future development of the empire.

Therefore,people were encouraged to marry and to have children. This was also the reason behind the population increase in the empire. Apart from the tax imposed on unmarried men, there were other forms of taxes that raised revenue for the emperor.

As far as morality is concerned, adultery was highly discouraged in the empire. Marriage was made compulsory to avoid cases of adultery. Moreover, childless marriages were also discouraged. The provisions of Lex Julia de maritandis ordinibus prohibited celibacy and childless marriages. This law made marriage a significant symbol in society.

Those who married were considered to be important as opposed to those who were not married despite the fact that they had attained the age of 38 years. Morality was also linked to religion. Religious practices encouraged moral values in society. For instance, religion promoted harmonious relationships and peaceful coexistence.

According to the marriage and divorce laws that were developed during the reign of Emperor Augustus, adultery became a civil crime. It was considered a crime against the state. Those who were found guilty were punished differently as compared to those who committed personal crimes.

The law on adultery was provided under Lex Julia de adulteriss coercendis. Such provisions discouraged people from engaging in immoral activities. Instead, dignity and moral values were upheld by people of different ages. Both children and adults were subjected to the provisions of the law.

Imperial Roman was also marked by the reintroduction of past ceremonies and festivals including the Lustrum Ceremony and Lupercalia festival. These two festivals were organized for various purposes, including uniting the people. They were carried out after a specified period. It was a norm that everyone complied with.

Like any society, the Romans had norms and beliefs that they were subjected to.  Augustus’ reign was marked by social, political, and cultural reforms. As far as the cultural reforms are concerned, Augustus established the imperial cult for the worship of the emperor as a god.

Imperial Rome brought forty years of peace in Italy. Previously, the territory had been experiencing problems such as wars and other political problems. Notably, Augustus came to power after the assassination of his predecessor. During the reign of the first emperor, Rome experienced a steady increase in prosperity and trade.

As a result of trade, the frontiers of the empire slightly extended. The extension made the empire more attractive because more resources were acquired. The period in question also marked the stabilization of the economy in the empire. The emperor encouraged the promotion of professional carries in the army. For instance, recruits were allowed to sign in for sixteen years.

The reign of the emperor saw the introduction of the Pax Romana, the Roman peace. This was applied to the people within the empire. Peace played an essential role in the development of the empire. By the reduction of frequent wars, the empire was now peaceful. People could engage in their day to day activities without fear. Previously, constant wars instilled fear into the people. The wars slowed the development of the empire. The Pax Romana acted as a symbol of unity in the empire.

Also, the Roman Empire achieved geographical completeness during the reign of Augustus. This included the annexation of Syria in 64 BC and the capture of Jerusalem in 63 BC. Moreover, the defeat of Cleopatra at Actium took place in 31 BC.

The period between 27 BC and 500 AD saw the development of an essential aspect of the empire. Egypt also became a province. This was an indication that the empire was expanding due to its territorial achievements. Some of the achievements were experienced at the start of the empire in 27 BC.

The Mediterranean became a Roman sea. During the same period, the story of Rome itself included the wider Roman Empire. Furthermore, the emperor ensured that the territories of the empire expend beyond the Alps of Germany.

However, German military skills destroyed three Roman legions in the Teutoburg Forest. The defeat of the German military made the Romans pull back (National Geographic, 2019). These boundaries enabled the emperor to introduce rules and regulations that promoted peaceful coexistence within and also outside the empire.

As a result of the developments, Augustus quoted that ‘I found Rome a city of brick and left it a city of marble.’ During his reign, Augustus embarked on public building programs. He not only changed the city but also made a remarkable change in the entire Roman Empire. However, Augustus’ quote on the development of the Roman Empire was considered as a boast.

On the other hand, there was evidence of change during his tenure. Therefore, the success of the Roman Empire in terms of development was established under the rule of Emperor Augustus.

The period between 27 BC and 500 AD also marked the achievement of political and social stability in the empire. The stability was achieved after decades of war within and outside the territories of the empire. Historical records show that Emperor Augustus ruled with absolute power (Bowser 2013). Therefore, he could introduce laws and religious practices to govern the empire. He was the final decision maker in the empire. Both social and political stability in the empire led to the development of the entire territory.

Besides, there was the importation of wheat from Africa, wine from Gaul, and oil from Iberia. Textiles and silk products were imported from Arabia, India, and China. International trade began during the start of the empire. Oil was one of the most traded commodities in the world. Currently, it is still one of the essential products in the world.

Due to the importation of oil from other countries, the empire could engage in different economic activities. Notably, the production of goods and services, as well as transportation, was promoted by the availability of oil. The importation of other products provided basic needs such as food and clothing.

After the death of Emperor Augustus, Julio-Claudian emperors took the throne. Julio-Claudian emperors were descended either from Augustus or from his second wife. They ruled for the period 14 AD to 68 AD. At this period, they continued with the work that was already established by Augustus. His successors embraced the rules and the religious norms that were introduced by Emperor Augustus. Tiberius inherited the throne in AD 14. He continued with the policies adopted by Augustus to run the empire.

Tiberius kept firm control of the military and other sensitive sectors of the economy (Aldrete, 2019). He was also known for showing respect to the senate in Rome and behaving with personal modesty. However, he discouraged any cult by himself as the emperor. Tiberius brought a different reputation as compared to that of Emperor Augustus.

Also, Tiberius reduced the number of deaths of those who challenged him, including members of the imperial family. He also withdrew from Rome and decided to live on the island of Capri. Generally, his reputation was not appealing to the people as compared to his predecessor.

After the death of Tiberius in AD 37, Gaius Caesar was the only remaining male descendant of Augustus since some were imprisoned for various offenses. Having been nicknamed Caligula, he became the ruler of the empire. Caligula ruled for a short time. Regardless of the timeframe of his reign, he was considered to be brutal.

Caligula was murdered by a tribune of the Praetorian Guard in Rome. He was murdered during an athletic contest in AD 41. This was one of the famous incidences in Roman imperial history. The assassinations marked some of the political turmoil that the empire experienced during the development of Imperial Rome.

After the death of Caligula, Claudius assumed power. His reign began from AD 41 to 54. He was considered as one of the effective emperors. During his reign, the empire extended with new provinces being created in Northwest Africa and Southern Britain. Claudius also captured renowned Colchester.

Despite his achievements, his private life was dramatic. In AD 48, he executed his lovers and married his niece. According to Roman law, such an activity was forbidden. To avoid accusations from the people, he decided to change the law. The changes that he made were contrary to the laws that were adopted by the first emperor.

After Claudius’ reign, Nero took over from AD 54 to 68. Nero’s reign was not only guided by his policies but also the contributions of wise counselors. Nero engaged in different activities that were against the moral behaviors that were encouraged by the first emperor (Enerow 2017).

For instance, he became passionate about love with a married woman. Such relationships were prohibited by the provisions of the law on adultery. Also, he divorced her. With this regard, he acted against the requirements of the marriage and divorce laws that were laid down by Emperor Augustus.

Nero’s brutal character drained the imperial coffers. He experiences a rebellion from different parts of the empire. In the 60 there was rivalry in Britain and Palestine in 66. In the same period, Romans also joined the revolt. The rivalry made some Roman officials and legions to declare themselves against the emperor.

The rivalry also led to the passing of the vote of censure on Nero. The serious mistakes made by Nero subjected the emperor into problems. Having lived in a peaceful society during the reign of Emperor Augustus, people could not withstand the issues established by some of his successors, such as Nero.

In conclusion, the beginning of the Roman Empire was marked by political, social, and cultural developments. The rule of Emperor Augustus initiated many development projects in the empire. In terms of cultural developments, different laws such as those that addressed marriage and divorce were introduced.

Taxation was considered as one of the main sources of revenue for the empire. Therefore, the first emperor adopted effective ways of collecting tax. The introduction of the imperial ideal was made after the assassination of the then ruler. Imperial Rome advocated for not only the development of the city but also the growth of the entire empire.