The Story of Rome, From the Earliest Times to the Death of Augustus, Told to Boys and Girls
CHAPTER CXXV
THE EMPEROR AUGUSTUS
The Roman Republic came to an end after the Battle of Actium.
Henceforth until his death Cæsar ruled over the great Roman Empire, and he was now known as the Emperor Augustus. His reign began in 30 B.C., and ended in 14 A.D.
If he did not add much to his great dominions, he saw to it that, during his long reign of forty-four years, those within his realm were able to live at peace with each other and with foreign peoples. Once again, and for the third time since Romulus built the city of Rome, the gates of the temple of Janus were closed.
The Emperor came to be adored by the people of Rome, because his rule was kind and just. His magistrates were not allowed to oppress or rob the poor, while his merchants’ ships were able to ply their trade without fear of pirates.
At one time Augustus was away from Italy for three years. His people longed for his return. Here are the very words in which the poet Horace expressed their desire.
‘O best guardian of the race of Romulus,’ he wrote, ‘return ... your country calls for you with vows and prayers ... for when you are here the ox plods up and down the fields in safety; Ceres and bounteous blessing cheers our farms: our sailors speed o’er seas infested by no pirate; credit is kept unspotted; crime is checked, family life purified, none fears the invasion of the Parthian or German ... each man closes a peaceful day on his native hills, trains his vines to the widowed trees, and home returning, light of heart, quaffs his wine and blesses you as his god.’
When Augustus knew that the people really believed what the poet said in language more beautiful than they could frame, he must surely have felt rewarded for all the labours which he had undertaken for the sake of his country.
The Emperor died in 14 A.D. His wife Livia was with him to the end, and as he kissed her for the last time he said, ‘Good-bye, never forget our married life.’ Nor was she likely to do so, for Cæsar had ever loved her well, and treated her with respect. His adopted son, Tiberius, succeeded him.
Thus from the single city founded by Romulus in the Palatine Hill in 753 B.C. there grew up through struggle and victory, the mighty Empire, over which Augustus first ruled as Emperor. And this mighty Empire held within its bounds the whole of Europe South of Germany and the Danube, Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt, as well as a large part of the northern district of Africa.
‘Thine, Roman, be the task to rule the nations with thy sway. These shall be thine arts--to impose the laws of peace, to spare the humbled and to crush in war the proud.’
INDEX
Actium, battle of, 418.
Æmilius, 200.
---- Gauls defeated by, 169, 170.
Æneas, story of, 1, 2.
Æquians, the, 73, 86.
Albans, the, war with Rome, 28, 31.
Allia, battle of, 97.
Ambrones, the, 197, 299.
Amulius, King, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10.
Ancus Marcius, 32, 33.
Anio, battle of the, 111.
Antiochus, King of Syria, 238.
Appian Way, the, 130.
Appius Claudius, 78, 130, 149.
Ariovistus, 364, 366, 367.
Aristion, the orator, 325.
Ascanius, 1, 3.
Augustus, Emperor, 425. _See also_ Octavius Cæsar.
Aulus Postumius, invocation of Castor and Pollux, 63.
Bocchus, King, 284, 287, 290, 291.
Books of the Sibyl, story of, 46.
Brennus, King of the Gauls, 97, 103, 104.
Brutus, and the Delphian oracle, 48, 49.
---- avenger of Lucretia’s wrong, 50.
---- treachery of his sons, 52.
Brutus, Decimus, 394.
---- assassination of Cæsar, 399.
---- death at Philippi, 408, 411.
---- Second Triumvirate allied against, 406.
Camillus, at battle of the Anio, 111.
---- capture of Veii by, 88.
---- destruction of Volscians’ camp by, 109.
---- recalled to Rome, 101.
---- war with Falerians, 94.
---- war with the Gauls, 97, 112–115.
Cannæ, battle of, 200.
Capitol, founding of the, 36.
Carthage, siege of, 246–257.
Carthaginian wars, 155–231.
Cassius, death of, 410.
---- plot against Julius Cæsar, 394.
Castor and Pollux, invoked by Aulus, 63.
Catilinarian conspiracy, the, 350–355.
Cato, 243, 251.
---- death of, 387.
Catulus, campaign against the Cimbri, 303.
---- death of, 323.
Caudine Forks, disgrace of Romans at, 124.
Celeres, the, 22, 25.
Censors, the, 341.
Cicero, 350, 358, 362, 406.
Cimbri, conquest of the, 303.
Cincinnatus, defeat of Æquians by, 74, 86.
Cinna, war with Octavius, 320.
Claudius Nero, defeat of Hasdrubal by, 208, 213.
Cleopatra, 386.
---- and Mark Antony, 413 _et seq._
---- at battle of Actium, 418.
---- death of, 421.
Clœlia, story of, 60.
Clœlius, Æquian chief, 73.
Collatinus, 49, 52.
Consuls, the, 52, 84.
Coriolanus, story of, 68.
Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi, 258, 260, 270, 271, 277.
Crassus, 332, 341.
---- defeat of the gladiators by, 338.
---- member of First Triumvirate, 361.
---- Pompey’s rivalry with, 350.
Curiatii, feud with Horatii, 29.
Curtian Lake, the, legend of, 116.
Cynoscephalæ, battle of, 233.
Decemvirs, the, 77, 85.
Decius Mus, 121–123.
Dentatus, 139.
Drusus, colonial policy of, 272.
Ecnomus, battle of, 159.
Epirots, the, war with Romans, 141.
Etruscan wars, the, 31.
Fabius, the delayer, and Minucius, 197–199.
---- campaign against Hannibal, 192.
---- defeat of the Samnites, 131–134.
---- his son, defeat of, 130.
Falerians, war with, 94.
Faustulus, 6.
Flaminius, war with Philip of Macedon, 233.
Fleet, the Roman, 155.
Forum, the, 37, 45.
Gabii, siege of, 43.
Gaius Gracchus, 264, 268, 269, 270–277.
---- Mucius, story of, 60.
Gauls, the, conquest of, 168.
---- sack of Rome by, 97, 99, 113, 117.
Geese, the Sacred, 99.
Gladiators’ revolt, the, 337.
Glaucia, land reforms of, 307.
Gnæus, 388, 390.
Gracchi, the, 258.
Hamilcar, 158, 159.
---- Barca, 172.
Hannibal, story of, 172–242.
---- death of, 238.
---- departure from Italy, 226.
---- invasion of Italy by, 176.
Hasdrubal, 207, 208, 224, 225.
Heraclea, battle of, 145.
Horatii, the, feud with the Curiatii, 29.
Horatius, story of, 57.
Jugurtha, King of Numidia, story of, 278.
Julius Cæsar, 343, 354.
---- appointed ruler of Gaul, 361, 369.
---- assassination of, 396.
---- captured by pirates, 356.
---- conquest of Helvetians and Ligurini, 263.
---- conquest of the Nervii, 367.
---- crossing of the Rubicon, 374.
---- honoured in Rome, 389.
---- in Egypt, 385, 386.
---- invasion of Britain, 370.
---- member of First Triumvirate, 361.
---- nobles’ plot against, 392.
---- rivalry with Pompey, 350, 375 _et seq._
---- Tenth Legion of, 363.
Juno, the statue of, 92.
Lars Porsenna, siege of Rome by, 56, 60.
Latins, the, 2, 33.
Lavinium, 2, 3.
Licinian laws, the, 107.
Lictors, the, 52.
Livius, defeat of Hasdrubal by, 208, 213.
Lucius Furius, 111.
Lucretia, the Roman matron, 50.
Lucumo and the eagle, 35.
Macedonian Wars, the, 233.
Mælius, friend of the people, 85.
Manipulares, the, 9.
Manlius, Father of the Commons, 102, 106.
Marius, Gaius, 280, 281.
---- alliance with Cinna against Octavius, 320.
---- and the Cimbrian ambassadors, 303.
---- conquest of Teutones by, 297.
---- defeat of King Jugurtha by, 283–296.
---- flight of, 315.
---- jealousy of Sulla, 311.
---- return to Rome, 320.
---- rivalry with Metellus, 307.
Mark Antony, 376, 379, 381, 393, 399.
---- his Acta, 416.
---- and Cleopatra, 413 _et seq._
---- claim to Cisalpine Gaul, 405.
---- death of, 421.
---- funeral oration for Cæsar, 402.
---- member of Second Triumvirate, 406.
---- war against Brutus, 408.
Masinissa, 219, 223, 224, 225.
---- in Carthage, 244.
Metellus, 307.
Mettius, 29, 31.
Minucius, 73, 75, 85, 192, 194, 197, 198, 203.
Mithridates, King, 312, 325.
---- defeated by Sulla, 329.
---- Pompey’s war against, 345.
Mucius, Gaius, 60.
Nervii, the, conquest by Julius Cæsar, 367.
Numa Pompilius, 24.
Numitor, King, 4, 7, 8, 9.
Octavius, and his friend, Tiberius, 261 _et seq._
Octavius Cæsar, 394.
---- Emperor of Rome, 425.
---- measures for welfare of Rome, 416.
---- member of Second Triumvirate, 406.
---- war against Antony and Cleopatra, 405, 418.
Octavius, war with Brutus, 408.
---- war with Cinna, 320.
Optimates, the, 264.
Papirius Cursor, 129.
Patricians, the, 66, 77.
---- Licinian laws relating to, 106, 107.
Philippi, battle of, 408.
Pirates, the, 341.
Plebeians, the, 66, 77–79, 83.
---- Licinian laws relating to, 107–108.
Pompey, 331, 336, 340.
---- expedition to Palestine, 348.
---- his flight, 381.
---- member of First Triumvirate, 361.
---- Pirates defeated by, 341–344.
---- rivalry with Cæsar, 375.
---- war against Mithridates, 345.
Pontius, Gaius, Samnite leader, 124, 126, 128, 129.
Prætors, the, 108.
Proculus, vision of, 23.
Proscriptions of Sulla, the, 334.
Punic War, the First, 155 _et seq._
---- The Second, 172 _et seq._
Pyrrhus, King of the Epirots, 141.
---- at battle of Asculum, 151.
---- at battle of Heraclea, 145–148.
---- defeat of, 153.
---- his elephants, 147, 150, 154.
Quirinalia, the, 23.
Regulus, story of, 158, 161, 165–167.
Regulus (son of above), war with Gauls, 169, 170.
Remus, story of, 5, 7.
---- death of, 13.
Roma, story of, 2.
Rome, founding of, 1, 12.
---- Republic founded, 52.
Romulus, story of, 5–7.
---- founding of Rome by, 11, 12.
---- his end, 22.
---- war with the Sabines, 14–21.
Sabine War, the, 14–21.
Samnite wars, the, 119 _et seq._
Samnites, the, defeated by Sulla, 331.
Saturninus, land reforms of, 307.
Scipio, Cornelius, _or_ Africanus, 203.
---- death of, 270.
---- campaigns against Hannibal, 178, 183, 220.
---- and Gaius Marius, 281, 295.
---- New Carthage captured by, 215.
---- triumph of, 231.
Scipio (grandson of above), 251.
---- destruction of Carthage by, 253.
---- Publius, 215.
Schoolmaster of Falerii, the treacherous, 94.
Sentinum, battle of, 135.
Servius Tullius, story of, 38–42.
Sextus, expedition against Rome, 63, 65.
---- Gabii taken by treachery of, 43–45.
---- and Lucretia, the Roman matron, 49.
Silvia, story of, 4, 5, 9.
Social War, the, 312.
Spartacus, the Gladiator, 338.
Sulla, 356.
---- campaign against King Jugurtha, 290.
---- Cinna’s fear of, 323.
---- death of, 336.
---- enters Rome, 311.
---- Mithridates defeated by, 329.
---- Proscriptions of, 334.
---- rivalry with Marius, 311.
---- Samnites defeated by, 331.
---- Siege of Athens by, 328.
Sulpician laws, the, 313.
Sutrium, siege of, 110.
Syphax, King, 219, 224.
Tanaquil, 35, 38, 39.
Tarentines, the, war with Romans, 141, 143, 144, 152.
Tarpeian Rock, story of, 17.
Tarquin the Proud, alliance with Lars Porsenna, 56, 61.
---- attempt to enter Rome, 56.
---- death of, 65.
---- downfall of, 48–51, 52–54.
---- Gabii taken by, 43–45.
---- revolt against Servius, 41, 42.
Tarquinius Lucius, 34, 35.
Teutones, conquered by Marius, 297.
Tiberius Gracchus, and Octavius, 261.
---- death of, 266.
---- reforms of, 259–268.
Torquatus, 120.
Trasimenus, Lake, battle of, 187.
Trebio, battle of, 183.
Tribunes, the, 66.
Triumvirate, The First, 350, 361, 369.
---- The Second, 405.
Tullia, 41, 42, 51.
Tullius Hostilius, 28.
---- war with the Albans, 28.
---- war with the Etruscans, 31.
Valerius, 50, 54, 63.
Valerius, _or_ Corvus, fight with the Gaul, 118.
Varro, 200, 203, 205.
Veii, siege of, 88.
Vercellæ, battle of, 304.
Vercingetorix, 372.
Verginia, death of, 80.
Veturia, mother of Coriolanus, 68.
Volscians, the, 109.
Xanthippus, 163, 164.
Zama, battle of, 229.
Printed by T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to His Majesty at the Edinburgh University Press
Transcriber’s Notes
Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in the original book; otherwise they were not changed.
Simple typographical errors were corrected; unbalanced quotation marks were remedied when the change was obvious, and otherwise left unbalanced.
Illustrations in this eBook have been positioned between paragraphs and outside quotations. In versions of this eBook that support hyperlinks, the page references in the List of Illustrations lead to the corresponding illustrations.
The index was not checked for proper alphabetization or correct page references.