Dan Snow’s History Hit: Emperor Augustus

Episode date: September 16, 2025
Guest: Dr. Gregory S. Aldrete, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay
Host: Dan Snow

Overview

This episode explores the remarkable life and legacy of Augustus (born Gaius Octavius), Rome’s first emperor. Dan Snow and Dr. Gregory S. Aldrete discuss how Augustus ended a century of civil wars, established the imperial system, brought about the Pax Romana, and built a lasting image as Rome’s restorer rather than its tyrant. The conversation weighs Augustus's achievements against rival emperors, debates his greatest strengths and failures, and unpacks the enduring power of his legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Augustus’ Unexpected Rise to Power

• Background & Heirship

  • Augustus was Julius Caesar’s grand-nephew, not an obvious heir (06:10).
  • At Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC, Octavian was an “obscure teenage boy” (06:16).
  • Adoption through Caesar’s will gave Octavian the legal power and, crucially, the allegiance of Caesar’s seasoned troops (07:06).
    • Quote: "Basically overnight, this teenage boy acquires a personal army, and this makes him a contender." — Dr. Aldrete [08:35]

• Perceptions of Octavian

  • Initially seen as a puppet or tool by senior figures like Mark Antony and Cicero (09:18).
  • Quote: "All these people clearly thought he was naive, he could be taken advantage of... Hidden within that unimpressive physical demeanor was a very clever, conniving mind." — Dr. Aldrete [09:49]

2. Civil War and Political Maneuvering

• Triumvirate & Civil Wars

  • Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus form the Second Triumvirate to defeat Caesar’s assassins at Philippi (10:53).
  • Antony was the military lead; Octavian was junior and militarily weak but politically shrewd (10:53, 13:22).
  • Ruthless proscriptions followed, including the killing of over 100 senators—paving the way for the consolidation of power (11:40).

• Defeat of Antony and Cleopatra

  • Octavian’s propaganda war painted Antony as subservient to Cleopatra, a foreign enemy—a crucial reframing (13:22).
  • Agrippa’s military brilliance achieved decisive victory at Actium, allowing Octavian to emerge as sole ruler (14:17).
    • Quote: "Octavian spreads rumors...that if Antony wins, he's going to move the capital...to Egypt. It's not true, but people believe it." — Dr. Aldrete [13:45]

3. Founding the Principate — Rome’s Imperial Blueprint

• Avoiding Caesar’s Fate: The Art of Not Looking Like a King

  • Augustus’s core challenge was to rule alone without provoking Rome’s hatred of monarchy (16:08).
  • Quote: "But the challenge, the riddle, the puzzle...is how do you rule Rome as one man and not get killed for looking like a king?" — Dr. Aldrete [16:15]

• His Political 'Settlement'

  • In 27 BC, Augustus officially ‘restored’ power to the Senate but covertly retained combined powers without holding official offices (17:54).
  • Controlled the critical provinces where the legions were stationed—true military authority remained his (19:14).
    • Quote: "On the surface, the Roman Republic looks like it's continuing as it always has...but kind of floating behind them...is Octavian." — Dr. Aldrete [18:46]

• Personal Image: The Emperor as Modest Citizen

  • Augustus lived simply, wore the plain white toga, and was deferential, all to avoid accusations of tyranny (17:40; 19:38).
  • Ruthless with his enemies—once his rule was secure, he could afford a posture of magnanimity (19:55).

4. The Problem of Succession

• Vague Office, Vague Succession

  • Augustus created an imperial role without a clear title or method of transfer (24:16).
  • Adopted multiple ambiguous titles: Augustus (pious/divine), princeps (‘first citizen’), pater patriae (‘father of the nation’) (24:35).
    • Quote: "He hides his power behind not one title, but a whole bunch of these kind of weird invented ambiguous titles." — Dr. Aldrete [24:38]
    • Quote: "His greatest failure is figuring out a way to pick a qualified successor. And the principle he chose basically doomed the Roman Empire to some of its worst, most awful rulers." — Dr. Aldrete [27:34]

• Unfortunate Heirs

  • Augustus’s intended heirs died young; power defaulted to Tiberius, whom Augustus did not favor (40:39).

5. Augustus’s Reign and Achievements

• Consolidation, Not Endless Expansion

  • Less interested in conquest, more in consolidating and stabilizing the empire (28:21).
  • Germany’s Teutoburg Forest disaster epitomized the limits of expansion (28:38).
  • Quote: "He managed to settle all those hundreds of thousands of veterans...and turn them into productive citizens." — Dr. Aldrete [29:03]

• Pax Romana and Public Works

  • His reign, after a century of civil strife, brought a welcome stability (30:27).
  • Augustus and Agrippa’s building program transformed Rome: aqueducts, baths, temples, the Campus Martius (36:36).
    • Quote: "I found Rome made of bricks, I left it made of marble." — Dr. Aldrete [36:37]
  • Money and entertainments for the populace; bread and circuses became part of the imperial ‘job’ (38:58).

• Diplomacy and Military Setbacks

  • Parthian diplomacy—return of the legionary standards lost by Crassus—was a sought-after achievement (34:32).
  • Despite unrest (Teutoburg, Balkans), peace prevailed across most frontiers (34:32).

• Longevity—A Key Factor in Success

  • Augustus ruled for over 40 years, outliving rivals and potential heirs (31:24).
  • His long life meant “there is no one left alive who can remember the Roman Republic” by the time of his death (32:24).

6. Public Image and Legacy

• Popularity

  • Not individually charismatic, but accepted, even admired, by the Roman people for stability and prosperity (39:20).
  • Later emperors tried to live up to or be compared to Augustus (39:46).

• Influence and Endurance

  • Augustus’s system, image, and titles set the norm for centuries of Roman rulers and beyond (42:12).
    • Quote: "Everyone does follow his example. Everyone does sort of follow the precedents that he lays down." — Dr. Aldrete [42:21]
  • Even Charlemagne was styled “Augustus” eight centuries later (43:36).
    • Quote: "If that doesn't speak to the power of the image of Augustus that he has as the ideal ruler, I don't know what does." — Dr. Aldrete [43:48]

• Augustus’s Last Words

  • Quote: "If I've played my role well, then clap your hands and dismiss me from the stage with applause." — Dr. Aldrete on Augustus’s reported final words (42:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Augustus’s surprise rise:
  "I think if you were to go around the 40s BC and ask, you know, which person will come to dominate the Mediterranean, he would not be one of the ones that you would pick." — Gregory S. Aldrete [06:18]
• On the limits of succession:
  "His greatest failure is figuring out a way to pick a qualified successor." — Gregory S. Aldrete [27:34]
• On Augustus’s system:
  "He possesses all the same powers as all the members of the government combined...but most of the time he doesn’t." — Gregory S. Aldrete [18:57]
• On image and public works:
  "I found Rome made of bricks, I left it made of marble." — Gregory S. Aldrete (quoting Augustus) [36:37]
• On legacy:
  "Even eight centuries after his death...Charlemagne...is crowned...the Pope says, you are Charles Augustus, Emperor of the Romans." — Gregory S. Aldrete [43:36]

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |-----------|-----------------| | 06:10 | Octavian’s entrance and unlikely heirship | | 07:06 | Shifts in military loyalty after Caesar’s will | | 09:18 | Contemporary undervaluation of Octavian | | 10:53 | Triumvirate and defeat of Caesar’s assassins | | 13:22 | Propaganda war against Antony & Cleopatra | | 16:08 | The ‘invention’ of the Principate | | 17:54 | Augustus’s political ‘settlement’ and appearance | | 24:16 | Succession problems and ambiguous titles | | 28:21 | Augustus’s policies: expansion vs. consolidation | | 31:24 | Importance of Augustus’s longevity | | 34:32 | Foreign policy: Parthians and frontier challenges | | 36:36 | Building projects and public works in Rome | | 39:20 | Popularity and stature in Roman memory | | 40:39 | The complicated succession and Tiberius | | 42:12 | The case for Augustus as “greatest” Roman emperor | | 43:36 | Lasting impact, Charlemagne and the idea of Augustus |

Conclusion

Dr. Gregory S. Aldrete considers Augustus the most influential Roman emperor, not just for his immense political acumen and survival but for establishing a template that ruled Europe for centuries. Augustus’s greatest flaw lay in succession—a problem that would haunt many later emperors. His reign is marked by a double character: the merciless operator behind the scenes and the humble restorer by reputation. Both the artifice and the real achievements—public works, peace, and administrative reform—left an indelible mark on world history.

For further information or to join the discussion, contact ds.hh@historyhit.com.