Wars of Augustus

Overview: clarifying things and removing non-encyclopedic phrasing

← Previous revision Revision as of 18:27, 8 April 2026 Line 12: Line 12: [[File:Augustus and Victory - Aphrodisias (7471671280).jpg|thumb|A [[Roman sculpture|Roman marble carved relief]] depicting a [[Roman Imperial cult|deified]] [[Augustus]] standing next to a {{lang|la|[[tropaion]]}} ('trophy') crowned by [[Victoria (mythology)|goddess Victory]], with an [[Eagle of Zeus]] perhaps symbolizing his consecration, dated to the reign of [[Tiberius]] (AD 14–37), from the [[Sebasteion]] of [[Aphrodisias]], now in the [[Aphrodisias Museum]] (Turkey)|alt=An ancient Roman marble carved relief depicting from left to right: an eagle, the front of a naked man standing, another man kneeling with arms behind his back while looking up, a suit of armor hanging on a post above him, and a clothed woman standing while lifting her dress up with one hand.]] [[File:Augustus and Victory - Aphrodisias (7471671280).jpg|thumb|A [[Roman sculpture|Roman marble carved relief]] depicting a [[Roman Imperial cult|deified]] [[Augustus]] standing next to a {{lang|la|[[tropaion]]}} ('trophy') crowned by [[Victoria (mythology)|goddess Victory]], with an [[Eagle of Zeus]] perhaps symbolizing his consecration, dated to the reign of [[Tiberius]] (AD 14–37), from the [[Sebasteion]] of [[Aphrodisias]], now in the [[Aphrodisias Museum]] (Turkey)|alt=An ancient Roman marble carved relief depicting from left to right: an eagle, the front of a naked man standing, another man kneeling with arms behind his back while looking up, a suit of armor hanging on a post above him, and a clothed woman standing while lifting her dress up with one hand.]]

In 29 BC, the [[Roman Senate]] ordered the closure of the doors to the [[Temple of Janus (Roman Forum)|Temple of Janus]] in the [[Roman Forum]] for the first time in over 200 years. Signifying that the Roman state was no longer at war, this act reportedly pleased Augustus, then in his fifth [[Roman consul|consulship]], more than all the other honours showered on him. This allowed him to continue perpetuating the image of himself as the bringer of peace he had earned after ending the [[Liberators' civil war|civil wars of the previous several years]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Weinstock|first=Stefan|date=November 1960|title=Pax and the 'Ara Pacis'|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0075435800026253/type/journal_article|journal=Journal of Roman Studies|language=en|volume=50|issue=1–2|pages=44–58|doi=10.2307/298286|jstor=298286 |s2cid=161690264 |issn=0075-4358|url-access=subscription}}</ref> But the closure could not have been less appropriate. As [[Cassius Dio|Dio]] himself points out, there were ongoing major operations against the [[Treveri]] in Gaul, and the [[Cantabri|Cantabrari]] and [[Astures]] in Spain.<ref>Dio LI.20</ref> Furthermore, the closure inaugurated nearly half a century of virtually incessant warfare, during which Augustus dramatically enlarged the Empire, annexing [[Roman Egypt|Egypt]], [[Dalmatia (Roman province)|Dalmatia]], [[Pannonia]], [[Noricum]], and [[Raetia]], expanding possessions in [[Africa (Roman province)|Africa]], and completing the conquest of [[Hispania]], but suffered a [[Battle of the Teutoburg Forest|major setback]] in [[Germania]]. As a result, Augustus would establish the frontiers of the empire for centuries and further instill the idea of being "world-conquerors" in the Roman people from their Mediterranean-centered views.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|date=2003-01-01|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004401631_029|work=The Representation and Perception of Roman Imperial Power|pages=329–357|publisher=BRILL|doi=10.1163/9789004401631_029 |access-date=2021-11-09|title=Augustus, War and Peace |isbn=9789004401631 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In 29 BC, the [[Roman Senate]] ordered the closure of the doors to the [[Temple of Janus (Roman Forum)|Temple of Janus]] in the [[Roman Forum]] for the first time in over 200 years. Signifying that the Roman state was no longer at war, this act reportedly pleased Augustus, then in his fifth [[Roman consul|consulship]], more than all the other honours showered on him. This allowed him to continue perpetuating the image of himself as the bringer of peace he had earned after ending the last [[Roman Republic|Republican era]] [[War of Actium|civil war]] in 30 BC against [[Mark Antony]] and [[Cleopatra]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Weinstock|first=Stefan|date=November 1960|title=Pax and the 'Ara Pacis'|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0075435800026253/type/journal_article|journal=Journal of Roman Studies|language=en|volume=50|issue=1–2|pages=44–58|doi=10.2307/298286|jstor=298286 |s2cid=161690264 |issn=0075-4358|url-access=subscription}}</ref> However, as [[Cassius Dio|Dio]] himself points out, there were ongoing major operations against the [[Treveri]] in Gaul, and the [[Cantabri|Cantabrari]] and [[Astures]] in Spain.<ref>Dio LI.20</ref> Furthermore, the closure inaugurated nearly half a century of virtually incessant warfare, during which Augustus dramatically enlarged the Empire, annexing [[Roman Egypt|Egypt]], [[Dalmatia (Roman province)|Dalmatia]], [[Pannonia]], [[Noricum]], and [[Raetia]], expanding possessions in [[Africa (Roman province)|Africa]], and completing the conquest of [[Hispania]], but suffered a [[Battle of the Teutoburg Forest|major setback]] in [[Germania]]. As a result, Augustus would establish the frontiers of the empire for centuries and further instill the idea of being "world-conquerors" in the Roman people from their Mediterranean-centered views.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|date=2003-01-01|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004401631_029|work=The Representation and Perception of Roman Imperial Power|pages=329–357|publisher=BRILL|doi=10.1163/9789004401631_029 |access-date=2021-11-09|title=Augustus, War and Peace |isbn=9789004401631 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

== Chronology == == Chronology ==