Tiberius and the Charisma of Augustus - The Principate Enshrined

The historian Tacitus began his Annals with the death of Augustus. He considered this date, not Actium, to be the pivotal moment in the crystallization of 'rule by one man.' This book considers the role played by Augustus' successor Tiberius in preserving the system created by the ultimate victor of Rome's civil wars. Drawing upon the work of sociologists and political scientists, it uses the lens of the routinization of charisma to demonstrate how Tiberius' reverence for Augustus and preservation of his policies enacted lasting political change. Tiberius' encouragement of the cult of Divus Augustus and his own refusal of divine honors carry over into other aspects of his reign, where Tiberius recedes into the background, permanently withdrawing from Rome. The charisma of Augustus protected his family, the domus Augusta, and the entire empire, even after his death. This enshrined the position of Augustus as a permanent institution, the principate.

List of contents

List of figures; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Augustan charisma and its transfer; 2. Tiberius and the imperial cult; 3. Charismatic precedents; 4. The power of images of Augustus in the age of Tiberius; 5. Charismatic images of Augustus in Tiberian authors; 6. Maiestas and the protection of Augustan charisma; Conclusions; Bibliography; Index.

About the author

REBECCA EDWARDS is a former Associate Professor of Classics at Wright State University.

Product details

• Authors: Rebecca Edwards, Edwards Rebecca
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.11.2024
• EAN: 9781009476676
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0947667-6
• No. of pages: 252
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Pre and early history; Latin, HISTORY / Ancient / General, Ancient Rome, Ancient History, Ancient history: to c 500 CE, Classical style, BCE to c 500 CE, c 1 to c 500 CE, For higher / tertiary / university education, 1st century, c 99 to c 1 BCE