Download Questions for the period 44-31 BC and the early career of Gaius

Questions for the period 44-31 BC and the early career of Gaius
Octavius, later known as Augustus:
For Friday:
1) The handout with two excerpts from Augustan-age poetry –
from Vergil’s Aeneid and Horace’s Odes – characterize the
battle of Actium in 31 BC, when Augustus defeated M.
Antonius (Mark Antony) and Cleopatra. How do these poets
portray the three critical individuals involved? What kind of
language do these poets use to characterize them? Are certain
individuals portrayed sympathetically, or with hostility? How
have they used poetry to promote a particular ideology?
2) In 13 AD, the year before his death, Augustus summarizes in
his autobiography (the Res Gestae) his accomplishments over
the course of his lifetime. We will read the entire document for
Monday. Today, examine the excerpts I have provided and
consider the following:
a. How does Augustus portray himself in the period from
the assassination of G. Julius Caesar, his adoptive
father, in 44 BC to the defeat of M. Antonius and
Cleopatra in 31?
b. If you were to compose a biography of Augustus, and
wished to begin by listing his character traits, what
would you include?
c. Obviously, Augustus provides us with “spin control” here,
as he puts on the best face possible for what he had
accomplished over a long and productive career. What
has he omitted from his characterization of 44-31, and
why?
d. For those of you who read Caesar’s own Gallic War, how
does it differ from, or resemble, the Res Gestae?
For Monday:
Read Wells’ chapters on the Augustan achievement, and then use
it as a backdrop for a careful reading of the Res Gestae. Then go
back to the questions above and consider them in light of your
deeper appreciation for the text and its context.