Comparing Julius Caesar and Octavian Augustus: propaganda and the path to sole rule

Julius and Octavian Caesar

The history of ancient Rome is divided into eras based on the leader at the time. Two such leaders were Julius Caesar and Octavian, later Augusts, Caesar. The two men were alike in genealogy, close in time and temperament, and yet one was a pronounced success, heralded centuries and even millennia later, while the other is considered a failure when it came to creating a role for himself as sole ruler. What determines a man is successful or unsuccessful? Historically, little is considered of individual successes or failures or who gained or lost the most domains for their empire. It is the will of the people that ultimately decides which is the better man. A tyrant may be an angel if he wins over the people, so too a benefactor may become a monster. History is written by the memory of the survivors. In the case of ancient figures, what is known about them is more mythology than merit, but from what is known about the two Caesars, Octavian succeeded in setting himself as emperor and Julius Caesar was assassinated for the endeavor.

Julius Caesar ruled Rome when the empire was still a Republic with Senators and other politicians holding equal power to the one man in charge. Caesar was beloved by the people and his role as emperor was one that was given to him by the people. It was not the choice of the Senate and many of his fellow politicians felt this gave Caesar far too much power over them. Rather than allow for their Republic to become an Empire ruled by a "dictator in perpetuity." Julius Caesar was not political enough when he accepted this position. Had he been so, there is a great likelihood that he would not have been assassinated by these self-same politicians on the Ides of March.

When Julius Caesar began his political career, Rome's government was determined by elections and campaigns, much like democratic elections today. Just like modern elections, chicanery often occurred with those running for office muckraking and scandal-mongering to make his opponent look bad. Politicians were no more above the use of bribery back in the ancient times than they are today, as well. This may well have had a good deal to do with Julius Caesar's lack of success later on. With his early political successes against some strong opposition, seeds of doubt were laid that the man himself was above such dirty deeds. In fact there is evidence that Caesar did bribe a high-ranking official to file charged against his political adversary Gaius Rabirius.[footnoteRef:1] Caesar utilized his popularity with the people to ensure that no one dared to side with Gaius. [1: Suetonius, and Catharine Edwards, Lives of the Caesars. (Oxford: Oxford UP, 2008)]

In his various jobs in the government, Caesar early-on proved himself to be a supporter of the lower classes and so he got their support. One such proposal was a law which would allow for redistributing of wealth and lands to assist the poorer people of Rome. This did not go over well with some of the other politicians and subsequent attempts to reform law were given strong opposition. Those who disagreed with Caesar would find themselves on the wrong side of the executioner's wrath.[footnoteRef:2] However, this only helped build political opinion for Caesar and after defeating then-ruler Pompey, Julius Caesar was made the ruler of Rome. Upon returning to the city, Caesar was hailed as a new demigod. Attempting to create a stronger supporting government, Caesar immediately pushed forth a plethora of new laws and reforms, even against the will of the Senate. The danger of defying the other politicians is that Caesar very quickly turned opponents into starch enemies. A compatriot of Caesar's, known as Sallust warned him in a letter that, "The Fathers, by whose wisdom the wavering state was formerly steadied, are overpowered and tossed to and fro according to the caprice of others; they decree now one measure and now another, determining what is helpful or harmful to the public from the enmity or favour of their masters."[footnoteRef:3] [2: Plutarch, The Life of Caesar (75)] [3: Sallust, and John Carew Rolfe, Sallust (Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1995)nt.]

Octavian Caesar, great-nephew to Julius Caesar, was far more successful in becoming a singular ruler in the Roman Empire. By the time he took over, the realm was so large that the Republic was no longer a functioning government body. The people were ready for a single ruler.[footnoteRef:4] Indeed, he is considered the Roman Empire's first emperor. After his great-uncle's assassination, there was a great civil war to determine who would become the next ruler of Rome.[footnoteRef:5] At first, the conspirators attempted to bring Octavian to their side with promises of wealth but none of power. Instead of accepting there was a long and drawn out war for control of the empire. Once the last of the bodies fell, Octavian emerged victorious. Unlike his predecessor whose appointment to dictator led to such bloodshed, Octavian was accepted by the populous in this role. He was renamed Augustus, or revered one. It was partly due to the nature of his ascension and partly due to his character, but history has painted Octavian as a ruthless man, perhaps even worse than Julius was purported to be. [4: Frazer Brown, "The Achievements of Augustus Caesar." (2009)] [5: Nicolas De Damas, Life of Augustus (Bristol: Classical, 1984)]

After the death of Caesar, the people would recall him as the demigod they set him up to be shortly before the Ides of March. To them, he was as close to a god as they would ever know and his murder and his murderers were looked on as the utmost tragedy of their land. Unlike his relative, Octavian Caesar was not the favorite of the people. They would have preferred Antonius who was extremely popular. The military however, abandoned Antonius to join Octavian in droves.[footnoteRef:6] In order to protect himself from this quarter, Octavian began referring to himself as "Imperator Caesar divi filius" or "Commander Caesar son of the deified one." Many of the building projects Augustus created during his reign were monuments to his family members.[footnoteRef:7] He showed his connection to them by physically displaying them for all the people to see and thus serve as constant reminders. By the time the project was done, "no major public space was without some impressive monument to Augustus' power, wealth, and munificence.[footnoteRef:8] In his way, he associates himself with this godly man, both by name and by blood. He used the beliefs of the people to give himself more power. In this he is a master at politics and political propaganda. [6: Frazer Brown, "The Achievements of Augustus Caesar" (2009) ] [7: Frazer Brown, "The Achievements of Augustus Caesar" (2009)] [8: Frazer Brown "The Achievements of Augustus Caesar" (2009)]