Episode CXXVII - Augustus: The Making of an Emperor (Live in Melbourne)

Emperors of Rome

La Trobe University

Roman Emire, Rhiannon Evans, Biography, Emperor, La Trobe University, Roman History, Julius Caesar, Rome, Caesar, Ancient History, History, Caillan Davenport, Roman Emperors

4.8 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 25 September 2019

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Octavian was barely an adult when he arrived in Rome in 44BCE. Two months had passed since his adopted father, Julius Caesar, was murdered by members of the senate who resented his control as dictator. Octavian stood to inherit Caesar’s fortunes, but few could have imagined that he would inherit Caesar’s power.

He would become emperor in 27BCE, reigning as the Augustus and transforming the republic of Rome into an autocratic principate. Under his leadership of forty years Rome would grow in territory, reputation, economy and culture, and change from a city of sun-dried bricks and leave it clothed in marble. How did the young Octavian transform himself into Rome's first emperor?

Sponsored by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University. Held at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne on 23 September, 2019.

Guest:
Associate Professor Rhiannon Evans (Classics and Ancient History, La Trobe University)

Transcript

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0:00.0	And welcome to Emperor of Rome a Roman history podcast from Latrobe
0:17.6	University I am your host Matt Smith and this is episode wait for it
0:22.4	CXX VIA And this is episode. Wait for it.
0:23.0	C. X. V. I.
0:26.0	Augustus, the making of an emperor,
0:28.0	live at the Wheeler Center in Melbourne. A few thanks before we get started today.
0:37.0	Thank you to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Lottraib University for encouraging, nay treasuring us and supporting this live show tonight.
0:47.0	Thanks to the Wheeler Center for their help and for their fine venue here.
0:51.0	Thanks to the traditional land owners, the war on tree people on whose land we stand today,
0:56.2	and thanks to all of you for braving this lovely Melbourne weather, which is not toga-friendly,
1:01.6	trust me.
1:05.4	And on that note,
1:08.3	tell you men to drop their sword, sulla, tell you men to drop their sword sulla.
1:17.0	Friends, Melberians, countrymen. How nice did you have all join me here tonight
1:20.0	as we celebrate the birthday of the ostentatious Emperor Augustus.
1:26.0	While he'll always be the first emperor in our hearts,
1:28.8	he wasn't always destined to be.
1:31.5	A man of the right birth to be sure, but it took skill and it took a bit of
1:36.1	luck to build the mighty empire that he did.
1:39.8	To take us through the wonderfulness that is the early years of Octavian. It is my honor, nay, my privilege, no wait, my pleasure to introduce you to a scholar trained by scholars.
1:53.0	I first encountered her in the ruins of the Roman foreign itself,
1:57.0	praying at the temple of Vesta to guide her hands to the lost work
	...

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