Arvee and welcome to emperors of Rome a podcast series looking at the rulers of the

ancient Roman Empire I'm your host Matt Smith with me as always is Dr.

Rianen Evans lecturer in ancient Mediterranean studies at Latrobe University.

This is episode X, the Augustan succession.

After a long period of peace, we've now reached the end

of the rule of Emperor Augustus.

The time has come to ensure that his good family name remains in power and that he is appropriately remembered by the citizens of Rome.

Here's Rianna Evans. So after a lengthy reign of 41 years and he's getting near the end of his lifespan how does he turn his mind

towards who's going to succeed him well he certainly doesn't do it at the end he's

been doing it pretty much since the beginning because as soon as he comes to

power he starts looking for a successor pretty much that's not surprising given that a lot of

leaders are short-lived in that first century

BC period. The first one that he looks at is his nephew Marcellus. Marcellus

dies very young there in his 20s.

He's the one that he named a building after him.

He named the theatre of Marcellas after him, that's his sister's son.

And the indication, the real indication that Marcellus was the designated successor is that Augustus

marries his daughter Julia to Marcellus.

Augustus doesn't have a son or certainly not a legitimate one, but Julia, poor Julia, is just married off to the various successes

along the way.

So first of all, she marries Marcellus and she's not married very long because he dies very young.

Then she's married off to a gripper, the man who had basically won the Battle of Actium for Augustus.

...