What Made Rome an Empire?

Question

Little historical curiosity; what made Rome an Empire? Now, this question isn't as clear as you think, and I ask that all response consider my entire statement.
The supposed reason for Julius Caesar's assassination was a concern that he wanted to become the King, who were notoriously tyrannical in the history of Rome. Then, after the formation and dissolution of the Triumvirate and the ensuing war, Augustus Caesar was named Emperor, and his rule was bountiful and he was loved by everyone. So my question is this; what changed? Why were people content with Augustus but not with Julius? Why was Julius to be named King and Augustus, Emperor? As far as I know, there was no significant border expansion in that time, so why? Is the word Emperor a modern invention, and was, at the time, synonymous with King? Or was the word an invention to remove Augustus from the stigma of tyranny that was associated with the word?

Answer 1

It has been argued (and quite convincingly, to my mind) that the main reason the imperial system was able to continue was that Augustus lived for so long. By the time he died, he had been sole ruler of Rome for 41 years. The vast majority of the population in AD 14, when he died, had never known anything different. The days of Cicero's Republic were long gone. Even the oldest members of the senatorial order, those who grew up alongside Augustus himself, had no experience of the political world before Caesar's rise to power.



I suppose though that that only answers part of your question. The reason Augustus was able to maintain his position, unlike Caesar, is a bit more complex. There certainly remains an element of familiarity playing a part - after the years of Caesar's rule, then the triumvirate, the full republican system was a bit of a hazy memory - but there is more going on. One way of getting some insight into Roman attitudes is to look at Caesar's death. It is highly unlikely that it is purely coincidental that Caesar was killed shortly after being appointed dictator for life, cementing the idea that he would always be the sole ruler. Dictator was an official position within the Republic, but one reserved solely for emergency situations, and with a strictly limited term. The usual controls over consuls did not apply to a dictator, who on a literal lingusitic level said what would be done, without the possibility for debate or disagreement. By claiming the title for life, Caesar openly stated that he was acting outside senatorial control.



Augustus never claimed such titles. His official role was of princeps, the title traditionally granted to the most senior member of the Senate; the honorific Augustus was itself a senatorial honour. Instead of emphasising his superiority over the Senate, Augustus at least made it look like republican ideals were still being maintained.



The modern distinction you mention above is therefore a bit misleading. Caesar was never officially appointed king, it just seemed as though that was his aim. Similarly, Augustus never had a title which had the same meaning as the English 'emperor'. It comes from the Latin imperator, which is literally a general, 'one who gives the orders'; again, a traditional title taken directly from the Republic.

Answer 2

There is a confusion here among English words and Latin words: Empire and emperor; maius imperium and imperator.



In English, an empire is a state composed of many lands and/or nationalities. An emperor is a monarch who rules an empire.



To English speakers, Rome became an empire before it acquired an emperor. Early on, Rome conquered the rest of Italy, thus acquiring the "allies," finally subjugating them in the "Social War (war against the allies)." In the Punic wars, Rome conquered Carthage and all its north African hinterland. The king of Pergamum bequeathed his city state to the Roman senate. In AD 146, Rome occupied Greece to restore order there. About 60 BC,Julius Caesar arranged to have himself named governor of the Province with 10 legions. He conqurered Gaul. At this point, English speakers would call Rome an empire, composed of many lands and nations.



When Octavius Caesar came to power, Rome was already an English speaker's empire. The senate voted Octavius many powers and titles. Augustus. Princeps. Tribune for life. Imperator for life.



Imperator was a person who had the maius imperium (the great power). This was the power to have Roman citizens punished by flogging or death without a trial. The senate routinely voted this power to generals who were about to lead armies on campaigns outside the city. They had to have the power to punish disobedience or desertion on the spot. Their power lapsed as soon as they returned to Rome. Augustus was voted imperator for life. English speakers call this an emperor.

Answer 3

The people were content with Augustus because it was a new generation of citizens. By the time Augustus died, no one was alive who remembered the Roman Republic.

Answer 4

opposite to a minimum of one conventional view, the barbarian invasions, and civil wars, weren't the authentic reason for the autumn of the western Roman Empire. Rome had long confronted foreign places enemies, a number of whom, like Hannibal, have been lots greater able than any 5th century barbarian chief. the ordinary subject interior the late fourth and 5th centuries replaced right into a loss of help for the Empire between its own human beings. The Romans had to recruit barbarians as squaddies as a results of fact very few of their own electorate wanted to serve interior the army. human beings in simple terms did no longer seem to care if barbarians overran a area, and did little to withstand.