Dynastic Policy of Augustus

Dynastic Policy of Augustus

Octavian was in Illyricum for the Parthian expedition of 44 BC when news reached him that Caesar had been assassinated. He at once returned to Rome, learning on the way that Caesar had adopted him in his will. This was the turning point for the Roman Republic, which will be an empire under the Augustus’s authority and with his dynastic efforts.
As a good political leader he was very well aware of the dangers of dictatorships. He knew that there was a long-standing distaste at Rome for the outward forms of monarchy. Romans did not like the "degenerate" east or the tyrant Tarquinius the Proud, the last of Rome's legendary seven kings, whose expelling led to the creation of the Republican. Caesar's adoption of many of the symbols of monarchy and his lack of respect for the traditional institutions of government had been the main reason for his assassination. For this reason, Augustus gave the importance of masking his power under traditional forms. While he was becoming prominent ruling power of Rome and its provinces step by step, he reflected this situation as the only will of Roman people and the senators. As a result of this policy, his decisions became widely acceptable among the Roman citizens and his dynastic efforts was not seen as a part of the before centuries ruling systems.
For almost half a century, he created the most important ruling power of the world and as a result of this important achievement he wished the continuation of this power after his death. To reach this aim, he wanted to be sure that the heir to his "station" in the state, as he called it, would be a member of his own family or of Julian blood-line. The reason behind his wish could be explained by few reasons.
Firstly, he claimed his descants from Julian family that give him automatically divine statue as the most coins of his period reflect this under “Divi filius” inscriptions. So, any of noble and patrician cannot take his place in any way. When Cinna conspired against his life, Augustus did not do anything. He knew that even if he succeeded, the nobles would not accept him for the place of Augustus because Cinna was one of them. He was not the Divi filius. So, if he could manage to be succeeded by a member of his own family, the future of Roman Empire would be more granted.
Secondly, Augustus did not trust the Roman aristocracy because the majority of them who not joined Augustus during the civil wars had been killed. Even after the battle of Actium, Augustus could not depend on the loyalty of the survivors. He made revisions of the list of senators, in 29, 18 and 11 B.C. to remove those who he thought were unworthy or dangerous. He also increased necessary qualification for entry into the senate and introduced a number of important changes in the way that offices might be held. This made the aristocracy less trustable for Augustus.
The relationship between Augustus and the aristocracy was summarized by Tacitus as follows: "...the most violently opposed had fallen in battle or through proscription, the rest of the nobles, in so far as those who were most readily obedient were raised up with wealth and honor and enhanced with new dignities, preferred the safe present to the dangerous past".
For this reason, Augustus did not want to leave his place open to decision of senate. So, he wanted to choose a trustable successor who will carry the Augustus’s plans for Roman Empire after his death, so this heir must be from his family member.
Lastly, even if he had a divine statue in the eyes of Roman people, he was a human. Like most other human begins, he wanted to leave his place someone who had a blood-line with him. This could be another reason of his efforts to find an heir from his family.
All these reasons orient us towards his intention about to promote a dynastic- monarchy. As we know Augustus was never officially proclaimed emperor. Hence, it was impossible for him to proclaim an heir openly to a position that did not exist in law. On the other hand, he made clear efforts to mark out various individuals for exactly this inheritance. This is a clear sign of his dynastic efforts. With this intention, he also tried to extend the traditional patronage of his family within the usual norms of the Roman aristocracy. As a result of his dynastic efforts, patronage of his family became prominent in the Roman aristocracy which can be easily traced his period art and architectural work such as Ara Pacis of Augustus.
As he had no sons and only one daughter, Julia, he had to look for his nephews, stepchildren and grandchildren to satisfy his ambition.
First candidate of his position was the Augustus' nephew, Marcus Claudius Marcellus. He was born in 42 B.C. and in 25 B.C. Marcellus received some privileges because of his special position, which was marked out by a provision ordained by the senate allowing him to hold the regular magistracies at an abnormally young age. The next year he was married to Augustus' 14-year-old daughter. This plan did not work since Marcellus died without issue the next year.
Augustus then turned to his old friend, Marcus Agrippa. To get a heir from Julian blood-line, he arranged a marriage between Agrippa and his daughter Julia. For this position Augustus especially chose Agrippa because he had a honored position in Augustus’s eye and also Agrippa had previously married Marcella the daughter of Augustus' sister Octavia. Augustus’s trust to Agrippa had been proved in 23 BC when he fell seriously ill. He gave his signet ring to Agrippa, to signify his intention that Agrippa should take his place in case of his death rather than his nineteen-year-old nephew. In that year Agrippa was granted proconsular imperium, and moved to the east where he worked as Augustus' agent. Some modern scholars think this may have been a way to keep him out of the way while Marcellus grew up, on the other hand if he did not trusted to him it would be more dangerous to give him that much power and sent him somewhere which is away from the central control.
To strengthened the Agrippa’s position in 18 BC, his proconsular imperium was extended and he also received the tribunician power which was only Augustus held. In 17 B.C. Augustus adopted two of Agrippa's sons, Gaius and Lucius, who now became as Gaius and Lucius Caesar. In this way, Augustus would be succeeded by sons of his own blood, and in the meanwhile Agrippa, their father could be trusted to run things for them until they became old enough for this position. Agrippa died in 12 B.C. and Augustus’s plans had to change second time.
Before Agrippa’s death, Augustus promoted his two stepsons, Drusus and Tiberius as an insurance policy against the death of Agrippa. Tiberius was more suitable for his position and after Agrippa's death he married Julia. When Drusus died in 9 BC, Augustus took attention of his grandsons by Agrippa, Gaius and Lucius as further insurance policy even this caused some problems with Tiberius who moved to Rhodes after this event.
Augustus was aware of that Gaius and Lucius were too young to succeed him because it was obvious that he will die soon as he passed the age of 60. And his hopes for them were already finished in 2 AD and 4 AD, when they died.
Because of all these unlucky attempts, the ultimate successor of Augustus’s plans from 25 BC to AD 4 became Tiberius even Augustus was against a heir from Claudian line. Without anymore choice, Augustus had to recall Tiberius and formally adopted as his heir. At the same time Augustus also adopted his last surviving grandson, Agrippa Postumus as another insurance policy but Agrippa Postumus was soon exiled to an estate outside Rome in 6 A.D. When Augustus died on August 19, 14 A.D. Tiberius became the emperor of the Roman Empire. This could be seen as the Augustus’s last political achievement because without any civil war this succession was managed.
When Augustus had to choose Tiberius he made another future plan for the continuation of his dynastic-monarchy with his blood-line. For this aim, he had Tiberius adopt the son of Drusus (Germanicus who related by blood to Augustus) as his son but his last effort was also not a successful one.
All these schemes clearly show that Augustus clearly carried out a dynastic policy even if he could not manage it.


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Lintott, A., Imperium Romanum: Politics and Administration (London-1993).

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