Julio-Claudian Emperors

Octavian Returns to Rome

Octavian was now, in the year 31 BC, in a position that was utterly unprecedented. Civil war had troubled Rome for nearly twenty years, during which time the machinery of government was thrown into complete disarray. The constitution had been abrogated and ignored so often that it could scarcely be said to exist. The Senate, too, had been alternately ravaged and ignored, and its rights and powers now were largely theoretical.

Against this Octavian had the wealth of Egypt, two hundred thousand soldiers, an immense fleet, and complete authority. He was also immensely popular. He conducted himself well, exhibited traditional Roman virtues and values, and was hailed from one end of the Mediterranean to the other as the bringer of peace. After a generation of bloodshed, the ancient equivalent of 20 years of world war, everyone was eager for a peace-giver.

History of Western Civilization

E.L. Skip Knox
Boise State University

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