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Julio-Claudian Emperors

The Reign of Augustus

An important example of Augustus' wisdom in ruling was his treatment of the Senate. He understood that the Senate was, in many respects, the manifestation of the old Republic and that the Republic still exercised a deep pull on the hearts of Romans.

Even though many were there by his own patronage, still he allowed them a measure of independence. He would often submit questions to them, asking their advice. He kept them informed of his actions, rather than behaving autocratically. He let them pass legislation and, if the point were minor, even yielded gracefully on laws he did not like.

He treated the Senators with respect when speaking with them, and accorded them honors. He never interfered with elections, though he did let his preferences be known in some cases.

And he gave the Senate real power: provinces to govern, and two consular armies. Much of the business of running the city itself he likewise gave over to them.

By all these concessions he made his imperial rule easier to tolerate. It was possible at least to pretend that the Republic had somehow returned. Everything had changed, of course, and all knew it. But the false front was respectable enough and while there were some conspiracies hatched to restore the Republic, none got very far. The benefits of life under Augustus were too great to throw away lightly, and besides, the memories of the civil wars were still vivid.