Augustus Ceasar :: Essays Papers

Augustus CeasarTwo of the most annihilative problems facing the late roman letters Republic werethe instability and disunity caused by eonian civilized wars. Romes rapidexpansion, aft(prenominal) the Punic Wars, resulted in socioeconomic changes thatpermanently divided the state. Both aristocratic and plebeian parties soughttotal interpret of Rome and tried to destroy each other. Civil war was the duration of party politics by other means. Consequently, the power of themilitary became supreme. tally of Romes armies steadily shifted away fromthe legitimate government to the generals because the soldiers began to give theirallegiance to their generals kind of than to the civil authorities. On dismissalfrom military service, the legionnaires had no farms to return to, and theydepended merely on whatever land and money their generals could provide sincethe government was unwilling or unable to supply veterans with livelihoods.Thus, the generals became autonomous centers o f power. The general whodominated the strongest host ruled the state. Repeated power struggles ofthese military strongmen ignited more civil wars that further undermined thestability and unity of the late Roman Republic.Augustus saw how dissentious to the Roman polity civil war was. He understoodthat avow of the legions by the civil government was necessary for theestablishment of peace and pasture through with(predicate)out the Roman Empire. He wanted toreorganize and institute changes in the military to assure that it would not riseagain in guard of some triumphant general to challenge the legitimacy of thestate. Since warfare indoors the Empire was eliminated, the role of thelegions changed. Its main objectives consisted in protecting the borders fromforeign foes and pacifying conquered lands through the gradual introduction ofthe Roman language, law, administration, and engineering. Augustus priority wasto reduce the number of the legions from 60 to 28, settling in the process morethan 100,000 veterans in colonies in Italy, Africa, Asia, and Syria. small-armproscription financed previous resettlement efforts, the vast wealth of Egypt,which he seized after Antonys defeat, subsidized Augustus massiveresettlement program. He raised the troops salary and regularized the defraymentof pensions, which consisted of land and money, to veterans. Augustus, thus,reduced the old threat of soldiers giving their allegiance to wet generalsrather than to the state. He also standardized the length of military service.The Roman legion became a professional, long service force with an esprit decorp that previous legions did not have. Each legion was commanded by an officer