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Augustus
Despite his talent for self-promotion, the character of the emperor Augustus is rarely revealed and as such makes this biography unique in its presentation of Augustus the man. Pat Southern chronologically traces the life, works and times of the emperor, presenting ideology and events from his point of view to provide a compelling depiction of an extraordinary man, who was the guiding light in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.
308 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 23, 2012
Love this book. Southern is one of my favorite authors for Rome. Reads extremely well. Covers his rise to power not through Caesar, but through himself (although obviously Caesar is mentioned). I feel Octavian's rise is overshadowed by Caesar, which, although Southern adresses, he seems to avoid Caesar's overpowering of Octavian's early career. Although a rather short read for how much Octavian/Augustus did for Rome, is a great start to a wonderful series.
October 15, 2025
Patricia Southern's Augustan Biography Abundantly Illustrates The Meaning Of 'Festina Lente'.
Most of the time throughout history, when a Roman emperor officially accepts the duties & responsibilities of their position, their main concerns revolve around making sure their power base is secure & intact. Augustus Caesar had to kind of make it up as he went along, because he was the first. His gradual absorption of autocratic power from the Roman senate, a feat which he accomplished through deft political maneuvering & the measured, minimal use of his authority, only when absolutely necessary to do so, probably gave rise to his famous maxim, 'festina lente' or 'make haste, slowly'.
It could be argued that Augustus Caesar's best work was done when he ruled via exerting his considerable influence on people, to convince them to do what he wanted them to do, rather than through exercising his tribunal privileges to force them to do it. People liked having him in charge, it made them comfortable. For all of the labeling of Augustus Caesar as a usurper, ruthless triumvir, & destroyer of the Republic, most regular Roman citizens lived comfortable, peaceful lives during the time in which he reigned.
Patricia Southern's 'Augustus' is a well-written, informative, & accessible Roman Imperial Biography on 'Divi Augusti' (the Divine Augustus) that reads surprisingly easy for its fairly complex subject matter. The base work is around 200 pages in trade paperback, with 9 chapters that are well-organized if a bit lengthy at times. There are copious extended notes which are very conveniently denoted in the text, each coming at the end of a paragraph. Some paragraphs can run for two entire pages (yes, they're that lengthy) but Augustus (or Octavian) Caesar's story is interesting enough to keep the Roman history fan engaged.
The author keeps the narrative focused & moves along at a brisk pace. Maybe I'm just partial to Augustus' story, but for a Roman Imperial Biography, I was expecting a dry, dull accounting of Octavian's exploits, but 'Augustus' managed to keep me immersed the entire time I was reading it. It's not a mystery, either, as to why the book reads as well as it does : Patricia Southern is a very skilled author & historian. She's an authority in the field of Roman history, & the level of detail in the text is indicative as to the amount of work that went into writing the book.
By far the most utilized base reference material is Cassius Dio's 'Roman History' with Appian's 'Civil War' & Velleius Paterculus' 'Roman History' also seeing frequent usage, as well as 'The Twelve Caesars' by Suetonius for the details concerning Octavian's tenure as triumvir, more often than not. While these works definitely enrich the reading experience if you are acclimated with them, they're not required if you still want to learn about Augustus. In the later part of his reign, Augustus started to compose a rather-subjective record of his accomplishments which came to be known as the 'Res Gestae' in the years after his death, in 14 A.D., which also is referenced & compared with a more-realistic hypothesis of what really transpired, or was omitted, or changed, et cetera. I think one of Augustus' failings was to pretend like the nasty actions he precipitated to eventually attain his exclusive tribunal powers & 'summi fastigii vocabulum' (title of supreme eminence), didn't happen. Admittedly, much of it was when he was a triumvir, as opposed to being in a formal, legal position but still utilizing illicit methods to achieve his ends. Southern brings so many small details into her arguments but still, you can obviously see that she enjoys the subject matter immensely & that shines through as well. Augustus Caesar definitely wasn't a saint, not by our standards, but he conducted his policies amongst the common folk with a remarkably gentle hand, & they loved him for it.
There are some informative maps which are placed in their respective chapters, such as a more detailed view of the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. & another displaying important locations during Augustus' campaign in Illyricum (Croatia, Serbia, & Western Hungary). I found the second map to be more useful than the first, but they're both helpful.
Seeing as a very large portion of Augustus' reign was expended in complex bureaucratic maneuvering with the Roman senate, there's naturally a tremendous amount of content that covers this process in detail. He manipulated the senate into stripping powerful positions of their authority & privileges, to be administered as Augustus, & not the senate, saw fit. Seeing as if he were to be ratified as 'Dictator perpetuo' (dictator for life) he realized he would likely be assassinated, just as Caesar had been before him, Augustus opted for a much more subtle method of 'insurgere paulatim' (gradual assumption) where both his & lieutenant Marcus Agrippa's exclusive executive privileges were voted to be renewed after they elapsed, anywhere from five to sometimes ten years. This was achieved all the way up to his death, in 14 A.D.
His diplomacy skills with the senators & his popularity amongst the plebian class ensured that Augustus' reign was met with very little resistance, almost none whatsoever. He was so skilled at what he did that there was still a need for his authority & influence, even when he was an ailing, 70-year old man. Always on the move, always needed somewhere, & always doing something constructive. That was the essence of Augustus Caesar's life.
Concepts such as 'imperium proconsulare aequum', 'tribunicia potestas', & 'morum legumque regimen perpetuum' are all crucial key notes that Patricia Southern discusses, at length, throughout the course of 'Augustus'. This isn't a book where you absolutely have to have read fifty treatises on Roman history before trying to tackle it, not by any means. While prior background knowledge never hurts, 'Augustus' is very self-sufficient in that regard.
You can learn everything you need to be able to understand 'Augustus' in the book itself, but it helps to understand the difference between a 'consul' & 'proconsul', and what 'praetor' & 'quaestor' do in their respective roles as well, if you would like to make the experience easier.
Augustus Caesar was so skilled at what he did, he probably was too good, for his own good. He possessed a level of political savvy & shrewd intellect that complemented his sound judgment, perfectly. He was so far removed from anyone living in that era in my opinion that there was no one else who could even come close to him. Not in his family, nor in the other patrician or equestrian gens, nor anywhere else for that matter. Either in Rome, or the rest of the civilized world. How a man could survive over ten years of civil war against seasoned battle commanders like Marcus Antonius & not only survive, but end up becoming emperor of Rome, is beyond my level of comprehension.
There is a revised, second edition of 'Augustus' which I've yet to read, but what this edition contains is more than enough to make me want to recommend it to you without hesitation. It's a fairly painless going through 'Augustus' if you have some interest in the politics of ancient Rome. I'd recommend at the very least that you read 'The Twelve Caesars' by Suetonius for some background knowledge on Augustus' life. Suetonius does a very good job of showcasing all of Augustus' positive character traits in the 'Divus Augustus' section of 'The Twelve Caesars'. Obviously Cassius Dio would be the most beneficial, as Southern cites it copiously. I almost neglected to mention the numerous pictures of sculptures, busts, architecture featuring Augustus' likeness in the middle of the book. There's also a few very well-chosen statues of Livia Augusta, Octavian's wife, as well as numerous denarii with their likenesses.
Most of the time throughout history, when a Roman emperor officially accepts the duties & responsibilities of their position, their main concerns revolve around making sure their power base is secure & intact. Augustus Caesar had to kind of make it up as he went along, because he was the first. His gradual absorption of autocratic power from the Roman senate, a feat which he accomplished through deft political maneuvering & the measured, minimal use of his authority, only when absolutely necessary to do so, probably gave rise to his famous maxim, 'festina lente' or 'make haste, slowly'.
It could be argued that Augustus Caesar's best work was done when he ruled via exerting his considerable influence on people, to convince them to do what he wanted them to do, rather than through exercising his tribunal privileges to force them to do it. People liked having him in charge, it made them comfortable. For all of the labeling of Augustus Caesar as a usurper, ruthless triumvir, & destroyer of the Republic, most regular Roman citizens lived comfortable, peaceful lives during the time in which he reigned.
Patricia Southern's 'Augustus' is a well-written, informative, & accessible Roman Imperial Biography on 'Divi Augusti' (the Divine Augustus) that reads surprisingly easy for its fairly complex subject matter. The base work is around 200 pages in trade paperback, with 9 chapters that are well-organized if a bit lengthy at times. There are copious extended notes which are very conveniently denoted in the text, each coming at the end of a paragraph. Some paragraphs can run for two entire pages (yes, they're that lengthy) but Augustus (or Octavian) Caesar's story is interesting enough to keep the Roman history fan engaged.
The author keeps the narrative focused & moves along at a brisk pace. Maybe I'm just partial to Augustus' story, but for a Roman Imperial Biography, I was expecting a dry, dull accounting of Octavian's exploits, but 'Augustus' managed to keep me immersed the entire time I was reading it. It's not a mystery, either, as to why the book reads as well as it does : Patricia Southern is a very skilled author & historian. She's an authority in the field of Roman history, & the level of detail in the text is indicative as to the amount of work that went into writing the book.
By far the most utilized base reference material is Cassius Dio's 'Roman History' with Appian's 'Civil War' & Velleius Paterculus' 'Roman History' also seeing frequent usage, as well as 'The Twelve Caesars' by Suetonius for the details concerning Octavian's tenure as triumvir, more often than not. While these works definitely enrich the reading experience if you are acclimated with them, they're not required if you still want to learn about Augustus. In the later part of his reign, Augustus started to compose a rather-subjective record of his accomplishments which came to be known as the 'Res Gestae' in the years after his death, in 14 A.D., which also is referenced & compared with a more-realistic hypothesis of what really transpired, or was omitted, or changed, et cetera. I think one of Augustus' failings was to pretend like the nasty actions he precipitated to eventually attain his exclusive tribunal powers & 'summi fastigii vocabulum' (title of supreme eminence), didn't happen. Admittedly, much of it was when he was a triumvir, as opposed to being in a formal, legal position but still utilizing illicit methods to achieve his ends. Southern brings so many small details into her arguments but still, you can obviously see that she enjoys the subject matter immensely & that shines through as well. Augustus Caesar definitely wasn't a saint, not by our standards, but he conducted his policies amongst the common folk with a remarkably gentle hand, & they loved him for it.
There are some informative maps which are placed in their respective chapters, such as a more detailed view of the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. & another displaying important locations during Augustus' campaign in Illyricum (Croatia, Serbia, & Western Hungary). I found the second map to be more useful than the first, but they're both helpful.
Seeing as a very large portion of Augustus' reign was expended in complex bureaucratic maneuvering with the Roman senate, there's naturally a tremendous amount of content that covers this process in detail. He manipulated the senate into stripping powerful positions of their authority & privileges, to be administered as Augustus, & not the senate, saw fit. Seeing as if he were to be ratified as 'Dictator perpetuo' (dictator for life) he realized he would likely be assassinated, just as Caesar had been before him, Augustus opted for a much more subtle method of 'insurgere paulatim' (gradual assumption) where both his & lieutenant Marcus Agrippa's exclusive executive privileges were voted to be renewed after they elapsed, anywhere from five to sometimes ten years. This was achieved all the way up to his death, in 14 A.D.
His diplomacy skills with the senators & his popularity amongst the plebian class ensured that Augustus' reign was met with very little resistance, almost none whatsoever. He was so skilled at what he did that there was still a need for his authority & influence, even when he was an ailing, 70-year old man. Always on the move, always needed somewhere, & always doing something constructive. That was the essence of Augustus Caesar's life.
Concepts such as 'imperium proconsulare aequum', 'tribunicia potestas', & 'morum legumque regimen perpetuum' are all crucial key notes that Patricia Southern discusses, at length, throughout the course of 'Augustus'. This isn't a book where you absolutely have to have read fifty treatises on Roman history before trying to tackle it, not by any means. While prior background knowledge never hurts, 'Augustus' is very self-sufficient in that regard.
You can learn everything you need to be able to understand 'Augustus' in the book itself, but it helps to understand the difference between a 'consul' & 'proconsul', and what 'praetor' & 'quaestor' do in their respective roles as well, if you would like to make the experience easier.
Augustus Caesar was so skilled at what he did, he probably was too good, for his own good. He possessed a level of political savvy & shrewd intellect that complemented his sound judgment, perfectly. He was so far removed from anyone living in that era in my opinion that there was no one else who could even come close to him. Not in his family, nor in the other patrician or equestrian gens, nor anywhere else for that matter. Either in Rome, or the rest of the civilized world. How a man could survive over ten years of civil war against seasoned battle commanders like Marcus Antonius & not only survive, but end up becoming emperor of Rome, is beyond my level of comprehension.
There is a revised, second edition of 'Augustus' which I've yet to read, but what this edition contains is more than enough to make me want to recommend it to you without hesitation. It's a fairly painless going through 'Augustus' if you have some interest in the politics of ancient Rome. I'd recommend at the very least that you read 'The Twelve Caesars' by Suetonius for some background knowledge on Augustus' life. Suetonius does a very good job of showcasing all of Augustus' positive character traits in the 'Divus Augustus' section of 'The Twelve Caesars'. Obviously Cassius Dio would be the most beneficial, as Southern cites it copiously. I almost neglected to mention the numerous pictures of sculptures, busts, architecture featuring Augustus' likeness in the middle of the book. There's also a few very well-chosen statues of Livia Augusta, Octavian's wife, as well as numerous denarii with their likenesses.
May 23, 2020
An interesting, slightly (but not too) revisionist, run through of the life and career of Augustus.
April 7, 2013
The genre for the book "Augustus" by Pat Southern has a dramatic feel the reader is able to understand as they read the book.
The book "Augustus" is about emperor Augustus shown through the work and times of the emperor's life as well as the amazing man Augustus was in his time period. Another, amazing way to look at Augustus is the Roman Republic and how it transformed the Roman Empire.
I gave the book "Augustus" four stars because the author Pat Southern is an excellent author with a powerful talent to express the message of any topic discussed or the message being delivered to the reader. The reader is able to understand the message the author is presenting to the reader.
The book "Augustus" is about emperor Augustus shown through the work and times of the emperor's life as well as the amazing man Augustus was in his time period. Another, amazing way to look at Augustus is the Roman Republic and how it transformed the Roman Empire.
I gave the book "Augustus" four stars because the author Pat Southern is an excellent author with a powerful talent to express the message of any topic discussed or the message being delivered to the reader. The reader is able to understand the message the author is presenting to the reader.
January 8, 2018
Augustus has one of the more colorful and interesting lives of any Roman historical figure, but Pat Southern has somehow managed to make this book amazingly uninteresting. "Augustus" has the shortcomings of popular history (not enough depth, not enough detail) along with the shortcomings of scholarly literature (too much material pushed into endnotes, exceedingly dry/boring writing style).
December 16, 2025
Dens, pero una locura. Molt més interessant (o millor redactat) la segona meitat. Especialment destacable l'anàlisis de la personalitat del cònsul princeps, un piratilla molt espabilat però molt humà.
August 14, 2007
buku ini udah gw baca berulang-ulang sampe gw khatam footnote-nya(gak segitunya jg sih) tapi pokoknya gambaran tentang kaisar hebat ini gw dapet cukup baik dari tulisan southern
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews