Julius Caesar The Great Expansionist - 1681 Words

Tom Nowakowski 3/9/15 HI-211 Dr. Pursell Caesar Augustus: The Great Expansionist Was Caesar Augustus an expansionist? Granted, he obviously enlarged the Roman Empire through a series of conquests during his reign. However, were those conquests for defensive or offensive reasons? That is the question we must ask when examining the foreign policy of the first Roman Emperor, Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus, or simply Augustus. As the founder of the Roman Empire, ruling from 27 B.C.-14 A.D., Augustus inherited a dying Republic that had previously embarked upon its own missions of expansion and conquest. By the time of his accession, the Republic was all but in name only. Solidifying his power, he was now the most powerful man in the empire. Although some of his conquests may have been defensive in nature, Augustus was undoubtedly keen on enlarging the empire just for the sake of enlargement alone. Augustus’s foreign exploits would culminate in the conquest and acquisition of Illyricum, Pannonia, Hispania, Raetia s and Noricum s Alpine regions, and parts of the coastline of North Africa. Notwithstanding, Augustus also annexed Egypt and made it his own personal province; it was to be ruled under â€Å"an exploitative Egyptian policy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Dundas, 433). The importance of the addition of Egypt cannot be overstated. Egypt was the wealthiest Roman province with a well-established urban economy; it was also a large grain supplier to the Roman Empire. InShow MoreRelatedRome s Transformation From Republic1584 Words   |  7 Pagesfollowing the assassination of his great-uncle and adoptive father Julius Caesar. Augustus became one of Rome’s greatest leaders and he established the principate, the form of government under which Rome ruled its empire for many years. HISTORICAL CONTEXT Caesar Augustus, was born Gaius Julius Octavius in Rome, Italy and was alive from 63 BC - AD 14. Augustus’ father, also called Gaius Octavius, was the governor of Macedonia, and his mother was the niece of Julius Caesar. Octavian grew up in the villageRead MoreThe Achievements Of Augustus Have Serve As The Basis Of His Achievements1942 Words   |  8 Pages Although he achieved many things from his early life as the heir of Caesar to the rise of the principate, arguably his most important achievement was the establishment of the Roman Empire as it set up the foundations for a 200 year empire that prospered due to many political reforms, and a legacy that is still alive today. After the death of Julius Caesar in March 44 BC, Augustus (then known as Gaius Octavius) accepted Caesar s political legacy despite being advised not to as he was only 18 atRead MoreThe Rise Of The Roman Empire1611 Words   |  7 Pageshigh aspirations and expectations from. Its founders chose to steal women from neighboring villages, in order to grow its population. These aggressive and expansionary ideologies remained within the personalities of every Roman, living inside the great empire 755 years later. And yet despite its vast military presence and growing cities and towns, the Roman Empire and its capital still succumbed to a barbarian takeover. This was widely regarded as one of the greatest tragedies in ancient historyRead More Comparing the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire Essay2782 Words   |  12 PagesThe Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire were two grand empires that rose out of preexisting territories and provided relative peace over wide areas. The collapse of the Qin D ynasty (221-206 BCE), which was the first great land-based empire in East Asia, came after a period of war, confusion, and tyrannical rule. Due to the political disorder that stemmed from the early dynastic activity, the emergence of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE- 228 CE) sprung to focus on restoring order. On the other hand, the rise