His reign marked the beginning of one of history’s greatest empires and the end of one of its first republics. Was Rome’s first emperor a visionary leader who guaranteed his civilization’s place in history or a tyrant who destroyed its core values? Find out in History versus Augustus.
Njegova vladavina označila je početak jednog od najvećih carstava i kraj jedne od prvih republika. Je li prvi vladar Rima bio vizionarski vođa koji je garantirao mjesto u povijesti ili tiranin koji je uništio njegove osnovne vrijednosti? Saznajte u Povijest protiv Augusta.
Order, order. The defendant today is Gaius Octavius?
Mir, mir. Optuženi danas je Gaj Oktavije?
Gaius Julius Caesar/Augustus...
Gaj Julije Cezar / August...
Do we have the wrong guy?
Imamo li krivog tipa?
No, your Honor. Gaius Octavius, born in 63 BCE, was the grand-nephew of Julius Caesar. He became Gaius Julius Caesar upon being named his great-uncle’s adoptive son and heir. And he gained the title Augustus in 27 BCE when the Senate granted him additional honors.
Ne, časni sude. Gaj Oktavije, rođen 63. PNE, bio je pranećak Julija Cezara. Postao je Gaj Julije Cezar kada su ga nazvali posvojenim sinom praujaka i nasljednikom. A naslov August dobio je 27. PNE kada mu je Senat dodijelio dodatne počasti.
You mean when he established sole authority and became emperor of Rome.
Mislite kada je sam zavladao i postao car Rima?
Is that bad? Didn’t every place have some king or emperor back then?
Je li to loše? Nije li svako mjesto imalo nekog kralja ili cara tada?
Actually, your Honor, the Roman people had overthrown their kings centuries before to establish a republic, a government meant to serve the people, not the privilege of a ruling family. And it was Octavius who destroyed this tradition.
Zapravo, časni sude, Rimljani su zbacili kraljeve s vlasti stoljećima prije kako bi uspostavili republiku, vladu namijenjenu služenju ljudima, ne za privilegije vladajuće obitelji. I Oktavije je uništio ovu tradiciju.
Octavius was a model public servant. At 16, he was elected to the College of Pontiffs that supervised religious worship. He fought for Rome in Hispania alongside his great-uncle Caesar and took up the responsibility of avenging Caesar’s death when the corrupt oligarchs in the Senate betrayed and murdered him.
Oktavije je bio uzoran sluga javnosti. Sa 16, izabran je u Kolegij Pontifeksa koji je nadzirao vjersko štovanje. Borio se za rim u Španjolskoj sa svojim praujakom Cezarom i uzeo na sebe dužnost da osveti Cezarovu smrt kada su ga korumpirani oligarsi u Senatu izdali i ubili.
Caesar had been a power-hungry tyrant who tried to make himself a king while consorting with his Egyptian queen Cleopatra. After his death, Octavius joined his general Mark Antony in starting a civil war that tore Rome apart, then stabbed his ally in the back to increase his own power.
Cezar je bio tiranin gladan moći koji je pokušao postati kralj dok je surađivao s egipatskom kraljicom Kleopatrom. Poslije njegove smrti, Oktaviju se pridružio njegov general Marko Antonije u započinjanu građanskog rata koji je razorio rim, a zatim mu je zabio nož u leđa kako bi povećao svoju moć.
Antony was a fool. He waged a disastrous campaign in Parthia and plotted to turn Roman territories into personal kingdoms for himself and Cleopatra.
Antonije je bio budala. Vodio je užasan rat u Parthii i planirao je pretvoriti rimske teritorije u osobna kraljevstva za sebe i Kleopatru.
Isn’t that what Caesar had been accused of?
Nije li to ono za što su optužili Cezara?
Well...
Pa...
So Octavius destroyed Antony for trying to become a king and then became one himself?
Oktavije je uništio Antonija jer je pokušao postati kralj i onda sam postao kralj?
That’s right. You can see the megalomania even in his adopted title – "The Illustrious One."
Tako je. Možete vidjeti megalomaniju i u usvojenom nazivu - "Slavni."
That was a religious honorific. And Augustus didn’t seek power for his own sake. As winner of the civil war and commander of the most troops, it was his duty to restore law and order to Rome so that other factions didn’t continue fighting.
To je bila vjerska čast. I August nije tražio moć za sebe. Kao pobjednik građanskog rata i zapovjednik većine trupa, njegova dužnost bila je uspostaviti red i mir u Rimu kako se druge frakcije ne bi nastavile boriti.
He didn’t restore the law - he made it subordinate to him!
Nije uspostavio zakon - potčinio ga je sebi!
Not true. Augustus worked to restore the Senate’s prestige, improved food security for the lower classes, and relinquished control of the army when he resigned his consul post.
Nije istina. August je radio da vrati prestiž Senatu, popravi stanje s hranom za niše klase i prepustio kontrolu nad vojskom kada se povukao s mjesta konzula.
Mere optics. He used his military influence and personal wealth to stack the Senate in his favor, while retaining the powers of a tribune and the right to celebrate military triumphs. He kept control of provinces with the most legions. And if that wasn’t enough, he assumed the consul position twice more to promote his grandchildren. He was clearly trying to establish a dynasty.
Samo prividi. Koristio je svoj vojni utjecaj i osobno bogatstvo kako bi pridobio Senat na svoju stranu, dok zadržava moći vladara i pravo da slavi vojne trijumfe. Držao je kontrolu nad provincijama s najviše legija. I kao da to nije bilo dovoljno, dva puta je ponovno postao konzul kako bi promovirao svoje unuke. Očito je pokušavao uspostaviti dinastiju.
But what did he do with all that power?
Ali što je učinio sa svom tom moći?
Glad you asked, your Honor. Augustus’s accomplishments were almost too many to name. He established consistent taxation for all provinces, ending private exploitation by local tax officials. He personally financed a network of roads and employed couriers so news and troops could travel easily throughout the realm. And it was under Augustus that many of Rome’s famous public buildings were constructed. The writers of the time were nearly unanimous in praising his rule.
Drago mi je da ste pitali, Časni sude. Augustova postignuća bila su gotovo nemoguća za pobrojati. Uspostavio je stalno oporezivanje svih provincija, privodeći kraju privatno iskorištavanje lokalnih poreznika. Osobno je financirao mrežu cesta i zaposlio kurire kako bi vijesti i vojska putovali jednostavno kroz čitavo kraljevstvo. I pod Augustom su mnoge slavne zgrade u Rimu izgrađene. Pisci toga vremena bili su jednoglasni u hvaljenju njegove vladavine.
Did the writers have any other choice? Augustus exiled plenty of people on vague charges, including Ovid, one of Rome’s greatest poets. And you forgot to mention the intrusive laws regarding citizens’ personal lives – punishing adultery, restricting marriage between social classes, even penalties for remaining unmarried.
Jesu li pisci imali nekog izbora? August je izgnao mnoštvo ljudi na temelju opskurnih optužbi, uključujući Ovida, jednog od najvećih pjesnika Rima. I zaboravio si spomenuti zakone koji su zadirali u osobne živote građana - kažnjavajući preljub, zabranjujući brak između društvenih klasa, čak i kazne ako se ne uđe u brak.
He was trying to improve the citizenry and instill discipline. And he succeeded. His legacy speaks for itself: 40 years of internal stability, a professional army that expanded Rome’s frontiers in all directions, and a government still remembered as a model of civic virtue.
Pokušao je popraviti građanstvo i usaditi disciplinu. I uspio je u tome. Njegovo nasljeđe govori za sebe: 40 godina unutarnje stabilnosti, profesionalna vojska koja je proširila rimske granice u svakom smjeru, i vlada koja se još uvijek pamti kao model građanske vrline.
His legacy was an empire that would go on to wage endless conquest until it collapsed, and a tradition of military autocracy. Any time a dictator in a general’s uniform commits atrocities while claiming to act on behalf of "the people," we have Augustus Caesar to thank.
Njegovo nasljeđe je carstvo koje će nastaviti voditi beskrajne ratove dok ne propadne, i tradicija vojne autokracije. Svaki put kad diktator u generalskoj uniformi počini zločin dok tvrdi kako to čini "za ljude", možemo se zahvaliti Augustu Cezaru.
So you’re saying Augustus was a good emperor, and you’re saying there’s no such thing?
Kažete da je August bio dobar car, i kažete da nešto takvo ne postoji?
We’re used to celebrating historical leaders for their achievements and victories. But to ask whether an individual should have such power in the first place is to put history itself on trial.
Navikli smo slaviti povijesne vođe zbog njihovih postignuća i pobjeda. Ali pitati treba li pojedinac imati uopće takvu moć je staviti povijest na sud.