Late Roman Empire example essay topic

Augustus and How He Changed The Roman Empire Two problems facing the late Roman Empire was the instability and non unification caused by inner family civil wars. Rome's rapid expansion, after the Punic Wars, resulted in changes that permanently divided the state. Both Aristocrats and Plebeians wanted total control of Rome and tried to destroy each other. Civil war was the the only way to solve problems in politics. Consequently, the power of the military became strong. Control of Rome's armies changed from the government to the generals because the soldiers began to listen to their generals rather than to the Government.

On dismissal from military service, the soldiers had no farms to return to, and they depended entirely on whatever land and money their generals could provide since the government was unwilling or unable to supply veterans with living necessities. (2) Thus, the generals became centers of power. The general who dominated the strongest army ruled the state. Repeated power struggles of these military strongmen ignited more civil wars that further lessened the stability and unity of the late Roman Empire. Augustus saw how divided to the Roman civil wars were. He understood that control of the soldiers by the government was necessary for the establishment of peace and order throughout the Roman Empire.

He wanted to reorganize and begin changes in the military to assure that it would not rise again in support of a general to challenge the power of the state. Since warfare within the Empire was eliminated, the role of the legions changed. Its main objectives consisted in protecting the borders from foreign foes and stopping conquered lands through the gradual introduction of the Roman language, law, administration, and engineering. Augustus' priority was to reduce the number of the legions from 60 to 28, settling in the process more than 100,000 veterans in colonies in Italy, Africa, Asia, and Syria.

While drafting financed previous resettlement efforts, the vast wealth of Egypt, which he seized after Antony's defeat, helped Augustus' massive resettlement program. He raised the troops's alary and standardized the payment of pensions, which consisted of land and money, to veterans. Augustus, thus, reduced the old threat of soldiers giving their allegiance to wealthy generals rather than to the state. He also standardized the length of military service. The Roman legion became a professional, long service force. Each legion was commanded by an officer of senatorial rank whom Augustus personally appointed, and the legionnaires pledged their allegiance to Augustus as commander-in-chief.

Also, Augustus recruited soldiers from the Roman provinces. These auxiliary troops were granted Roman citizenship upon completion of military service, and they became important agents of Romanization because the provinces now had a share in the defense of the Empire. In addition, Augustus raised a new military force, the 9,000-strong Praetorian Guard, to act as personal bodyguards of the Emperor and to specifically protect the city of Rome from all enemies, foreign or domestic. He also created a police force for the city, which then had a population of more than 1,000,000. This measure greatly reduced the crime rate and the frequency of public riots, both of which were constant problems.

(2) Another problem plaguing the late Roman Republic was the constant revolt of the provinces because of corruption and mismanagement. Under the early Republic, the appointed provincial governors served short terms. Many of these politically appointed governors were either inexperienced or incompetent, so corruption and mismanagement were common practices. (1) The greed of these governors was so intolerable that the population of one province forced the imperial tax collectors to drink molten gold. Augustus reformed the provincial administrative system by creating an imperial civil service whose members came from a pool of capable administrators that he hand-picked himself.

These new governors were given long terms of office in order to have enough time to implement long-term reforms. In order to reduce corruption, Augustus saw to it that the governors were compensated fairly for their work. He rewarded those who did well and demoted those who did poorly. Collected taxes went directly to the imperial treasury, and Augustus made sure that a certain portion of the revenues was collected for the improvement of the provinces and not end up in the pockets of corrupt tax collectors.

Augustus overhauled the inefficient tax system by ordering a detailed census of all the provinces (the same census that forced Joseph and Mary to go to Bethlehem) to find out how many people should pay taxes. He also gave the provincial citizens the chance to voice their grievances and the certainty that their complaints were taken seriously by Rome. The constant civil wars during the late Roman Republic ruined the riches of Italy and the provinces. The state found itself often short of funds. The main financial problem facing Augustus was how to raise money for military wages and pensions. This financial problem was partly solved when Augustus acquired Egypt as his personal possession.

All the wealth of Egypt went directly to the imperial treasury. In turn, Augustus directly controlled the imperial treasury. So, there was uniformity in the division of funds. He also created new taxes to boost the government's income: a sales tax, an inheritance tax that was mandatory for all Roman citizens, and a tax on the sale of slaves. Periodic censuses over the whole Empire were taken to obtain accurate data for tax collection. (3) Augustus also aimed to stop the decline of Roman morals, a product of the decadence caused by economic change, by enacting social reforms.

The Lex Julia de mari tis ordinand is prohibited celibacy and childless marriages. It was made mandatory for Roman citizens to get married. Special benefits, like tax breaks, were established for couples with children. This law had the added advantage of replacing the decimated Roman population that was lost during the numerous civil wars. To handle the issue of adultery, which the Romans then practiced extensively, Augustus enacted Lex Julia de adulteries that made adultery a punishable crime. He also passed laws that restricted luxury and extravagance.

In addition, Augustus placed special significance on the traditional religion of Rome. He believed that prosperity and peace in the state relied on the faithful fulfillment of religious duties to the gods. This traditional belief he expressed by restoring temples and joining the sacred college of pontiffs and augurs, and he eventually became Pontifex Maximus. Augustus became not only the head of Roman Empire but the religious leader as well. (2).