Published on January 28, 2026 (Episode 441)
Introduction
He was, at various points in his life, known as Gaius Octavius Thurinus, Gaius Julius Caesar, and Caesar Augustus. He called himself princeps, the first man in Rome; the Roman Senate would eventually call him pater patriae, the father of his country. Heir to his great-uncle Julius Caesar, this nineteen-year-old was dropped into the tumult of Roman political violence and emerged from it, decades later, the sole and undisputed victor after a generation of civil war.
He murdered hundreds—probably thousands—and then became the founder of a new Roman system that brought peace, stability, and prosperity to Rome’s citizens and subjects. He was tyrannical and generous, cruel and clever, manipulative and restrained. Few political figures have combined such sustained violence with such enduring institutional success. Fewer still created a political system that lasted centuries beyond their own lifetime.
Understanding Augustus, as Adrian Goldsworthy makes clear, requires abandoning simple moral verdicts. It means resisting the temptation to read his career backward—from peaceful old age to feral youth—or to reduce him to a single interpretive frame, whether heroic founder or revolutionary dictator. It also means taking seriously the ways Romans understood names, titles, and appearances, and how Augustus himself manipulated all three.
About the Guest
Adrian Goldsworthy is a historian of the ancient world and the author of numerous works of ancient history and historical fiction. His book Augustus: First Emperor of Rome has just been reissued in a second edition. This conversation marks his sixth appearance on the Historically Thinking podcast.
For Further Investigation
Adrian Goldsworthy, Augustus: First Emperor of Rome (2nd ed.)
Ronald Syme, The Roman Revolution (Oxford University Press, 2002)
Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars, translated by Tom Holland (Penguin, 2025)
Virgil, The Aeneid, translated by Robert Fagles (Penguin, 2008)
Related Episodes
Julius Caesar, Historian— Adrian Goldsworthy on the conqueror as historian
The War That Made the Roman Empire— Barry Strauss on the struggle between Augustus and Mark Anthony for control of the Roman Empire
Mortal Republic— Ed Watts on how the Roman Republic fell apart
Reflection Questions
Why does Goldsworthy resist calling Augustus simply a “revolutionary” or a “tyrant”?
How do names—Octavius, Caesar, Augustus—shape both ancient and modern interpretations of his power?
Why did Augustus’s willingness to perform the tedious work of governance matter so much?
What role did exhaustion and longing for stability play in the acceptance of his regime?
Tags
Augustus · Roman Empire · Roman Republic · Ancient History · Political Power · Biography · Adrian Goldsworthy
