Augustus Caesar: The First Emperor of Rome — Fexingo History

How did Rome's first emperor transform the city's water system and use it to cement his power? In this episode of Augustus Caesar: The First Emperor of Rome, Lucas and Luna dive into the creation of the office of curator aquarum under Augustus, the appointment of Marcus Agrippa as the first water commissioner, and the massive expansion of Rome's aqueduct network. They discuss the Aqua Virgo, compl...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Augustus transformed Rome's grain supply from a source of political chaos into a tool of imperial control. They dive into the establishment of the praefectus annonae, a dedicated official overseeing grain distribution; the expansion of the Porticus Aemilia and the Horrea Galbae, massive warehouses that stored the city's lifeblood; and the creation of the...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the creation and evolution of the Praetorian Guard under Augustus. How did a bodyguard unit become one of the most powerful forces in Rome? Lucas explains the origins of the praetoriani from the Republic, Augustus's reorganization after Actium, and the strategic placement of the guard in Rome and Italy. They discuss the elite Cohors Praetoria, the role of th...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Augustus's grand mausoleum on the Campus Martius—a dynastic tomb that redefined how Roman leaders commemorated themselves. Completed in 28 BCE, the circular structure (87 meters in diameter) drew on Hellenistic precedents like the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus but was transformed into a symbol of Augustan stability. They discuss its construction, its use for im...

After decades of civil war, Augustus faced an army that was loyal to generals, not Rome. He disbanded 300,000 troops, created a standing army of 28 legions, fixed pay and pensions at 12,000 sesterces per legionary, established the Praetorian Guard at 9 cohorts, and stationed legions at the frontiers. We explore the aerarium militare, the Augustan military treasury funded by a sales tax and inherit...

This episode examines the Ara Pacis Augustae, the Altar of Augustan Peace, completed in 9 BCE. Lucas and Luna unpack the altar's commission by the Roman Senate to honor Augustus's return from Gaul and Hispania, its location on the Campus Martius, and its intricate marble reliefs. They discuss the processional friezes featuring Augustus, Agrippa, and imperial family members—including controversial...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore how Augustus transformed Roman coinage into a tool of imperial propaganda. From the aureus and denarius to the sestertius and as, coins carried images of the princeps, his family, and key achievements like the capture of Egypt and the return of the Parthian standards. Discover the mint at Lugdunum, the role of the triumviri monetales, and...

The Roman legions get all the glory, but Augustus's empire was built and defended just as much by non-citizen troops: the auxilia. This episode explores how the first emperor formalized a system of auxiliary soldiers recruited from the provinces—Gauls, Germans, Thracians, Syrians, and more—who served for 25 years in exchange for citizenship for themselves and their families. Lucas and Luna trace t...

In 31 BCE, a naval battle off the western coast of Greece changed the course of Roman history. This episode dives into the Battle of Actium — the decisive confrontation between Octavian (soon to be Augustus) and the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. We explore the strategic buildup, the ships involved (including the massive Liburnians and the heavy quinqueremes), the commanders on both side...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Augustus's census and taxation reforms in Gaul, focusing on the Gallic census of 27 BCE. They discuss how the Romans surveyed land, assessed property, and levied taxes on the newly conquered provinces. Learn about the role of the censitor, the use of libri censuales, and the impact of the tributum capitis on Gaulish tribes. Discover how Roman tax farming wor...

In this episode of Augustus Caesar: The First Emperor of Rome, we explore one of the great literary mysteries of the Augustan age: the exile of the poet Ovid. Why did the princeps banish the author of the Metamorphoses and Ars Amatoria to Tomis, a bleak outpost on the Black Sea? Was it for a poem deemed too erotic, or something darker — a political scandal involving Augustus's own family? Lucas an...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Augustus's implementation of the Roman census, a tool for governance that tracked citizens, property, and social status across the Mediterranean. They discuss the lustrum ceremony, the role of the censor, and how Augustus revived this Republican tradition to solidify his authority. The conversation covers the census of 28 BCE and 8 CE, the use of tabulae cen...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, the autobiographical inscription that Augustus himself composed to chronicle his achievements. Discover how this bronze tablet, originally displayed at his mausoleum in Rome and copied across the empire, served as a masterful piece of political propaganda. Learn about its structure, its key claims—from restoring the republic to b...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore how Augustus navigated the delicate balance between mortal ruler and living god. They discuss the imperial cult's origins in Hellenistic ruler worship, the Senate's decree of divine honours like the altars at Lyon and the flamen Augustalis, and Augustus's own careful refusal of temples in Rome while allowing them in the provinces. The conv...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Augustus's personal sanctuary: the Temple of Palatine Apollo. Built next to the emperor's own house on the Palatine Hill, this temple was more than a religious site—it was a statement of power, piety, and propaganda. Learn about the temple's Greek-style architecture, its famous library (the Bibliotheca Apollinis Palatini), and how Augustus...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore how Augustus used public spectacles to cement his power and unite the Roman world. From the colossal Circus Maximus—capable of holding 150,000 spectators—to the solemn Ludi Saeculares of 17 BCE, we uncover the political engineering behind the games. Augustus staged gladiatorial combats, wild beast hunts (venationes), and mock naval battles...

In Episode 134 of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Augustus's strategic use of prophecy and religion to solidify his rule. They delve into the Sibylline Books, ancient collections of oracular verses that Roman leaders consulted in times of crisis. Augustus, as pontifex maximus, oversaw a purge of the books, burning thousands of 'false' prophecies while preserving those he deemed authentic....

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore Augustus's ambitious social legislation—the Leges Iuliae—aimed at restoring traditional Roman family values. They discuss the Lex Iulia de Maritandis Ordinibus, which encouraged marriage and childbearing among the senatorial class, and the Lex Iulia de Adulteriis Coercendis, which made adultery a public crime. The conversation delves into...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Augustus transformed Rome's legal system, creating the first imperial courts and reshaping justice to consolidate his power. They discuss the quaestiones perpetuae, Augustus's role as a judge, the establishment of the consilium principis, and key laws like the Lex Iulia de adulteriis. They also look at how the emperor's household began to influence legal...

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the Cursus Publicus, the Roman imperial postal and transportation network established by Augustus. They discuss how this system used relay stations (mansiones) and fresh horses to move messages, officials, and goods across the empire at speeds previously unimaginable. The conversation covers the roles of the praefectus vehiculorum, the use...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Augustus skillfully managed the Roman Senate, transforming it from a source of opposition into a pillar of his new regime. They discuss the senatorial purges of 28 BCE and 18 BCE, the creation of the lectio senatus, and the introduction of the senatorial career ladder that tied prestige to imperial service. The conversation covers key figures like Maecen...

This episode explores the political and personal partnership of Augustus and Livia Drusilla, the most influential couple of early imperial Rome. We examine Livia's role as advisor, her public image as the ideal Roman matron, and the controversial marriage that united two powerful families. Through the lens of the Porticus Liviae, the Ara Pacis, and ancient accounts by Tacitus and Cassius Dio, we u...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Augustus Caesar reshaped the Roman calendar to consolidate power and project his image as a bringer of order. They cover the pre-Julian calendar's chaos, the introduction of the Julian calendar by Julius Caesar, and Augustus's key reforms: renaming Sextilis to August, adjusting leap years, and adding the Augustan holidays—including the Augustalia—that ti...

Rome was famous for its aqueducts, but how did the first emperor manage the city's water supply? This episode follows Augustus's reforms of Rome's water system — from the repair of the Aqua Marcia and the construction of the Aqua Virgo (completed by Agrippa in 19 BC) to the creation of the cura aquarum, a permanent water commission. We meet Frontinus, the later water commissioner whose De aquaeduc...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the creation of Rome's first organized fire brigade, the Vigiles Urbani, established by Augustus in 6 AD. Discover how this paramilitary force of 7,000 men, mostly freedmen, patrolled the streets at night, fought fires with buckets and pumps, and acted as a de facto police force. Learn about their barracks, the role of the praefectus vigilum, and how the s...