The Augustan Settlement and Virgil's Aeneid

      What was the Augustan Settlement?

      The Augustan Settlement was Augustus's way of presenting the idea to the public that under his rule, the Roman Republic was being restored and that there was no single absolute ruler, even though that's precisely what Augustus himself wanted to be. Under the Augustan Settlement, Augustus received ultimate control over a certain number of territories, which were known as "imperial provinces" and whose regional governors were chosen by Augustus himself. In order to maintain the balance, Augustus also had several "senatorial provinces," whose governors were appointed by lot every year. Augustus reserved the right to appoint military tribunes and tax collectors, declare war, and make treaties, in exchange for which he restored power to traditional magistracies and reinstated consular elections. Rome remained primarily under Augustus's power, but he managed it in such a way that, for the Roman public, it seemed as if the Republic of old had indeed made a comeback.

      What is the basic story of The Aeneid? Why do you think this great literary work has also been called an exercise in political propaganda?

      The Aeneid is an epic tale written by Virgil about a man named Aeneas, a citizen of Troy. The Aeneid focuses on Aeneas's life after the destruction of Troy by the Greeks in The Iliad. Aeneas then goes on to found the city of Rome, which eventually becomes a great empire that subjugates the Greeks. Although Virgil during his lifetime did not think that The Aeneid was worthy of being read (and in fact wished it destroyed after his death), Emperor Augustus ordered the work published because he felt that it was a useful piece of political propaganda. The Aeneid casts Rome in a positive light, especially its main character Aeneas, who is a figure very similar to Augustus himself. The Aeneid was meant to make its audience sympathetic to Rome and particularly to Rome's emperor.