Res Gestae: The Rise Of Rome

The history of the Roman Empire spans several centuries, starting with the disintegration of the Roman Republic, as a result of civil wars, until 476 AD, the year of the last emperor of Rome (Gibbon 1829). The Roman Republic (res publica meaning "public affairs") is the conventional term used to define the Roman state and its provinces since the end of the Kingdom of Rome in 509 BC. The Republic lasted until the establishment of the Roman Empire in 27 BC. The Empire was a consequence of the breakdown of the Republic and the subsequent Roman expansion. The achievements of conquest allowed the strengthening of the generals and consequently the power struggle culminating in triumvirate (joint government of three leaders). According to some historians, the population under the rule of Rome increased from 4 million in 250 BC to 60 million in 30 BC, which illustrates how Rome’s power expanded during this period (Gibbon 1829). In the second century BC, Gaius Marius transformed the Roman army into a professional army, in which the loyalty of the soldiers of a legion was to be declared and a general who was to lead the men. This step in militant innovation, combined with the …show more content…
It is one of the documents entrusted to the Vestal Virgins after his death in 14 AD, alongside his will. In his will, he expressed his desire to have inscriptions made of his recorded efforts and glorified achievements. It is likely that, before inscriptive publication, the recording may have gone through several drafts and corrections by both Augustus himself, and his predecessors. Although the recording might not be considered genuinely factual (given its first person narrative nature), it certainly provides insight into the accomplishments of Augustus and furthermore, is a notable piece of