RES GESTAE DIVI AUGUSTI

THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE DIVINE

AUGUSTUS
[trans. P. A. Brunt and J. M. Moore]
1) At the age of nineteen [44 BC] on my own responsibility and at my own expense I
raised an army, with which I sccessflly championed the liberty of the repblic when it
was oppressed by the tyranny of a faction! " #n that accont the senate passed decrees
in my honor enrolling me in its order in the conslship of $ais %ansa and Als
&irtis [4' BC], assigning me the right to gi(e my opinion among the conslars and
gi(ing me imperim! ' It ordered me as a propraetor to pro(ide in concert with the
consls that the repblic shold come to no harm! 4 In the same year, when both consls
had fallen in battle, the people appointed me consl and trim(ir for the organi)ation of
the repblic!
") I dro(e into exile the mrderers of my father, a(enging their crime throgh tribnals
established by law [4' BC]* and afterwards, when they made war on the repblic, I
twice defeated them in battle [4" BC]!
'4) In my sixth and se(enth conslships ["+,"- BC], after I had extingished ci(il wars,
and at a time when with ni(ersal consent I was in complete control of affairs, I
transferred the repblic from my power to the dominion of the senate and people of
.ome! " /or this ser(ice of mine I was named Agsts by decree of the senate, and the
door,posts of my hose were pblicly wreathed with bay lea(es and a ci(ic crown was
fixed o(er my door and a golden shield was set in the Cria 0lia, which, as attested by
the inscription thereon, was gi(en me by the senate and people of .ome on accont of
my corage, clemency, 1stice and piety! ' After this time I excelled all in inflence
[actoritas], althogh I possessed no more official power [potestas] than others who
were my colleages in the se(eral magistracies!
'2) In my thirteenth conslship [" BC] the senate, the e3estrian order and the whole
people of .ome ga(e me the title of /ather of my Contry, and resol(ed that this shold
be inscribed in the porch of my hose and in the Cria 0lia and in the /orm Agstm
below the chariot which had been set there in my honor by decree of the senate! " At
the time of writing I am in my se(enty,sixth year!
E! DE IMPE"IO VESPASIANI
. . . #oedusue $u% &u'(us uo)et #a$ere )'$eat 'ta* ut'
)'$u't d'uo Au+,usto-* . T'. Iu)'o Caesar' Au+,usto-*
T'(er'o&ue C)aud'o Caesar' Au+,usto-
Ger%an'$o / .
. . . or 't s0a)) (e )a1#u) #or 0'% to %a2e a treat3
1't0 10o% 0e 1's0es* 4ust as 't 1as )a1#u) #or t0e
de'#'ed Au+ustus* #or T'(er'us Ju)'us Caesar
Au+ustus* and #or T'(er'us C)aud'us Caesar
Au+ustus Ger%an'$us /

ut'&ue e' senatu% 0a(ere* re)at'one% #a$ere*
re%'ttere* . senatus $onsu)ta 5er re)at'one%
And t0at 't s0a)) (e )a1#u) #or 0'% to 0o)d a
sess'on o# t0e Senate* to %a2e a %ot'on 'n 't* to
d's$ess'one%&ue #a$ere )'$eat . 'ta* ut' )'$u't d'uo
Au+,usto-* T'. Iu)'o Caesar' Au+,usto-* T'. C)aud'o
Caesar' . Au+usto Ger%an'$o /
re#er a %atter to 't* to 5ro5ose de$rees o# t0e
Senate (3 a %ot'on and (3 $a))'n+ #or a 6ote (3
d'6's'on* 4ust as 't 1as )a1#u) #or t0e de'#'ed
Au+ustus* #or T'(er'us Ju)'us Caesar Au+ustus*
#or T'(er'us C)aud'us Caesar Au+ustus
Ger%an'$us /

ut'&ue $u% e7 uo)untate au$tor'tateue 'ussu
%andatuue e'us . 5raesenteue eo senatus
0a(e('tur* o%n'u% reru% 'us 5er'nde . 0a(eatur
seruetur* a$ s' e )e+e senatus ed'$tus esset
0a(eretur&ue / .
And t0at* 10en a sess'on o# t0e Senate 's 0e)d 'n
a$$ordan$e 1't0 0's 5)easure or aut0or't3 or order
or %andate or 'n 0's 5resen$e* t0e aut0or't3 o# a))
5ro$eed'n+s t0ere'n s0a)) (e %a'nta'ned and s0a))
(e o(ser6ed* 4ust as '# t0at sess'on o# t0e Senate
0ad (een announ$ed and 1as 0e)d 'n a$$ordan$e
1't0 a statute /

ut'&ue &uos %a+'stratu% 5otestate% '%5er'u%
$urat'one%ue . $u'us re' 5etentes senatu'
5o5u)o&ue "o%ano $o%%endauer't . &u'(us&ue
su##ra+at'one% sua% deder't 5ro%'ser't* eoru% .
$o%'t's &u'(us&ue e7tra ord'ne% rat'o 0a(eatur /
.
And t0at 10atsoe6er 5ersons see2'n+ a
%a+'stra$3* 5o1er* '%5er'u%* or $0ar+e o#
an3t0'n+ 0e $o%%ends to t0e "o%an Senate and
5eo5)e and to 10o%soe6er 0e +'6es or 5ro%'ses
0's e)e$tora) su55ort s5e$'a) $ons'derat'on o# t0e%
s0a)) (e ta2en 'n e6er3 e)e$t'on /