Augustan Reforms

Political See Senate and Settlements Social Legal Religious Administrative

Aims of Reforms:
Social Reforms/Policy By 30 BC - Decline in morality among Roman upper class as result of civil war - Breakdown of marriage and family values - Adultery and divorce common - Rich classes indulged in excessive luxury Augustuss aim restore traditional values, raise level of morality with social legislation supplementing his religious policy. He was supported by the poets Horace and Ovid. His attitude is strange as had previously married three times, taking his last wife Livia from her husband (Tiberius Nero) when she was pregnant with her second child. She was notorious for her sexual immorality. Also forced stepson to marry his daughter Julia. He used his Tribunician power to push his reforms through (Julian laws concerned with public morality and criminal jurisdiction). Laws Passed: Julian Laws 18BC - Main aim was to reinstate morality. Contained Laws on marriage, children, divorce, adultery and luxury a) Lex Julia de Maritandas Tried to encourage marriage and rearing of children by setting age limits (25 for men, 20 for women), imposing penalties on unmarried people (who were not permitted to inherit anything from relatives, and by giving rewards to men and women with children. b) Lex Julia de Adulteriis - Attempted to protect marriage by regulating sexual relations and divorce. Man had to divorce before culd take action against her for suspected adultery. Punishments

severe (estates confiscated, banished). Man also punished if failed to divorce wife. c) Legislation to curtail excess limits set limit to excessive luxury through sumptuary law Augustus banished both his daughter Julia and his granddaughter Julia because of their promiscuity. The laws were generally ineffective eg. The two consuls (Papius and Poppaeus) were themselves unmarried as was Augustuss supporters, poets Horace and Virgil. Opposition to the laws arose from the equestrians. The result was a new law in AD 9, Lex Papia Poppaea (adjustment to the Julian Laws). With the Julian Laws he seemed to be unaware of the longterm conditions that resulted in the lax moral system and found it very difficult to improve the moral code. Religious Reforms: Religion had been neglected during the violence of the civil wars. New cults had appeared from the east and the upper classes were skeptical about old religious values. Augustuss policy reflected his genuine conservative inclinations as well as political acumen. Believed that it was necessary to return to the old Roman virtues to strengthen new regime and bring permanent improvement. And one way of achieving this was to revive some of the old religious practices. Hoped to glorify unity and loyalty within empire. Also gain support of conservatives. Took action in his return to Rome in 29 BC and began a religious revival. Secular Games - 17BC. Held to restore religion and traditional values. Greatest religious festival celebrated during Augustuss reign. Cult of Caesar Worship - Religious shift reinforced by Caesar-worship in 12 BC. - Took form of cults Rome and Augustus and Rome and the Deified Julius - In the provinces, not allowed in Rome or Italy - Aim in allowing in provinces was to unite them in their loyalty to Rome - Need for practice that unite all provinces in loyalty to Rome, but eastern customs not accepted in west, and could not officially encourage worship of himself. - Compromise combined eastern worship of the ruler with the Roman reverence for dead ancestors.

Did not worship Rome and Augustus but instead Rome and the Deified Julius Cult of Lares - Ancesteral spirits worshipped - In Italian municipals - Incorporated with the worship of household Gods ie. Lares - Private worship
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Other Areas of Religious Reform - Priestly colleges (the Vestals), defunct brotherhoods, festivals and appointments were revived. - He became a member of each college and the head of religion, as Pontifix Maximus, in 12BC. - He restored 82 temples in just Rome during his sixth consulship - He suppressed the worship of alien cults such as Druidism and restriced some for Romans but not for the provincials - Worship of Isis and Serapis banned within sacred boundary if Rome - Colllege of priests drawn from freedmen, Severi Augustales - The Divine Julius stressed his like with the Julian clan and its divine nature - Others glorified his achivements, ie propaganda