Advising that the empire should not be extended beyond its present frontiers.' (Tacitus)With reference to the evidence of Res Gestae and Suetonius Augustus, to what extent did Augustus adhere to this principle during his lifetime?

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CLASSICAL CIVILISATION AS COURSEWORK:

'Augustus had written all this out in his own hand. Furthermore, he had added a clause advising that the empire should not be extended beyond its present frontiers.' (Tacitus)

With reference to the evidence of Res Gestae and Suetonius Augustus, to what extent did Augustus adhere to this principle during his lifetime?

Suetonius claims it was a defensive and un ambitious general policy, saying that Augustus never wantonly invaded any country, and "felt no temptation to increase the boundaries of the Empire or enhance his military glory", Suet 21. However, in Suetonius there is also overwhelming evidence of the opposite. It is frequently found in Suetonious that he appears to record much that is contradictory or plainly gossip and not fact and must be studied with a certain degree of scepticism. The historian P. A. Brunt takes the opposite, and I feel correct, view as the poets all speak of Augustus' great conquests, his arms going to every corner of the earth. He did add much territory to Rome, in fact Augustus himself admits to it in Res Gestae Divi Augusti- self propaganda written by Augustus. RGDA is a very useful source for looking at Augusts' achievements as viewed by him but it must be taken into account that it is self propaganda and therefore subject to contain bias. In RGDA 26-33 he says that he extended the territory of all those provinces of the Roman people "on whose borders lay peoples not subject to our government." He also extended it to the Gallic and Spanish provinces as well as to Germany, throughout the area bordering on the Ocean from "Cadiz to the mouth of the Elbe" , though he said it was bringing peace to them. This was a massive and dramatic extension. Especially for someone who less than thirty years after the last of these was advising that the empire should not be "extended beyond its present frontiers," (Tacitus).
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It seems that concerning the Northern frontier Augustus' aim was, for a period of time, that of consolidation- to create a secure frontier, free from damaging barbarian raids. Augustus campaigned in 35-33 to secure Illyricum in order to enhance his military reputation at the time of rivalry with Antony and also to secure the area nearest Rome to pave the way to making safe the road from Italy overland the Byzantium (the only convenient way to the East). This was a definite expansion, however, it did begin as consolidation for safe travel to the East of the Empire. ...

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