Augustus Caesar: The First Emperor of Rome — Fexingo History

Augustus Caesar: The First Emperor of Rome — Fexingo History

By Fexingo

Augustus Caesar—born Gaius Octavius—transformed a fractured republic into the Roman Empire, setting a template for autocracy that would last centuries. This podcast follows his improbable rise from th... more
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Best of Augustus Caesar: The First Emperor of Rome — Fexingo History

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

  1. Number 1: Augustus and the Roman Triumph

    In the summer of 29 BCE, Octavian returned to Rome from the East with three days of triumphs, marking the end of the civil wars and the beginning of a new era. But behind the pageantry lay a carefully crafted political message: the triumph was no longer a celebration of a victorious general, but a ritual of imperial unity, with Octavian — soon to be Augustus — casting himself as the restorer of the Republic and the heir of Caesar. In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the history of the Roman triumph from its Etruscan roots to its Augustan reinvention. They trace the evolution of the pompa triumphalis, the role of the Senate in voting triumphs, the controversial triumphs of Julius Caesar, and the subtle changes Augustus made to the ceremony itself — including the use of the closed triumphal chariot, the restriction of triumphs to the imperial family, and the eventual replacement of the triumph with the ovatio and the ornamenta triumphalia. We also meet some of the forgotten figures who paid the price for imperial pageantry: the conquered kings and generals who were paraded in chains and often executed at the foot of the Capitoline. And we consider the strange afterlife of the triumph in Roman art, from the reliefs on the Arch of Titus to the paintings of the Renaissance. A story of power, spectacle, and the making of an emperor. #RomanTriumph #Augustus #Octavian #RomanHistory #RomanEmpire #Triumph #Capitoline #Jupiter #pompa #triumphator #Parthia #Pompey #JuliusCaesar #ResGestae #RomanMilitary #FexingoHistory #History #AncientRome Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

    15min
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  2. Number 2: Augustus and the Art of the Cameo: The Gemma Augustea

    Before the age of Instagram, the Roman emperor Augustus used a tiny carved gemstone called the Gemma Augustea to project his divine authority across the Mediterranean. In this episode, hosts Lucas and Luna explore the origins of the Augustan cameo, from the Hellenistic courts of the Ptolemies to the workshops of Rome's most skilled gem-cutters. They trace how Augustus, who famously called himself the restorer of the Republic, used this luxurious art form to craft an imperial image that was both godlike and relatable. Along the way, they uncover the gem's connections to the goddess Roma, the emperor's triumph over the Germanic tribes, and the subtle political messages hidden in its intricate layers. They also discuss how cameos became one of the most enduring symbols of Roman power, influencing everything from Renaissance medallions to modern corporate logos. With their trademark blend of warmth and erudition, Lucas and Luna make the case that the Gemma Augustea is not just a beautiful object but a key to understanding how Augustus rewrote the rules of Roman politics—and how we still live with those rules today. #GemmaAugustea #Augustus #RomanCameo #ImperialArt #CameoSardonyx #RomanPropaganda #AugustanIdeology #Livia #Tiberius #RomaDea #HellenisticArt #Ptolemies #RomanEmpire #PaxRomana #ArtHistory #History #FexingoHistory #AncientRome Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

    7min
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  3. Number 3: Augustus the Godfather: Politics and Family in Rome

    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Augustus used family as a political instrument, examining arranged marriages, adoptions, and the marriages of his daughter Julia. They discuss the political calculations behind Julia's marriages to Marcellus, Agrippa, and Tiberius, the scandal of her exile, and the enforced marriages of the moral legislation. They also touch on the role of Livia, the patronage of poets like Virgil and Horace, and the legacy of the Principate's dynastic politics. #Augustus #JulioClaudianDynasty #JuliaTheElder #Livia #Agrippa #Tiberius #Marcellus #RomanMarriage #AdoptionInRome #RomanPolitics #Principate #Dynasty #RomanEmpire #PaxRomana #AncientRome #RomanHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

    7min
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  4. Number 4: Augustus and the Roman Games: Blood, Spectacle, and Crowd Control

    For centuries, the Roman games were the great equalizer of the city—a place where the emperor, the senators, and the mob all breathed the same dust and roared at the same spectacle. In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore how Augustus, the master of image and order, used the arena and the circus to project his authority, divert political energy, and keep the population of a million on his side. They trace the origins of the gladiatorial munus and the chariot races, the rise of the venatio with its exotic beasts, and the engineering marvels from the Circus Maximus to the Colosseum that still astound us today. They delve into the social meaning of the games—how seating was strictly graded by rank, how emperors stage-managed their own appearances, and how the cry of 'panem et circenses' became shorthand for a new kind of politics. And they confront the ethics: did the Romans ever question the bloodshed? What did the games do to the psyche of the city? Along the way, they consider the modern echo of these spectacles—from football stadiums to reality TV—and ask whether we've really moved as far from the arena as we like to think. #RomanGames #Augustus #Gladiators #ChariotRacing #CircusMaximus #Colosseum #Munera #Venatio #PanemEtCircenses #RomanEmpire #Spectacle #CrowdControl #RomanHistory #GladiatorCombat #Ludi #FexingoHistory #History #AncientRome Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

    12min
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  5. Number 5: Augustus and the Parthian Standards: A Bloodless Victory

    When Augustus boasted he had recovered the Roman standards lost at Carrhae, he wasn't telling the whole story. In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the diplomatic sleight of hand that turned a humiliating defeat into a cornerstone of Augustan propaganda. They follow the standards from Crassus's fatal march into Mesopotamia to their return in 20 BCE, negotiated not by force but by a combination of military pressure and imperial anxiety. They unpack who the Parthians really were—a sophisticated Iranian dynasty, not the nomad caricature of Roman sources—and why they returned the eagles so easily. They also look at the showdown with Phraates IV, the rival king Tiridates, and the shadowy envoy who may have brokered the deal. Along the way, they consider what the episode reveals about Augustus's genius for turning accommodation into triumph, and how the story of the standards became a model for later emperors. A surprising story of how diplomacy, not legions, shaped the Pax Romana. #Augustus #Parthia #Carrhae #RomanEmpire #PhraatesIV #Tiridates #Crassus #MarsUltor #Diplomacy #PaxRomana #PrimaPorta #ResGestae #AncientHistory #RomanHistory #ParthianStandards #FexingoHistory #History #Diplomacy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

    8min
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The podcast currently has 250 episodes available.