Comparison Of Augustus And Beowulf Essay Research

Comparison Of Augustus And Beowulf Essay, Research Paper

Augustus and Beowulf are two great champions, idols, gallant, bold, courageous creatures. To sum it up in one word any historian would argue that these two are famed heroes. The word hero means a figure in mythology and legend renowned for exceptional courage and fortitude. Many aspects of each one s character makes the claim for them to be great leaders and rulers to be true. Historians regarded Augustus as the creator of the Roman Empire, whereas Beowulf is a type of ideal hero and ideal king. Beowulf could claim that he had fulfilled his duties as a king and upheld the heroic codes. Although the two aren t perfect they do represent the ideal hero. Many characteristics compare to the ideals in Rome in the first century and Britain in the eighth century.

In his nineteenth year on his own initiative and at his own expense, Augustus raised an army with which he set free the state. He drove the men who slaughtered his father into exile with a legal order, punishing their crime, and afterwards, when they waged war on the state, Augustus conquered them in two battles. As a man who thought as himself as a courageous man, Augustus was filled with pride while accomplishing all that he did. He remained true to his units and they thought too thought of their leader as a great leader and hero. Some might say he was the best they ever had. All of these characteristics can be seen through the eyes of those who lived during his time. An intelligent leader was what they saw. Augustus too saw these qualities in himself as well. He was not a boastful man, however leadership qualities such as his were hard to ignore.

Emperor Augustus of Rome was born with the given name Octavian. He took the name Gaius Caesar Octavianus after the murder of his great uncle, Julius Caesar. In 27 B.C. the Roman Senate bestowed upon him the title Augustus meaning the exalted. They also gave him the legal power to rule Rome s religious, civil, and military affairs, with the Senate as an advisory body.

Rome achieved great glory under Augustus. He restored peace after 100 years of civil war; maintained an honest government and a sound currency system; extended the highway system connecting Rome with its empire; developed an efficient postal service; fostered free trade among the provinces; and built many bridges, aqueducts and buildings adorned with beautiful works of art created in the classical style. Augustus is mentioned in Luke 2:1 for issuing a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. Because everyone was to be registered in his or her own town for the census, Joseph went with Mary from Nazareth to his ancestral home of Bethlehem. Jesus was born in a manger there while the census was taken. Augustus was the sole ruler over the entire Roman Empire during the reign. Through close work with the Senate, he brought peace and prosperity to the Roman world after decades of unrest and civil war. In addition, he reformed the army and made the provinces more secure. His rule was so successful that the idea of restoring a republican government gradually died out. Augustus could have easily declared himself dictator, but the thought was repugnant to him. He wanted to restore the republic and recognize the problems of the civil war that had destroyed the republican constitution. Augustus preferred not to create anything new. He wished to modify republican forms to make them better.

Augustus sponsored many reforms to strengthen the empire. He reorganized the army into a highly disciplined, professional body, loyal to the emperor. In addition to this, he encouraged former soldiers to settle in the provinces, where they could bolster local defense. Following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Julius Caesar, he continued the policy of granting Roman citizenship to people in conquered provinces. Such measures ensured the loyalty of these people to Rome and the spread of Roman ideas. As the first Roman emperor, Augustus presided over many important reforms in the Roman Empire. An able soldier, he is most noted for bringing Rome a long period of peace.

Not only did Augustus have qualities that were looked upon as a great hero, but Beowulf also compares to this glorious achiever. Both men carried in their lives the gift of pride and glory for all the years that they ruled. People looked up to the two as a leader and great men all around. Augustus was the more ideal hero that was realistic to his people and Beowulf was an ideal hero that was more of a creature that fought like no other man could. Although the two men did have failures, they could also be looked at as successes. For example when Beowulf arrives in Herot and all honor is upon Beowulf, Unferth tells a story of when Beowulf competed with Breca. The story goes to tell how Beowulf raced against Breca in the open sea and Beowulf lost the race. However, Beowulf tells how successful he really was. Unferth, my friend, half-seas over as you are, you have had a good deal to say about Breca and his exploits! some fearful monster took fast hold of me and dragged me to the bottom; however, I had the luck to get at the brute with the point of my sword, and in the hurly-burly I dispatched it. This story does show that Beowulf did fail in the race, but most importantly he really did succeed in this battle. His pride and his strength did not let him down, for Beo