What Makes a Good Roman Leader?

5. ESSAY TOPIC #5 What Makes a Good Roman Leader? Aeneas, Augustus, and the Cost of Power Vergil’s Aeneid and Augustus’ Res Gestae both present models of ideal Roman leadership, but they also show that leadership often involves difficult and morally costly decisions. In a 5–6 page essay, compare how the Aeneid portrays Aeneas as a leader in key episodes from Books 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 12 with how Augustus presents his own actions and achievements in the Res Gestae Divi Augusti. Focus on what each text suggests makes a “good” leader. Aeneas is guided by pietas and duty to fate and Rome’s future, but this can come into conflict with other Roman values such as fides (for example, in his relationship with Dido) and clementia or restraint (as in his killing of Turnus at the end of the poem). Augustus, in turn, presents his actions as necessary to restore peace after civil war, even when they involve violence and political struggle. As you compare these texts, ask what they seem to suggest about leadership and how Romans should understand their past. How do Vergil and Augustus use stories of conflict and sacrifice to explain or justify difficult decisions made by leaders? What lessons about power, responsibility, and moral choice are being offered to the reader or viewer of these texts? Primary Sources: use specific passages from Vergil (Lombardo’s Essential Aeneid or Fagles’s translation of the Aeneid) and the Res Gestae to support your argument. Secondary Sources: Books such as Martin’s Ancient Romans or A Brief History of the Romans; other resources on reserve at Hunter library may also be useful.