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Document Details : Title: Reconsidering Public Building in Augustan Rome Author(s): HUBER L'HEUREUX, Melissa , PHILLIPS, Darryl Journal: Latomus Volume: 84 Issue: 1 Date: 2025 Pages: 15-35 DOI: 10.2143/LAT.84.1.3294418 Abstract : In the Life of Augustus (29.5), Suetonius asserts that Augustus 'urged' leading men in Rome to take on building projects in the city. This comment has been viewed as prime evidence for a unified 'Augustan building program' as early as the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE. In this study, we show how the members of the Roman elite mentioned by Suetonius followed long-standing 'Republican' precedents for building, at least until the teens BCE. A detailed examination of Suetonius’ style and methods of composition, together with a consideration of other ancient writers who describe Augustus’ role in public building, provide a new context for interpreting Suetonius’ assertion. This analysis highlights the challenges presented by our sources for the period and the need to view the transition from Republic to 'Augustan Age' as a process, marked by both continuity and change. |
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