Ruling Through Rose-Colored Glasses: Women and the Reforms During the Reign of Augustus Caesar, 27 B.C.E. – 14 C.E.

Abstract

This paper examines the social reforms implemented during the reign of Augustus and the influencing factors for these reforms. The author argues that there were two main women who played a role in the creation of these laws: Atia, Augustus’s mother, and Livia, Augustus’s wife. The reforms were created because of the respect and love he felt for these women, and his idea that if the whole of the Roman society acted in such a way that would represent the nature of these women, then the problematic issues plaguing the society would cease. The paper is based on work in primary sources from the Ara Pacis, Augustus, Livy, Horace, and Tacitus, as well as secondary sources.