Reason For Transcribing Why Augustus Did Not Write This...

Reason for Transcribing There are two potential reasons as to why Augustus may have chosen to write this text. The Res Gestae is said to hypothetically be an elogium, or a formal funeral oration. Since it is known Augustus died in 14 AD and the Res Gestae was written just before his passing, it leads one to believe he may have written the text as an autobiographically styled documentation of his rule and contributions. There is also a historical possibility Augustus did not write this in his â€Å"seventy-sixth year,† but rather after his seventy-fifth birthday due to the last recorded events in the passage (Richardson, 198). Although historians debate this issue, what remains clear is that, â€Å"[†¦] the final version was what Augustus, as he approached his death, wished to hand in as his own account of what he had achieved† (Richardson, 198). As Romans placed a large amount of emphasis on glory, it is possible Augustus intended the Res Gestae to be permanent, en during evidence of his glorious achievements while being the Imperial ruler. This primary source served to be a compiled record of his offices, honors, and public services in a distinguished and foreseeable fashion, demonstrating the ways in which he outshined prodigious leaders of the past. Others argue the reason Augustus took to writing the Res Gestae was to actually rewrite history for his own purposes. In this regard, it could be debated that Augustus, with significant proficiency in propaganda, offered the facts in