The importance of Agrippa and Maecenas to the Augustan Age

1235 Words5 Pages
In analysing the significance in the roles of Agrippa & Maecenas to the successful political aspirations of Augustus Caesar close consideration and analysis must be made towards their contributing roles they played in creating the power force that he became. Augustus had not aspired into politics through military conquest nor was he an intrepid writer rather assuming himself into politics after his adoption by Julius, yet he still ended up to be arguably one of the most successful leaders of Rome. His great success in achieving this could be seen accordingly due to assistance of those around him who excelled in regions he was not as competent in. Agrippa provided the backbone of uncontested military success & stability under Augustus as his right hand man, with an unrequited dedication of victories and infrastructure to the people of Rome & Augustus, nobly not taking the credit for himself. On the other hand, Maecenas took the role of making Augustus the sole figure as a leader to Rome with his inhibited propaganda as patron for some of the prominent writers of the time based on creating a perception of Augustus as a way ‘for the people’, rather than self ambition. The importance of Agrippa rose indistinguishably as being responsible for most of Octavian’s military triumphs. His role emerged during the ‘Sicilian conflict’ against Sextus Lepidus in 36 BC where after Octavian’s naval failure Agrippa engaged and destroyed the rebels fleet where Suetonius notes he “forced the enemy ships to sheer off “. Octavian’s opposition however, was marked most strongly by Mark Antony where coincidently it was again Agrippa whose military experience and instinct towered above Augustus, whom blockaded the ships of Antony and Cleopatra with a fleet under Octavian’s title. After the inauguration of Augustus of the first settlement, Agrippa’s militaristic conquests became
Open Document