Advice for Augustus: Thoughts by Maecenas

Roman historian, Cassius Dio, recounts an interesting event concerning the decision-making processes presented to Augustus after winning the war against the anti-Caesar faction. Two acolytes, Agrippa and Maecenas, offered Augustus advice on how to proceed after his victory.

Agrippa, ostensibly, spoke first: He advised Augustus to return Rome to the “democracy” to which it had been accustomed through its history. “You can be sure,” said Agrippa, “that the man who proves his mettle will always desire liberty and hate despotic authority.” Moreover, Agrippa warned Augustus that the “readiness to resort to violence is deeply ingrained in human nature” and, consequently, those fired by “democracy” will cause perpetual problems for him and, most likely, overthrow him in pursuit of their liberty.

Along these lines, Agrippa tried to dissuade Augustus from making himself “sole ruler” of Rome. Maecenas, however, disagreed and offered a defense for sole rule. Maecenas indicated that since Augustus had already been functioning as the sole ruler, the choice was either to continue doing so or perish.

Maecenas then offered some interesting advice, including the following thoughts.

August Glen-James, editor

. . . And so, if you care at all for your country, for whose sake you have fought so many wars and would gladly lay down your very existence, reform our life and order our affairs in the direction of greater moderation. The question concerns the privilege of doing and saying exactly what one pleases. Now if you examine the matter carefully, this freedom, if it is exercised by men of sound judgement, becomes a source of great benefit for all, but, if exercised by the misguided, leads to disaster. Accordingly, the man who grants such a license to the latter is in effect putting a sword into the hand of a child or a madman; if he offers it to the wise, he is not only preserving their other privileges, but saving the incapable even in spite of themselves.

So I urge you not to fix your gaze upon the fair-seeming language in which these matters are often presented, and thus be led astray. You should look ahead to the consequences which arise from these, put an end to the unruly behavior of the populace, and take the direction of affairs into your own hands and into those of the other citizens among us who are best qualified. The business of deliberation can then be dealt with by the wisest heads, that of governing by the best leaders, and the duty of serving in the army for pay by the strongest and the most needy. In this way each class of citizens will carry out with enthusiasm the tasks which rightfully fall to them, and will readily perform whatever services they owe to one another. They will not be aware of inequalities between them, if one class suffers some deprivation compared to another, and they will become members of a democracy in its true form, and share a freedom which is secure.

The truth is that the supposed freedom of the mob proves in reality to be the bitterest servitude, under which the better elements suffer at the hands of the worse, until in the end both are destroyed. But the freedom which I have described above everywhere singles out for honor the men of wisdom, while it allows equality to all the rest according to their deserts. In this way it ensures happiness impartially to all who possess this kind of liberty.

You must not suppose that I am urging you to enslave the people and Senate and set up a tyranny. This is a course which I would never suggest to you, nor you venture to put into effect. The course I have in mind would be both honorable and in the best interests of yourself and o the state. This is that you take counsel with the best men in Rome and pass all the appropriate laws without opposition or protest on the part of the masses; that any wars should be conducted according to the plans which you have drawn up; that the rest of the citizens should obey these orders forthwith; that the choice of officials should be made by you and your advisers; and that you and they should also determine honors and punishments.