For Rome or for Augustus?

Abstract

The greatest honor and the grandest spectacle Rome could bestow on a military commander was the glory of celebrating a triumph. In the period 29–19 BCE eight people who were not related to Augustus triumphed. L. Balbus proved to be the very last commander to do so. Accordingly, the Fasti Triumphales concludes with the name of a man whose uncle, L. Balbus (maior), was a native of Spain who became the first foreigner to be made consul. This chapter reflects on who these eight victors were and how they chose to celebrate their own victories, a task hampered by the fact that much of our evidence centers on Augustus himself, chiefly Cassius Dio, our main historical narrative source. Was it possible for these men to create their own triumphal history, to personalize their celebration and triumphal afterlife, or did their success end up becoming part of the Augustan ideology?