September 12, 2005

  •                                              "Court Intrigue"


    I've been watching the HBO series, "Rome."  I have been a follower of Roman history (particularly this time period) since I was in high school, so this is an extra treat for me.


    My favorite historical figure, perhaps EVER, is Augustus (known as Octavian as a young boy).  The great-nephew of Julius Caesar, he kept himself cold-blooded, calm, and calculating when he inherited Caesar's estate at the age of 18.  He had to contend with Julius Caesar's key lieutenant, Marc Antony, who refused to relinquish control of Caesar's possessions, which he had seized after the dictator's assassination.  Then later, despite a shaky alliance with the hot-tempered Roman warrier, Augustus had to take on Antony AND his lover, the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra.  He was the third Roman of whom the historian Dio Cassu was speaking when he wrote about Cleopatra:  "She captivated the two greatest Romans [meaning Caesar and Antony] of her day, and because of the third she destroyed herself."  On top of this, he defended the family honor and not only avenged Caesar's assassination but also got rid of the two people who thought they could take his great-uncle's estate.  And thus the Roman Empire was born.


    To me, Augustus showed how thinking and patience was the key to success and victory.  One should not be a slave to emotions, as evidenced by Antony's temper tantrums that ultimately led to his defeat by Augustus.  He who uses his brains and his patience wins in the end.  Now don't get me wrong, Augustus could be ruthless, angry, and deadly to his enemies.  But for the most part he used his brain and not his emotions.


    I'll try to remember this.