Gregory Aldrete

He wears just a plain toga, nothing fancy. He's respectful to the Senate. He treats them with respect. He eats simple foods. I mean, he's someone who cared about the reality of power, not the external trappings. Clearly, there's some rulers who love, I want to dress in fancy clothes. I want to be surrounded by gold, everything. This is what makes me feel good. Octavian's the opposite.

He wears just a plain toga, nothing fancy. He's respectful to the Senate. He treats them with respect. He eats simple foods. I mean, he's someone who cared about the reality of power, not the external trappings. Clearly, there's some rulers who love, I want to dress in fancy clothes. I want to be surrounded by gold, everything. This is what makes me feel good. Octavian's the opposite.

He doesn't care about any of that. He wants real power. And then the other thing is, how is he going to rule Rome without looking like a king? And his solution to this is brilliant. He basically pretends to resign from all his public offices. Not pretends, he does. So he holds no official office.

He doesn't care about any of that. He wants real power. And then the other thing is, how is he going to rule Rome without looking like a king? And his solution to this is brilliant. He basically pretends to resign from all his public offices. Not pretends, he does. So he holds no official office.

He doesn't care about any of that. He wants real power. And then the other thing is, how is he going to rule Rome without looking like a king? And his solution to this is brilliant. He basically pretends to resign from all his public offices. Not pretends, he does. So he holds no official office.

But what he does is he manipulates so that the Roman Senate votes him the powers of the key Roman offices but not the office itself. So the highest office in the Roman state is the consul. Consuls have the power to command armies, do all sorts of things, run meetings of the Senate.

But what he does is he manipulates so that the Roman Senate votes him the powers of the key Roman offices but not the office itself. So the highest office in the Roman state is the consul. Consuls have the power to command armies, do all sorts of things, run meetings of the Senate.

But what he does is he manipulates so that the Roman Senate votes him the powers of the key Roman offices but not the office itself. So the highest office in the Roman state is the consul. Consuls have the power to command armies, do all sorts of things, run meetings of the Senate.

Octavian gets voted the powers of a consul, so he can command armies, control meetings, do all this, but he's not one of the two consuls elected for every year. So he's just kind of floating or drifting off to the side of the Roman government. He gets the power of a tribune, which has all sorts of powers. He can veto anything he wants, but he's not one of the tribunes elected for any one year.

Octavian gets voted the powers of a consul, so he can command armies, control meetings, do all this, but he's not one of the two consuls elected for every year. So he's just kind of floating or drifting off to the side of the Roman government. He gets the power of a tribune, which has all sorts of powers. He can veto anything he wants, but he's not one of the tribunes elected for any one year.

Octavian gets voted the powers of a consul, so he can command armies, control meetings, do all this, but he's not one of the two consuls elected for every year. So he's just kind of floating or drifting off to the side of the Roman government. He gets the power of a tribune, which has all sorts of powers. He can veto anything he wants, but he's not one of the tribunes elected for any one year.

So the state, the republic, appears to continue as it always has. Each year, they hold the same elections. They elect the same number of people. Notionally, those people are in charge. But floating off to the side, you have this guy, Octavian, who has equivalent power not just to any one magistrate or official, but to all of them.

So the state, the republic, appears to continue as it always has. Each year, they hold the same elections. They elect the same number of people. Notionally, those people are in charge. But floating off to the side, you have this guy, Octavian, who has equivalent power not just to any one magistrate or official, but to all of them.

So the state, the republic, appears to continue as it always has. Each year, they hold the same elections. They elect the same number of people. Notionally, those people are in charge. But floating off to the side, you have this guy, Octavian, who has equivalent power not just to any one magistrate or official, but to all of them.

So at any moment, he can just sort of pop up and say, no, let's not do this. Let's do something else. And he also keeps the army under his personal control.

So at any moment, he can just sort of pop up and say, no, let's not do this. Let's do something else. And he also keeps the army under his personal control.

So at any moment, he can just sort of pop up and say, no, let's not do this. Let's do something else. And he also keeps the army under his personal control.

Yeah, and he later changed his name to Augustus when he sort of becomes the first emperor. And the other thing he does is he hides his power behind all these different names. So, you know, Caesar called himself dictator for life, right? So everybody knew what he was. Octavian, we even have a source that talks about it. It says he wondered what to call himself. Do I call myself king?

Yeah, and he later changed his name to Augustus when he sort of becomes the first emperor. And the other thing he does is he hides his power behind all these different names. So, you know, Caesar called himself dictator for life, right? So everybody knew what he was. Octavian, we even have a source that talks about it. It says he wondered what to call himself. Do I call myself king?

Yeah, and he later changed his name to Augustus when he sort of becomes the first emperor. And the other thing he does is he hides his power behind all these different names. So, you know, Caesar called himself dictator for life, right? So everybody knew what he was. Octavian, we even have a source that talks about it. It says he wondered what to call himself. Do I call myself king?