Considered hero or villain?

Question

I need to do an assignment on whether the emperor Augustus should be considered "Hero" or "villain". Which is more accurate and has more information?

Answer 1

Augustus is usually depicted as a hero, principally because he was the first Emperor but also because he was a great reformer.

I'll agree that history is written/propagated by those in favor of the victor, but I would actually argue that Augustus did more to "help" Rome than he did to "harm" it and in that sense he was heroic (ever hear of the Pax Romana? Without Augustus, that never comes to be). While he was not without his faults, history does remember him as a virtuous ruler (which, contrary to popular belief, is not always the persisting view of dynasty founders; see House of Habsburg and the 'empire' of Cao Wei).

Answer 2

hero's and Villains are determined by those who win.

Can you think of a war that the bad guys ultimately won? The winners write history. the truth is somewhere clouded in the middle.

Answer 3

hero for sure

Answer 4

neither

Answer 5

OK, well for starters a hero is a person who is fare and cares for the greater good. They also put aside many of there own needs, desires, and even there safty for the good of the people or at least something hey ind inportant.

A villain on the other hand is more curupt and self centerd. And insted of caring about others the are more likly to put the innoecent in danger.

Now I  wont give you the answer to wheather or not Agustus a villain or a hero but I think if you were to consider what i have said you should be able to come up with an answer or perhaps in your report you could mention bolth side oF him... good luk!

Answer 6

Hero, the only negative that stands out was his personal life, since his wife, Livia,  was the former wife of one of his friends.

Answer 7

I guess he could be considered a "hero" he won in Rome's civil war and brought it together again.

Answer 8

It's hard by modern standards to consider any historical figure a hero that had a hand in the murder of so many other people in their quest for power.  Although it's true that the Pax Romana or Roman peace ushered in by Augustus was one of the more peaceful eras in Roman history it was probably an era of less conflict only because of the strength of the occupation forces that kept the empire together. As the first emperor he led the way for others who were not ever considered hero material like Nero and Caligula.

Answer 9

He's usually portrayed as being a hero (I think there's more info. on him being good then bad). If you looked from Egypt's POV (particularly Cleopatra) then he was most portrayed as the villain. But in all essence it really depends on the person who's writing it. His successors? Besides Claudius, they were all tyrannical and definitely not written as heroes.  

Answer 10

Hero and Villain... sorry, but it depends on who write the history

Answer 11

although Augustus was an excellent ruler he was also one who was quick to execute his opponents and put down rebellions with all necessary harshness. if i were speaking from the point of view of the Roman Empire i would not hesitate to name him hero. the name augustus was one he chose. it means honorable and that is the way he saw himself. his real name was Tiberius.