GOOD OLD-FASHIONED VALUES THE AUGUSTAN MORAL REFORMS

THEME: The age of Augustus THEME

In the years 18–17 BC, Augustus enacted legislation as part of his goal to emphasize Rome's pietas, a sense of virtue and religious devotion that had allowed for so much of its success as a civilization. Pietas, something every Roman was expected to possess, marked the Stoic farmer, courageous soldier, and dutiful citizen. Yet by the early days of the empire, many young people chose not to marry and contribute children, wealthy citizens avoided public service, and many rested on the laurels of their riches, contrary to the good old-fashioned values that had defined Rome during the Republic, promoted by authors like Cicero and Sallust. To patricians like Cicero, virtue lay in citizens who asked not what Rome could do for them but what they could do for Rome. To plebeians like Sallust, it was the austere life that made Romans so superior in the first place. Now, with the rise of the empire, self-sacrifice, hard work, and austerity had fallen by the wayside. To combat this, Augustus used his imperium to push his moral legislation, collectively known as the Lex Julia, through the Senate.

The required all Roman citizens between the ages 25–60 for men and 20–50 for women to be married. Divorce was discouraged, but those citizens who ('the right of three children') and were exempted from civic obligations; women with three children were released from having a male guardian. Penalties were levied upon the unmarried and childless: men over 40 were taxed at a higher rate, and the celibate were barred from sacred festivals and public games. Augustus also imposed a two-year limit of betrothal before marriage – it was common to enter into a marriage agreement with the father of an underage girl and wait until she was of marrying age just to avoid celibacy fines. His reasoning for such laws was that marriage was a traditional value that reflected , and the more children couples had, the greater the population of the empire, particularly sons to join the Roman legions. Additionally, fines and other sanctions were charged upon those who married outside their class. Prostitutes, courtesans, and women of the theatre, all of whom were of low moral character, were forbidden to marry high-ranking citizens. To reflect old-fashioned values, one must maintain old-fashioned connections.