Public Image and Propaganda

Where it surfaces

• Book II: The Deified Augustus

  Augustus's careful cultivation of his public image, including his building projects, his edicts about restoring the Republic, and his efforts to present himself as the author of a stable government.

• Book IV: Gaius Caligula

  Caligula manipulates public perception by bewailing the murder of a retiarius, deploring the lack of public disasters, and threatening to destroy the works of Homer, Virgil, and Livy, showing his obsession with controlling his legacy.

• Book V: The Deified Claudius

  Claudius's censorship, his triumph for the British campaign, and his edicts reflect his efforts to shape public perception.

• Book VI: Nero

  Nero staged elaborate shows, including the reception of Tiridates, shaved his first beard in a public ceremony, and closed the temple of Janus to project an image of peace and victory.

• Book VII: Galba—Otho—Vitellius

  Galba's strictness and unpopularity are reflected in the soldiers' verse and the theater crowd's chant. Vitellius's public display of devotion to Nero serves as propaganda for his own rule.

• Galba

  Galba's reputation for stinginess and cruelty is mocked in popular verses and theatre, eroding his initial popularity.

• Book VIII: The Deified Vespasian—The Deified Titus—Domitian

  Vespasian's humble origins and Titus's generosity are highlighted as part of their public image, while Domitian's pretence of modesty and interest in poetry is noted as a facade.

• The Deified Vespasian

  Portents (the oak tree branches) and the prophecy of a ruler from Judaea are used to legitimize Vespasian's rule, while his modest behavior and reforms shaped his public image.

• The Deified Titus

  Titus actively cultivated a benevolent public image, from his famous remark 'Friends, I have lost a day' to his refusal to let anyone leave an audience without hope, and his indulgence of the people at games.

• Domitian

  Domitian's lavish games, building projects inscribed with his own name, and pretence of modesty and interest in poetry show his concern for public image.

• Endnotes

  Notes discuss Domitian's triumphs, the construction of public buildings like the Colosseum, and the use of games and spectacles to shape public perception.