Note 25 — Below is a copy of the deeds of the divine Augustus, by which he subjected the whole world to the dominion of the Roman people, and of the amounts which he expended upon the commonwealth and the Roman people, as engraved upon two brazen columns which are set up at Rome.1
Reading edition
The acclamation as imperator, on account of success in war, must be carefully distinguished from the title used as a prefix to the name and as a mark of perpetual authority. The title imperator was regularly and permanently assumed at the beginning of each reign, after that of Augustus. To him it was formally assigned by the senate, in Jan., 725. C. I. L., V, 1873: Senatus populusque Romanus imp. Cæsari, divi. Juli. f. cos. quinct. cos. design. sext. imp. sept. republica conservata. The term thus had a double usage and meaning in such cases.
It soon came about that only the princeps could assume the special designation for military successes, no matter whether won by him in person or not. Tacitus says, Ann. III, 74: “Tiberius allowed Blaesus to be saluted as imperator by the legions. Augustus conceded the title to some, but Tiberius’ allowing it to Blaesus was the last instance.” For a discussion of Imperator as permanent title, see Gardthausen, p. 527, and Merivale, History of the Romans, c. XXXI.
Most of the acclamations of Augustus as imperator can be traced. No Greek inscription records them. A list follows. In the later instances Tiberius was associated.
I. April 15 (?) 711. After battles about Mutina. C. I. L. X, 8375 and Dio XLVI, 38.
II. Not traced.
III. Before 717. Cohen, Vipsan. 3, gives a coin with the words imp. divi Juli f. ter. iii Vir v. p. c. M. Agrippa cos. desig. Agrippa entered his consulship Jan. 1, 717.
IV. Probably connected with the Sicilian victory and ovation of 718.
V. 720 or 721. Probably connected with Dalmatian victories of one of those years. Cf. C. I. L. V, 526.
VI. From Sept. 2, 723, to 725. On account of Actium. Cf. Oros. VI, 19, 14. C. I. L. X, 3826. Imp. Cæsari divi f. imp. vi, cos. iii (723). C. I. L. X, 4830, imp. Cæsari divi f. cos. v (725) imp. vi.
VII. From 725 to 729. C. I. L. VI, 873: senatus populusque Romanus imp. Cæsari divi Juli f. cos. quinct. (725) cos. desig. sex. imp. sept. republica conservata. On account of Thracian and Dacian victory of M. Licinius Crassus. Dio LI, 25, says: “Sacrifices and festivals were decreed to Cæsar and to Crassus. He did not, however, as some say, take the name imperator. Cæsar alone assumed that.”
VIII. From 729 to 734. Two inscriptions at Nismes (Donat. 96, 6) read: imp. Cæsari divi f. Augusto cos. nonum (729) designato decimum, imp. octavum. Dio LIII, 26, says it was for a Celtic victory of Marcus Vinicius.
IX. From 734 to 739 (?) Coins have the inscription Augustus Cæsar div. f. Armen. capt. imp. viii. These commemorate the Armenian expedition of Tiberius in 734. Possibly Augustus took the title on account of the return of the captured standards from Parthia, which he accounted a greater triumph than many a victory in open warfare.
X. 739 (?) to 742. C. I. L. V, 8088 and others: Augustus imp. x, tribunicia potestate xi. The latter falls in the years 742, 743. Probably referable to successes in Rhætian war of 739.
XI. 742. Coins (Cohen, n. 147-150) give: imp. xi. The causes were the successes of Tiberius in Pannonia in 742. Dio LIV, 31.
XII. 743 to 744. C. I. L., III, 3117: imp. xii tr. pot. xiii and VI, 701, 702: pontifex maximus, imp. xii cos. xi trib. pot. xiv. Referable to Germanic victory of Drusus. Dio LIV, 33.
XIII. Tiberius Imp. 745. Suet., Tib. 9, says that Tiberius received the oration for Pannonian and Dalmatian victories. Cf. Val. 5, 5, 3. Dio LV, 2.
XIV. Tiberius Imp. II. 746-755. Dio LV, 6, refers this acclamation to the Germanic victories of 746. Many coins, milestones and other inscriptions of the period indicated mention this fourteenth acclamation. Cf. C. I. L., II, 3827; 4931; V, 7243; 7817; VI, 1244.
XV. 755. For the Armenian victory of C. Cæsar. Dio Cass. LV, 11. C. I. L. X, 3827; pont. max., cos. iii (xiii) imp. xv, tr. p. xxv, p. p.
XVI. Untraced.
XVII. Tiberius Imp. III. 759. Dio LV, 28, referring to the German expedition of Tiberius in 759, says, “Nothing great was accomplished. Yet both Augustus and Tiberius received the acclamation as imperators.” Cf. C. I. L. V. 6416.
XVIII. Tiberius Imp. IV. Probably for successes in Illyricum.
XIX. Tiberius Imp. V, 762. Dio LVI, 17, refers to the Dalmatian war. A coin of 763-4 (Cohen n. 27) gives: Ti. Cæsar August. f, imperat. v. pontifex, tribun. potestate xii.
XX. Tiberius Imp. VI. 765. The cause is not clear, probably for slight successes of Tiberius and Germanicus against the Germans in 763, 764. Dio LVI, 25. A Spanish milestone, C. I. L. II, 4868, gives the data.
XXI. Tiberius Imp. VII. Tac. Ann. I, 9, says Augustus was twenty-one times Imperator. A coin of Lyons (Cohen n. 35-38) has: Ti. Cæsar Augusti f. imperator VII. This dates from the lifetime of Augustus. Tiberius did not receive a further acclamation.