{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Founding an Empire: Lessons from Augustus with Dr Barry Strauss","description":"In this lecture, historian Dr Barry Strauss examines Augustus as the architect of Rome\u2019s imperial settlement, tracing how a young heir of extraordinary ambition transformed a republic struggling with civil war into an enduring political order. Tracing events from the turmoil following Julius Caesar\u2019s assassination to the victory at Actium, the creation of the Pax Romana, and Augustus\u2019s claim to rule as Rome\u2019s \u201cfirst citizen,\u201d Strauss highlights how Augustus secured power by building trust, managing rivals, and reshaping public life through law, ritual, architecture, and art. The talk concludes by asking what is preserved and what is lost when a society exchanges republican freedom for imperial stability, and what the study of ancient leadership can still teach us about prudence, courage, and political responsibility today. Applications for Ralston College\u2019s MA in the Humanities are now open. Learn more and apply today at www.ralston.ac\/apply Authors and Works Mentioned in this Episode: Winston Churchill William Shakespeare Herod the Great Homer Virgil\u2019s Aeneid Cicero Mark Antony Julius Caesar Cleopatra   ","author_name":"The Ralston College Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/www.ralston.ac\/conversations","html":"