Abstract

Virgil was the greatest poet in the time of the Augustus. The core of Octavian􀆴s cultural policies was to maintain peace and stability. The works of Virgil met the needs of the times and played an important role in the Octavian􀆴s culture construction. Based on classical literature and after making literary review, the dissertation will explore the role of Virgil in the cultural policy of Octavian by studying the work of Virgil, and will rethink the importance of culture on politics.

I􀆴m going to discuss some subjects, including Octavian􀆴s cultural policies and its relationship with Virgil, in four chapters.

For Rome, the beginning of Empire was the period of transformation. In the face of the new situation, Octavian reformed the political system and reconstructed the social order. He aimed at making the Rome restore to peace and development from wars. In this process, culture construction played an important role, which included restoring the religious traditions of the ancient devout worship, restoring Roman values, maintaining the stability of the family, constructing the Rome City, etc. These actions played a supporting role for the reform in political, economic and military fields, through which Rome tended into stability, and came into the “ golden age”.

Virgil actively participated in the cultural construction of Octavian. He was also the leader of literati who sang the praises of Octavian and his poli cies. The Eclogues criticized the cruelty of war, expressed the longing for peace, and praised Octavian, the creator of peace. Georgics made it clear that agriculture was the key reason for Roman long-term prosperity, and called on people to abandon weapons and recover back to normal life. Besides, it also reflected the process that agricultural and life recovered after Octavian holding the power,and demonstrated the correctness and necessity of Octavian􀆴s policy. In Aeneid, Virgil apotheosized the family of Julius by the ancient legend to prove that the blood lineage of Octavian was holy and his regime was reasonable, and to provide the historical evidences for the reasonability of Octavian􀆴s authority.

The relationship between Octavian and Virgil not only reflected the positive interaction between the Roman literati and politicians, but also interpreted interaction between culture and politics. The Octavian􀆴s cultural policies helped Virgil show his excellent talent. Virgil􀆴s works increased numerous of connotations for the Roman culture and lift it to new height.

KEY WORDS:Virgil, Octavian, Octavian􀆴s cultural policies, peace and stability