Pax Romana

• Pax Romana means the ‘Roman Peace’, and refers to the Golden Age of Rome which lasted for 200 years from 27 BCE to 180 CE.
• The term was coined by Edward Gibbon, in his History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, although the Romans themselves referred to it as the ‘Pax Augusta’ or ‘The Augustan Peace’.

Description

• The Pax Romana lasted for a period of over 200 years and followed a period of war that had lasted for 200 years.
• The Pax Romana started in 27 BCE, under Augustus after he won the Battle of Actium against Mark Anthony, and ended with the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 CE, at the end of the Marcomannic Wars (166-180 CE).

How Augustus changed the Roman culture of War to the Culture of Peace

• The Pax Romana followed over 200 years of continual warfare under the Roman Republic.
• Augustus then had to make the transition from a Roman culture of acquisition of wealth and honour through the risk of war, to the acquisition of wealth and honour through agriculture, trade and finance.
• This was very different to fighting against a known Enemy who must be beaten and overwhelmed.
• Augustus then set out to re-educate the Roman values of honour through war, to honour through peace.

Methods

• Augustus promoted the culture of Peace in four ways:
  1. Coins were issued stamped with the word ‘Pax’.
  2. Literature was promoted which highlighted the virtues of the Peace.
  3. Encouragement of Religion to create more spiritual values and instill awe and reverence, including the tolerance and acceptance of diverse religions.
  4. Through a series of ceremonies and festivals to the new Goddess of Peace, Pax.
     • The Ara Pacis ‘Altar to Peace’ consecrated on the 30 January 9 BCE for Romans to give thanks to Pax, the new Roman Goddess of Peace.
     • The closing of the Gates of Janus to symbolise Peace.

Ara Pacis

• The Ara Pacis ‘Altar to Peace’ consecrated on the 30 January 9 BCE.
• Built to celebrate the ‘Pax Augusta’, it contained a processional frieze of sculptures and Roman Figures consisting of lictors, priests, women and children, all in Roman clothing, accompanied by their attendants.
• They are giving Thanks to Pax, the new Roman Goddess of Peace.

Gates of Janus

• Closing the doors to the Temple of Janus in the Forum Romanum was a very rare event, performed with a great fanfare and sometimes celebratory coins were issued. The doors were open in times of War and only closed in times of Peace:
  • Before Augustus the Gates of Janus were only closed twice in:
    • 715-673 BCE by King Numa Pompilius
    • 235 BCE by Titus Manlius Torquatus
  • Augustus closed them three times:
    • 29 BCE after the Death of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra
    • 25 BCE after the Cantabrians were defeated in the Cantabrian Wars
    • 13 BCE (approximately)
  • They were subsequently closed once each in:
    • 66 CE by Nero after negotiating a Peace Treaty with Parthia that lasted for the next 50 years.
    • 70 CE by Vespasian to proclaim Peace after the Year of the four Emperors.
  • Each of the following Emperors probably also closed them once:
    • Trajan
    • Hadrian
    • Antoninus Pius