Pax Romana

Caesar Augustus, whose full given name was Gaius Julius Caesar Octavius, ruled Rome from 27 B.C. to A.D. 14. The great-nephew of Julius Caesar bore the family name, which at the time of his rule had no political import. It was only later that the name Caesar was attached to many Roman emperors. His title of Augustus was conferred upon him by the Roman Senate when he restored the Republic in a move to recapture the glory of the early Roman Republic.

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In addition to prosperity and peace, Augustus reign brought stability and order to both the government and society. Attempting to restore honesty and efficiency in government, he placed ability above social class when selecting government officials. He removed unqualified, self-seeking men from office and replaced them with well-qualified officials paid by the state.
Augustus correctly realized that a civilization is only as strong as the moral character of her people. Therefore, he sought social reform to revive the traditional Roman virtues of duty, discipline, and hard work. He encouraged the passage of laws that promoted family life and rewarded those families that had many children. (World History for Christian Schools, Bob Jones University Press, Pages 96-97, 1998)

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It is interesting to note that government ruled by executive fiat can have positive results. Augustus promoted these positive changes through the Roman-senate-passed laws, but it shouldn't be ignored that the title, Augustus, which was given him by the same body of legislators actually is a title of deity that had been previously limited to Roman gods. If a society/culture/civilization chooses to be ruled by a powerful personality so narrowly defined then any freedoms available are enjoyed at the whim of that individual. The period of Augustus' reign was labeled Pax Romana, but only while he reigned. To choose to be ruled by a person--and not by the rule of law--is a slippery slope (if not a super highway) to oppression and tyranny. Can you say, "Nero"?