Heraklia review of Anthony Everett's Augustus really pushes me to get it asap. I find it fascinating how a 18 yrs old managed to "catch" power is such a skillful way and basically not to relinquish it ever again to anybody else.

However an idea comes up to my mind.
Our demigod writes that:
> Augustus managed not to offend the hypsensitive reactionary
> elements in the Republic while accommodating them to a new
> world.

I surely know that he did accomodate reactionaries to a new world, but... might it be that they kind of thought it wouldn't be "healthy" to feel offended, given Augustus revival of proscription while still a youth?
For sure in time he did calm down and associated senators to power, at least at a face value. It is also true that generally the older humans get, the wiser they become (although... Silla was not a youngster anymore when he ushered proscriptions).
But if I put myself in the republicans place, I'd still be worried that a man who didn't feel detained by ordering a good number of assassinations while still a boy, well, that same man would be even more dangerous when hardened by time and difficulties.

Or as Goldsworthy puts it... Romans' tiredeness of civil wars helped Augustus a lot in his construction of a new political system.