Augustus changes course

Hi everyone
long time lurker, this is my first post so be gentle lol!
there are two main pods Augustus in my timeline becomes a patron of Minerva the Roman goddess of medicine and knowledge and the early discovery of the Balkan silver lodes centred on Novo mons (in modern day Kosovo)
March 23BC imperial palace Rome
the large gaudily decorated bed held a rather sorry looking Augustus swaddled in heavy quilts, by his side sits a middle aged woman dressed in plain clothes speaking quietly but firmly with the Emperor 'the construction of public works and temples continues to employ large numbers of the urban plebeians. However at the same time reliance on the grain dole to survive means that we have a permanent underclass with no real hope of bettering themselves they rely on your mercy Augustus to prosper. Would it not be a better route to encourage thrift and hard work rather than bread and circuses?' Augustus nods and replies
'that is all very well but the money to pay for the betterment of the poor is another thing! your help with my illness has no doubt saved me from death however my gratitude only stretches so far and no more i am afraid' the women looked back into his eyes and replied 'you seek to restore the glory of the Republic from the top down by improving morality and promoting family values, but ignore the majority letting them revel in sensuality and foreign cults.'
'firm ideas and morals tend to be eroded by cold reality'
'I propose that you through your generosity endow a gymnasium for the education of the poor citzens of Rome, along with a gymnasium for the education of Doctors'
'An expensive undertaking with what benefit for Rome?
'for one thing compete with the Greek domination of medicine in the Empire, another give the poor a chance to better themselves, while making you to truest of patrons of the everyday citizen!
meanwhile just outside the borders of the Roman province of Macedonia
 
.
August 23BC
A Roman Merchant named Gaius Parvum hears stories whiles collecting fine wool for the export trade with Rome of large native silver nuggets being traded in the local area called Novo Mons. This news filtered back to Rome and the ears of Augustus who was heard to declare 'fate provides the answer here!' before sending a team of army engineers to the area to investigate the potential to set up silver mines.
along with the conquest of the Cantabrians in northern Hispania allowing access to the las medulas gold mines this gave an unprecedented liquidity to Augustus

 

GdwnsnHo

Banned
Interesting premise - I'm concerned however that you're unlikely to prevent Roman generals and expansionism from trying to earmark the money for a conquest/another attempted conquest of Arabia Felix, and elsewhere that would be profitable. (Is Dacia economically useful at this point?)

However, if a 'father of economics' or Augustus himself realises that the underclass having more money, creates more jobs, and more taxes - then he could embrace the policy with open arms, as he can use those tax revenues to fund his armies, and the gold to further increase this new tax stream.

I'd expect some efforts to improve the standards of living in Illyria too, as if news about the flourishing of Rome and Italia built of Illyrian gold comes back, and the Illyrians don't feel that they've benefited, this could make them more liable to revolt.

Interestingly, the best way this could go is the improvement of Roma leading to the creation of a 'middle class', and imitating this pattern in Dalmatia, or near the mines, and invading Dacia & Pannonia.
 
18BC The construction of the two gymnasiums promised to the priestess of Minerva were nearing completion the medical one already had students and teachers (imported from Greece) with a dispensation from Augustus to have access to the dead gladiators and slaves bodies from the various arenas to further their understanding of the gods creations. (this angered the other temples but were rebuffed by Augustus who as Pontifex Maximus said ‘they were condemned to death for crimes against the Roman people, they have lost all rights, so what does it matter?’ the school for the poor was another matter there were plenty of small private classrooms teaching the classics and oratory to paying pupils however mass education was unknown. The system worked out concentrated on the basics literacy, maths and history with selection controlled by the local magistrates of each tribal area of Rome so while pre selection based on bribery or connections will be rife the actual poor could gain entry citizens only.
18BC the Field of Mars Rome ‘the construction goes well Agrippa! Ahead of schedule I understand?’ they were both walking through the construction site, a scene of organised chaos ‘Yes Octavian there we are ahead of schedule in the construction of the imperial bureau of taxation and the associated gymnasiums are as planned, unfortunately the extensions to the sewer network are proceeding slowly due to the complexity of the requirements to move the sewage downstream from Rome!! Why you listened to that bleating priestess I will never know!’ Looking sternly at his old associate Augustus replied ‘her arguments about the miasma of waste and rubbish causing disease and ill health were strong, besides the reduction in the stink will save the patrician class a fortune in perfume expenditure alone!’ Agrippa just frowned and shook his head.
 
The idea is not that you prevent the cycle of expansionism or corruption. It is that you raise the level of literacy, promote the notion of examinations and general standards for officials and the breaking of the mob of Rome. The intractable problem of the succession alone is a deal breaker unless Augustus gets lucky and someone better than Tiberious assumes the throne we will see what happens next
 
18bc Novo Mons.The Roman stone fort was nearing the final stages of construction built on top of the solitary peak that dominated the valley with its smoking furnaces workers camps and slave barracks. The area was proving to be lucrative with the main placer deposits containing an ore with both gold and silver. there were also iron deposits that with the construction of transportation infrastructure had become viable making the area a boom province with several veterans colonies and senatorial investors, along with provincial elites investing Roman loans (to secure their loyalty) Vitruvius looked out over the valley from one of the half completed corner watchtowers with one of his pupils hanging back clutching a leather satchel. 'It will be a mighty city in time it is a shame to leave such a pearl unrealised especially if you are in your later years boy' the young man so addressed just raised an eyebrow 'however Agrippa's offer to name me the master of the new Gymnasium of architecture and engineering in Rome is to good to pass up, so off to sea we go again'
 
.
August 23BC
A Roman Merchant named Gaius Parvum hears stories whiles collecting fine wool for the export trade with Rome of large native silver nuggets being traded in the local area called Novo Mons. This news filtered back to Rome and the ears of Augustus who was heard to declare 'fate provides the answer here!' before sending a team of army engineers to the area to investigate the potential to set up silver mines.
along with the conquest of the Cantabrians in northern Hispania allowing access to the las medulas gold mines this gave an unprecedented liquidity to Augustus


1) he's clearly not a(n ethnic) ROMAN merchant if he has no family name.
2) Parvum is neuter, he'd be Gaius Parvus
3) Similarly, if 'novo' is supposed to be 'new', then it would be 'Novus Mons'. But 'new mountain' is an odd name.
4) silver nuggets? Let alone large ones? Do the mines/deposits in this area actually have nuggets? I had not believed that they existed, but apparently they do, they're just rare.
 
The area in question is a historic mining area exploited in the 1300's by the Serbian empire and the information I have found suggests their output was considerable and consisted of an ore found in placer deposits containing large amounts of silver and gold amoung other metals (I need to do more research) The theme of temple/imperial sponsored education is on the theme of the philanthropy already prevalent amoung the Roman elite ie baths theatres etc. when I relaunch my time line I promise it will have all the bells and whistles I promise I just wanted to see if anyone was interested in the concept.
 
Top