Octavien-Auguste à l’« ombre » des Lumières : Saint-Évremond, Montesquieu et Mably

The representation of Augustus’ personality and political behavior offered by three works composed by intellectuals and scholars interested in studying ancient Rome and its institutions in the late Seventeenth Century and the first half of the Eighteenth Century, shows different evaluations on the character. Although he is generally presented in a positive light in the Réflexions (1686) by Saint-Évremond - that while considering him architect of a progressive and prudent policy believe him responsible of having introduced a domain - on the other hand the portraits by Montesquieu and Mably reveal the development of a more mature reflection, critically influenced by the Enlightenment. In this sense, in Montesquieu’s Considérations (1734), Augustus’ propensity to ensure step by step a strong role is explicitly highlighted, functionally taking advantage of all circumstances and at the same time making an effort to hint of being uninterested in any autocratic ambition. On the other hand, in Mably’s Observations (1751) we can notice the author’s inclination to focus on the prince’s rise to power in political-institutional terms, that is to say emphasizing his ability to ensure a higher authority through the joint access to many magistracies of the Republican era, also undertaking censorial powers.