I Found Rome A City Of

Recorded by Suetonius in The Twelve Caesars (c. 121 AD), this remark was reportedly made by Augustus on his deathbed as a summary of his reign. He transformed Rome through an unprecedented building programme: the Forum of Augustus, the Temple of Mars Ultor, the Ara Pacis, and the restoration of over eighty temples. Modern scholarship, including a digital reconstruction by UCLA professor Diane Favro, confirms that the transformation was real but notes that Augustus also used it as deliberate imperial propaganda to cement his legacy.