After almost two decades of civil war (49–31 BC), the Roman state came under the control of one man. Because of his own experiences as triumvir in Rome, Augustus as emperor could not fail to take a personal interest in the matter of the food supply of the city. If his regime was to be stable and enduring, then repetition of the famine and crowd violence of 43–36 had to be avoided.

Rome under Augustus was a huge metropolis of around one million people. Its vulnerability to food crisis did not miraculously come to an end with the emergence of the Principate. Augustus' personal intervention was required on a number of occasions to alleviate grain shortage. A standard imperial response to food crisis was, simply, largesse. Augustus frequently handed out money or grain (or both), not only in times of shortage. He thus established a tradition of liberality which his successors could hardly ignore. The more responsible emperors also made structural improvements in the system of supply and distribution. Augustus himself introduced several important innovations of this type, most notably the addition of Egypt as a major supplier of the capital, and the inauguration of the office of prefect of the grain supply (praefectus annonae). The long-term consequence for Rome of these and other such developments was reduced vulnerability to food crisis.

FOOD CRISES

1. Food shortage is not directly attested but may none the less have occurred in 28 BC. Cassius Dio reports under this year: ‘To the populace he distributed a quadruple allowance of grain and to some of the senators he made presents of money.’