Introduction The rise of Caesar Augustus to absolute power in the year 31 BCE brought about a deviation in Rome's politics, moving from a republic to a monarchy, although protected by evident conservatism . It was through the formation of a mythology prescribed to the Julii family name that Augustus and his reign were cemented. At Augustus' insistence, Virgil created the Aeneid to illustrate the mythological basis of the Julii line and how Augustus offered hope of prosperity to Rome after a period of civil war, as the gods supposedly directed it. The Aeneid is riddled throughout with veiled bits of Augustan propaganda, reflected in Augustan architecture, highlighting the importance of the Aeneid as a means of advertising the charms of Augustus. The titular character of Virgil's work, Aeneas, his divine lineage, the narrative of his shield, and the parade of heroes are all disguised fragments of propaganda used to emphasize Augustus' practice of incorporating Roman tradition into his own political regime. The use of propaganda as a literary device in this famous poem enriches the lineage of Augustan supremacy with a divine relationship and extreme piety, in an attempt to transform Rome after the events of the civil war. Piety as a Literary Device The character of Aeneas was to serve as an ancient version of Augustus, who was to be a pillar of integrity and responsibility towards Rome and the gods: Insignem pietate viram (Ver. Aen. I. 10). Augustus demonstrated his connection to Gauis Julius Caesar, his predecessor and father figure, by avenging his death and participating in multiple civil wars. It is through this action that Augustus is compared to Aeneas and considered a modern hero, except...... middle of paper ....... PrintKeegan, J., The Illustrated Face of Battle. New York: Viking Press, 1988 Kertzer, D., Ritual, Politics, and Power. Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1988. PrintShay, J., “Achilles in Vietnam,” A Companion to Ancient History. UK: Blackwell Publishing, 1994. PrintSherk, R.K., 'Roman Documents from the Greek East: Senatus Consulta and Epistulae to the Age of Augustus', A companion to Ancient History. UK: Blackwell Publishing, 1969. PrintSherk, R.K., 'Rome and the Greek East to the Age of Augustus. Translated documents of Greece and Rome 4', A companion to ancient history. UK: Blackwell Publishing, 1984. PrintTritle, L., 'Men at War', The Oxford Handbook of Warfare in the Classical World. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1997. PrintZanker, P., The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus. Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 1988. Print