ABSTRACT
There was a negative model in Romulus and Remus, of whom only Romulus survived to be founder. Or one might cite the positive model of the Dioscuri, by the elite. According to the myth, when the mortal twin was killed, his brother shared his privilege of immortality with him. Better perhaps to consider the political model of Rome’s highest republican office, the consulship: consular colleagues cooperated during their year of office, alternating their months to preside over the Senate, but also jointly proposing legislation on occasions. If one of the two colleagues opposed a decision, this had the effect of veto and the decision was void. The Romans saw this constitutional feature as a way to avoid monarchy (and ensure continuity of authority should one of the Consuls perish). The premature death of Augustus’ first chosen heir, Marcellus, may have further provoked him to wait until he could mark two simultaneous heirs. For now, of course, the future princes were infants, and since both Augustus and Agrippa went out to the provinces – to Gaul and the eastern provinces respectively – in the year following the adoption, we can assume that Augustus was willing to wait until his ‘sons’ were older before beginning to rear them in his own home.
