Caesar Augustus, Rome’s first true great emperor. He is known to modern historians as the historical figure that had the greatest impact on the ancient world. Augustus became Caesar after the assassination of Julius Caesar and united the split roman empire after over 100 years of civil war. He is the single most important person in roman history, and he conquered more territories than anyone other roman ruler. This is why Augustus Caesar had such a long and brilliant career.
Augustus was born in Rome, in 63 B.C. with the name Gaius Octavius Thurinus. His father, also Gaius Octavius, came from a respectable family and was governor of Macedonia before his death in 58 BC. More importantly, his mother Atia Balba Caesonia was the niece of Rome's greatest general, Julius Caesar. In 46 BC Caesar, who had no children, took his great-nephew Augustus, to fight in Hispania, and adopted him as his heir. By his adoption, he then used the name Gaius Julius Caesar. Roman tradition said that he also use the surname Octavianus to indicate his biological family, from which historians take the name Octavian. However no evidence exists that he ever used the name Octavianus.
When Julius Caesar was assassinated in March 44 BC, Octavius was with the army at Apollonian, in what is now Albania. At the time, he was only eighteen years old, and his power was always underestimated by his rivals. He gathered support by emphasizing his status as heir to Caesar and took the name Gaius Julius Caesar. In Rome, after Julius Caesars death Gaius meets with Antony in Horti Pompeii, Gaius attempted to collect his legacy from Antony, who stole Caesar's papers and fortune. After taking control over the papers and Rome he, Antony, and Lepidus each received one third of Julius Caesar’s empire. Augustus received the part that was Africa. After gaining more power, he defeated Lepidus for trying to take over Sicily. He finally defeated Marc Antony at the battle of Actium in 31 B.C. That same year he received another consulship and held that position for eight years. He then disbanded his armies, and held elections. Gaius Julius Caesar was then elected to Consol, the highest office in the republic. “Julius Caesar is proclaimed a god (due to a comet that appeared at games in his honor in 44) Octavian becomes "son of a god", divi filius. “Kondratieff, Eric. 27, April, 2001 .â€
Augustus in 27 B.C. he officially gave power of Rome back to the senate. He also offered to give up his military leadership over Egypt. The senate turned him down and also gave him power over Hispania, Gaul and Syria. These three states had the most amounts of troops occupying them. This is when the senate gave him the name Augustus. He knew that he needed more power to be able to have absolute control. In 23 B.C. he was granted the power of tribune, which gave him the power to assemble the senate at any time. This duty was normally held by commoners, so this gave him even more power. Another thing he was granted was “imperial power†or power greater than anyone. This gave him all power relating to government. In this same year he is said to have assumed the role of Roman Emperor. He acted in the name of the senate and the senate gave him full support over most decisions.
Augustus not only rescued Rome from 100 years of civil war, he also kept up an honest government, and more importantly to the people, he created a good money system, extended the highway system to connect with most of it’s empire, and developed a capable postal service and free trade among the empire. He also created an imperial civil service that was divided into 14 divisions to more efficiently govern the city of Rome. He then created a bureaucracy that would help him to control the new civil service. Urban allies were his police force for the divisions, and either Augustus himself or senators could act as these division leaders. Although he made these incredible ideas work, the main point of his attention was focused on the military. He organized the military around himself being the leader. He used this military to control the front line as well as use it to invade new countries such as Armenia and Spain. He signed a peace treaty with the country of Parthian which showed he had wisdom as a leader not only aggression and the thought of everything was his. This is one of the reasons that historians consider Caesar Augustus to be one of the most important and influential people of the ancient world.
In his later years, Augustus was more and more non social with the roman world. He started to rule from Rome and was not out on the battlefields as much as he was when he was younger. This is referred to as the “Augustan age†or the time that represents cultural excellence in much the same way as Augustus, in which the stability of Rome makes possible a high point of the arts. It is also a famous period in Latin literature history.
Augustus Caesar, the first great roman emperor was much more than that. He did not only care about wealth, but for the good of the people of Rome. He showed people that being a good ruler involves more than thought into the matter. It requires the hard work of you, the ruler, for many, many years. I think that Augustus earned the respect that he got from the senate and from the people of Rome that voted him consol and did not try to get rid of him for entire length as emperor of the roman world.
TIMELINE -- Octavian Caesar Augustus:
63 BC, September 23: Octavian born, at Rome to Gaius Octavius and Atia, niece of Julius Caesar; received early training in private life from his great uncle (Julius Caesar) (Suet. Aug. 5, 6, 94)
60 BC: First Triumvirate of Pompey, Crassus and Caesar
53 BC: Crassus killed and his army wiped out at Carrhae
ca. 50 BC: Funeral Oration for his grandmother Julia
49 BC: Caesar crosses the Rubicon, marches on Italy; Pompey and the Senate flee to Greece
48 BC:
Battle of Pharsalus; Caesar victorious; Pompey flees to Egypt where he is murdered.
October 18: Toga virilis (ceremony: legally enters into manhood)
45 BC: In Spain with Julius Caesar: Battle of Munda; later at Apollonia to study and await Caesar's expedition to Parthia
44 BC:
March 15: Assassination of Caesar; Octavian named his principal heir and adopted by Caesar in his will.
April 18: At Naples
April 19: Meeting with Cicero and Balbus (Cic. Att. 14.10); then goes to Puteoli (Philippus' villa), then Cumae (Cicero's Villa)
Early May: In Rome, meets with Antony in Horti Pompei (Pompey's Gardens); Octavian attempts to collect his legacy from Antony (who has seized Caesar's papers and fortune). They eventually come to blows.
43 BC:
April 14: Battle at Forum Gallorum (Antonius Defeated)
April 14-27: Octavian, invested with propraetorian imperium, leads legions in battle at Mutina, along with consuls Hirtius and Pansa
April 21: Antonius Defeated
May 24: Antonius and Lepidus join forces
August 19: Octavian and his cousin (Caesar's nephew) Quintus Pedius become suffect consuls; Octavian recognized as Julius Caesar's adoptive son under name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus
October: Octavian meets with Antony and Lepidus at island of Reni (Near Bononia)
November 27: Second Triumvirate legislated at Rome, for 5 years via the lex Titia
Beginning of the proscriptions:
130+ senators (Livy)
200 senators + 2000 equites (Appian)
300 senators + 3000 equites (Plutarch)
Only one ex-consul known (Cicero), out of nearly 100 known names
42 BC:
January 1: Julius Caesar is proclaimed a god (due to a comet that appeared at games in his honor in 44); Octavian becomes "son of a god", divi filius
Spring - Winter Preparations for the campaign against the forces of Brutus and Cassius, the 'Liberators'
October 23: Antony and Octavian avenge Caesar's assassination at the Battle of Philippi (well, Antony does all the work).
41/40 BC: War of Perusia between Octavian and Antony's brother and wife, Lucius Antonius and Fulvia. Octavian wins.
40 BC: Treaty of Brundisium between the Triumvirs: Octavian gets the West, Antony the East, Lepidus Africa. Antony marries Octavian's full-sister Octavia to seal the deal.
39 BC: Treaty of Tarentum: Antony and Octavian cede Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica to Sextus Pompey as a "Protectorate." Octavian marries Scribonia, a relative of Sextus Pompey, with whom he has one daughter, Julia.
38 BC: Octavian fights two indecisive sea battles with Sextus Pompey and loses his fleets in storms; divorces Scribonia upon the birth of Julia and marries Livia. The Triumvirate's mandate runs out.
37 BC: Triumvirate renewed for 5 more years. Agrippa trains a new fleet near Naples. Antony marries Cleopatra (this is invalid in Rome) and starts his disastrous Parthian Campaign.
36 BC: Octavian, with the help of Agrippa and Lepidus, defeats Sextus Pompey at Naulochus in Sicily; Lepidus attempts to take over Sicily, but instead loses his position as Triumvir, his army and his navy and is sent into exile. Octavian now has more military resources than Antony. East and West are now in complete control of two men.
34 BC: Antony breaks with Rome and Octavian for good. He holds a "triumph" in Alexandria to celebrate his "victory" in Armenia. Officially divorces Octavian's sister Octavia. Donations of Alexandria: Antony divides much of Rome's eastern empire among Cleopatra's children (3 of whom are his as well) and declares Octavian a usurper of Caesar's rightful heir, Caesarion, son of Caesar and Cleopatra.
33 BC: Triumvirate runs out again; Octavian campaigning in Illyria
32 BC: The "war of words" between Antony and Octavian; Octavian reads Antony's will (which again declares Caesarion as Caesar's lawful heir) in the Senate. The west, alarmed at Antony's apparent prediliction for the East and willingness to advance the interests of Cleopatra over Rome's, officially declares war on Egypt and demands Octavian (who currently holds no magisterial office) as "Dux" or leader of the war effort.
31 BC, September 2: Octavian (now consul for the third time) and Agrippa are victorious over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium.
30 BC, August: Octavian and his forces take Alexandria; Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide.
29 BC, August 13-15: Octavian celebrates a triple triumph at Rome (Illyria, Actium and Alexandria) on three successive days; he attributes the success to Apollo. The influx of money and booty causes a sharp decreas in interest rates, making Octavian more popular than ever.
28 BC: Octavian dedicates a temple to Apollo on the Palatine Hill, Rome (next to his home).
27 BC, January 13 & 16: Octavian "hands the Republic back to the people" and in return receives the title Augustus and an enormous proconsular province including Spain, Gaul, Syria and Egypt. He thus controls most of the military provinces, and hence maintains his preeminent power. His virtues are commemorated in golden shield (clipeum virtutis) set up at the senate house (Curia Julia) in the Roman Forum.
25 BC: Augustus marries his daughter Julia to Marcellus (his sister's son)
23 BC, June: Augustus lays aside the Consular office he has held continuously since 31 in order to allow more aristocrats a chance at prestige; he receives in return imperium maius, which gives him authority over all other magistrates and commanders, and tribunicia potestas which gives him broad legislative authority. On the domestic side, his nephew and son-in-law Marcellus dies, so Augustus makes Agrippa divorce his wife and marry Julia, who then bears three sons, Gaius, Lucius and Postumus, and two daughters, Agrippina and Julia.
22 BC: Journey to the East: Athens, Eleusis (where he is initiated), Peloponnese, Samos, Syria, etc.
20 BC: Through diplomatic negotiations, Augustus recovers standards captured by the Parthians in three wars against Rome; commemorates this event in art and coinage.
19 BC, October 12: Augustus' return from the East celebrated with religious vows and a new altar to Fortuna Redux (Fortune the home-bringer)
18 BC: lectio Senatus--revision of the Senate
17 BC: Augustus adopts his grandsons Gaius and Lucius
Before May 24: lex Iulia de ordinibus maritandis (marriage laws)
May 31 - June 3: Celebrates a new age (saeculum) with special sacrifices and games called the Ludi Saeculares (these ceremonies are held every 100 to 110 years).
13 BC: Agrippa, having received Tribunician Powers in 18 and Imperium Maius in 13 (making him virtually co-emperor) goes on campaign in Pannonia and becomes ill.
12 BC: Agrippa dies; Augustus forces his stepson Tiberius to divorce his wife Vipsania (daughter of Agrippa and Marcella (a niece of Augustus)) to marry Augustus' daughter Julia (Agrippa's widow). Lepidus dies; Augustus becomes Pontifex Maximus in his place (March 6), and is now in charge of Roman religion.
11 BC: lectio Senatus; Theater of Marcellus opened to the public (May 4)
8 BC: Census
5 BC, January 1: Augustus COS XII, Presents Gaius Caesar (heir) in public in the Forum
2 BC:
January 1: Augustus COS XIII, Presents Lucius Caesar (heir) in public in the Forum; Augustus named 'PATER PATRIAE' (Father of His Country)
August 1: Dedication of Forum Augustum and temple of Mars Ultor
unknown date: Julia scandal; Augustus exiles his daughter due to 'plots' with men in the aristocracy with whom she'd been cavorting...
AD 4: lectio Senatus; Tiberius adopted by Augustus; Germanicus adopted by Tiberius
AD 9, Summer: P. Quinctilius Varus and his three legions are massacred by the Germans in the Teutoburger Wald; panic ensues in Italy; Augustus, distraught, begins his final decline
AD 13, April 3: Augustus writes his will; soon after, Tiberius is given imperium maius which makes him virtual co-emperor with Augustus.
AD 14: Augustus dies, having deposited his last will and testament, and account of accomplishments (Res Gestae Divi Augusti) with the Vestal Virgins, the latter of which is carved on bronze pillars in front of his Mausoleum in Rome. Tiberius succeeds to the throne.
Augustus was born in Rome, in 63 B.C. with the name Gaius Octavius Thurinus. His father, also Gaius Octavius, came from a respectable family and was governor of Macedonia before his death in 58 BC. More importantly, his mother Atia Balba Caesonia was the niece of Rome's greatest general, Julius Caesar. In 46 BC Caesar, who had no children, took his great-nephew Augustus, to fight in Hispania, and adopted him as his heir. By his adoption, he then used the name Gaius Julius Caesar. Roman tradition said that he also use the surname Octavianus to indicate his biological family, from which historians take the name Octavian. However no evidence exists that he ever used the name Octavianus.
When Julius Caesar was assassinated in March 44 BC, Octavius was with the army at Apollonian, in what is now Albania. At the time, he was only eighteen years old, and his power was always underestimated by his rivals. He gathered support by emphasizing his status as heir to Caesar and took the name Gaius Julius Caesar. In Rome, after Julius Caesars death Gaius meets with Antony in Horti Pompeii, Gaius attempted to collect his legacy from Antony, who stole Caesar's papers and fortune. After taking control over the papers and Rome he, Antony, and Lepidus each received one third of Julius Caesar’s empire. Augustus received the part that was Africa. After gaining more power, he defeated Lepidus for trying to take over Sicily. He finally defeated Marc Antony at the battle of Actium in 31 B.C. That same year he received another consulship and held that position for eight years. He then disbanded his armies, and held elections. Gaius Julius Caesar was then elected to Consol, the highest office in the republic. “Julius Caesar is proclaimed a god (due to a comet that appeared at games in his honor in 44) Octavian becomes "son of a god", divi filius. “Kondratieff, Eric. 27, April, 2001 .â€
Augustus in 27 B.C. he officially gave power of Rome back to the senate. He also offered to give up his military leadership over Egypt. The senate turned him down and also gave him power over Hispania, Gaul and Syria. These three states had the most amounts of troops occupying them. This is when the senate gave him the name Augustus. He knew that he needed more power to be able to have absolute control. In 23 B.C. he was granted the power of tribune, which gave him the power to assemble the senate at any time. This duty was normally held by commoners, so this gave him even more power. Another thing he was granted was “imperial power†or power greater than anyone. This gave him all power relating to government. In this same year he is said to have assumed the role of Roman Emperor. He acted in the name of the senate and the senate gave him full support over most decisions.
Augustus not only rescued Rome from 100 years of civil war, he also kept up an honest government, and more importantly to the people, he created a good money system, extended the highway system to connect with most of it’s empire, and developed a capable postal service and free trade among the empire. He also created an imperial civil service that was divided into 14 divisions to more efficiently govern the city of Rome. He then created a bureaucracy that would help him to control the new civil service. Urban allies were his police force for the divisions, and either Augustus himself or senators could act as these division leaders. Although he made these incredible ideas work, the main point of his attention was focused on the military. He organized the military around himself being the leader. He used this military to control the front line as well as use it to invade new countries such as Armenia and Spain. He signed a peace treaty with the country of Parthian which showed he had wisdom as a leader not only aggression and the thought of everything was his. This is one of the reasons that historians consider Caesar Augustus to be one of the most important and influential people of the ancient world.
In his later years, Augustus was more and more non social with the roman world. He started to rule from Rome and was not out on the battlefields as much as he was when he was younger. This is referred to as the “Augustan age†or the time that represents cultural excellence in much the same way as Augustus, in which the stability of Rome makes possible a high point of the arts. It is also a famous period in Latin literature history.
Augustus Caesar, the first great roman emperor was much more than that. He did not only care about wealth, but for the good of the people of Rome. He showed people that being a good ruler involves more than thought into the matter. It requires the hard work of you, the ruler, for many, many years. I think that Augustus earned the respect that he got from the senate and from the people of Rome that voted him consol and did not try to get rid of him for entire length as emperor of the roman world.
TIMELINE -- Octavian Caesar Augustus:
63 BC, September 23: Octavian born, at Rome to Gaius Octavius and Atia, niece of Julius Caesar; received early training in private life from his great uncle (Julius Caesar) (Suet. Aug. 5, 6, 94)
60 BC: First Triumvirate of Pompey, Crassus and Caesar
53 BC: Crassus killed and his army wiped out at Carrhae
ca. 50 BC: Funeral Oration for his grandmother Julia
49 BC: Caesar crosses the Rubicon, marches on Italy; Pompey and the Senate flee to Greece
48 BC:
Battle of Pharsalus; Caesar victorious; Pompey flees to Egypt where he is murdered.
October 18: Toga virilis (ceremony: legally enters into manhood)
45 BC: In Spain with Julius Caesar: Battle of Munda; later at Apollonia to study and await Caesar's expedition to Parthia
44 BC:
March 15: Assassination of Caesar; Octavian named his principal heir and adopted by Caesar in his will.
April 18: At Naples
April 19: Meeting with Cicero and Balbus (Cic. Att. 14.10); then goes to Puteoli (Philippus' villa), then Cumae (Cicero's Villa)
Early May: In Rome, meets with Antony in Horti Pompei (Pompey's Gardens); Octavian attempts to collect his legacy from Antony (who has seized Caesar's papers and fortune). They eventually come to blows.
43 BC:
April 14: Battle at Forum Gallorum (Antonius Defeated)
April 14-27: Octavian, invested with propraetorian imperium, leads legions in battle at Mutina, along with consuls Hirtius and Pansa
April 21: Antonius Defeated
May 24: Antonius and Lepidus join forces
August 19: Octavian and his cousin (Caesar's nephew) Quintus Pedius become suffect consuls; Octavian recognized as Julius Caesar's adoptive son under name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus
October: Octavian meets with Antony and Lepidus at island of Reni (Near Bononia)
November 27: Second Triumvirate legislated at Rome, for 5 years via the lex Titia
Beginning of the proscriptions:
130+ senators (Livy)
200 senators + 2000 equites (Appian)
300 senators + 3000 equites (Plutarch)
Only one ex-consul known (Cicero), out of nearly 100 known names
42 BC:
January 1: Julius Caesar is proclaimed a god (due to a comet that appeared at games in his honor in 44); Octavian becomes "son of a god", divi filius
Spring - Winter Preparations for the campaign against the forces of Brutus and Cassius, the 'Liberators'
October 23: Antony and Octavian avenge Caesar's assassination at the Battle of Philippi (well, Antony does all the work).
41/40 BC: War of Perusia between Octavian and Antony's brother and wife, Lucius Antonius and Fulvia. Octavian wins.
40 BC: Treaty of Brundisium between the Triumvirs: Octavian gets the West, Antony the East, Lepidus Africa. Antony marries Octavian's full-sister Octavia to seal the deal.
39 BC: Treaty of Tarentum: Antony and Octavian cede Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica to Sextus Pompey as a "Protectorate." Octavian marries Scribonia, a relative of Sextus Pompey, with whom he has one daughter, Julia.
38 BC: Octavian fights two indecisive sea battles with Sextus Pompey and loses his fleets in storms; divorces Scribonia upon the birth of Julia and marries Livia. The Triumvirate's mandate runs out.
37 BC: Triumvirate renewed for 5 more years. Agrippa trains a new fleet near Naples. Antony marries Cleopatra (this is invalid in Rome) and starts his disastrous Parthian Campaign.
36 BC: Octavian, with the help of Agrippa and Lepidus, defeats Sextus Pompey at Naulochus in Sicily; Lepidus attempts to take over Sicily, but instead loses his position as Triumvir, his army and his navy and is sent into exile. Octavian now has more military resources than Antony. East and West are now in complete control of two men.
34 BC: Antony breaks with Rome and Octavian for good. He holds a "triumph" in Alexandria to celebrate his "victory" in Armenia. Officially divorces Octavian's sister Octavia. Donations of Alexandria: Antony divides much of Rome's eastern empire among Cleopatra's children (3 of whom are his as well) and declares Octavian a usurper of Caesar's rightful heir, Caesarion, son of Caesar and Cleopatra.
33 BC: Triumvirate runs out again; Octavian campaigning in Illyria
32 BC: The "war of words" between Antony and Octavian; Octavian reads Antony's will (which again declares Caesarion as Caesar's lawful heir) in the Senate. The west, alarmed at Antony's apparent prediliction for the East and willingness to advance the interests of Cleopatra over Rome's, officially declares war on Egypt and demands Octavian (who currently holds no magisterial office) as "Dux" or leader of the war effort.
31 BC, September 2: Octavian (now consul for the third time) and Agrippa are victorious over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium.
30 BC, August: Octavian and his forces take Alexandria; Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide.
29 BC, August 13-15: Octavian celebrates a triple triumph at Rome (Illyria, Actium and Alexandria) on three successive days; he attributes the success to Apollo. The influx of money and booty causes a sharp decreas in interest rates, making Octavian more popular than ever.
28 BC: Octavian dedicates a temple to Apollo on the Palatine Hill, Rome (next to his home).
27 BC, January 13 & 16: Octavian "hands the Republic back to the people" and in return receives the title Augustus and an enormous proconsular province including Spain, Gaul, Syria and Egypt. He thus controls most of the military provinces, and hence maintains his preeminent power. His virtues are commemorated in golden shield (clipeum virtutis) set up at the senate house (Curia Julia) in the Roman Forum.
25 BC: Augustus marries his daughter Julia to Marcellus (his sister's son)
23 BC, June: Augustus lays aside the Consular office he has held continuously since 31 in order to allow more aristocrats a chance at prestige; he receives in return imperium maius, which gives him authority over all other magistrates and commanders, and tribunicia potestas which gives him broad legislative authority. On the domestic side, his nephew and son-in-law Marcellus dies, so Augustus makes Agrippa divorce his wife and marry Julia, who then bears three sons, Gaius, Lucius and Postumus, and two daughters, Agrippina and Julia.
22 BC: Journey to the East: Athens, Eleusis (where he is initiated), Peloponnese, Samos, Syria, etc.
20 BC: Through diplomatic negotiations, Augustus recovers standards captured by the Parthians in three wars against Rome; commemorates this event in art and coinage.
19 BC, October 12: Augustus' return from the East celebrated with religious vows and a new altar to Fortuna Redux (Fortune the home-bringer)
18 BC: lectio Senatus--revision of the Senate
17 BC: Augustus adopts his grandsons Gaius and Lucius
Before May 24: lex Iulia de ordinibus maritandis (marriage laws)
May 31 - June 3: Celebrates a new age (saeculum) with special sacrifices and games called the Ludi Saeculares (these ceremonies are held every 100 to 110 years).
13 BC: Agrippa, having received Tribunician Powers in 18 and Imperium Maius in 13 (making him virtually co-emperor) goes on campaign in Pannonia and becomes ill.
12 BC: Agrippa dies; Augustus forces his stepson Tiberius to divorce his wife Vipsania (daughter of Agrippa and Marcella (a niece of Augustus)) to marry Augustus' daughter Julia (Agrippa's widow). Lepidus dies; Augustus becomes Pontifex Maximus in his place (March 6), and is now in charge of Roman religion.
11 BC: lectio Senatus; Theater of Marcellus opened to the public (May 4)
8 BC: Census
5 BC, January 1: Augustus COS XII, Presents Gaius Caesar (heir) in public in the Forum
2 BC:
January 1: Augustus COS XIII, Presents Lucius Caesar (heir) in public in the Forum; Augustus named 'PATER PATRIAE' (Father of His Country)
August 1: Dedication of Forum Augustum and temple of Mars Ultor
unknown date: Julia scandal; Augustus exiles his daughter due to 'plots' with men in the aristocracy with whom she'd been cavorting...
AD 4: lectio Senatus; Tiberius adopted by Augustus; Germanicus adopted by Tiberius
AD 9, Summer: P. Quinctilius Varus and his three legions are massacred by the Germans in the Teutoburger Wald; panic ensues in Italy; Augustus, distraught, begins his final decline
AD 13, April 3: Augustus writes his will; soon after, Tiberius is given imperium maius which makes him virtual co-emperor with Augustus.
AD 14: Augustus dies, having deposited his last will and testament, and account of accomplishments (Res Gestae Divi Augusti) with the Vestal Virgins, the latter of which is carved on bronze pillars in front of his Mausoleum in Rome. Tiberius succeeds to the throne.