The VUSSR is proud to select...
In the
Monarch category...
A fine Roman,
AUGUSTUS aka OCTAVIAN CAESAR
(the young kid in the Rome HBO series
)
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) was the first emperor of the
Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.
[note 1] Born
Gaius Octavius Thurinus, he was
adopted posthumously by his great-uncle
Gaius Julius Caesar in 44 BC via his last will and testament, and between then and 27 BC was officially named
Gaius Julius Caesar. In 27 BC the Senate awarded him the honorific
Augustus ("the revered one"), and thus consequently he was
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus.
[note 2] Because of the various names he bore, it is common to call him
Octavius when referring to events between 63 and 44 BC,
Octavian (or
Octavianus) when referring to events between 44 and 27 BC, and
Augustus when referring to events after 27 BC. In Greek sources, Augustus is known as
Ὀκτάβιος (
Octavius),
Καῖσαρ (
Caesar),
Αὔγουστος (
Augustus), or
Σεβαστός (
Sebastos), depending on context.
The young Octavius came into his inheritance after Caesar's assassination in 44 BC. In 43 BC, Octavian joined forces with
Mark Antony and
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus in a
military dictatorship known as the
Second Triumvirate. As a
triumvir, Octavian ruled Rome and many of its provinces
[note 3] The triumvirate was eventually torn apart under the competing ambitions of its rulers: Lepidus was driven into exile, and Antony committed suicide following his defeat at the
Battle of Actium by the fleet of Octavian commanded by
Agrippa in 31 BC.
After the demise of the Second Triumvirate, Octavian restored the outward facade of the
Roman Republic, with governmental power vested in the
Roman Senate, but in practice retained his autocratic power. It took several years to determine the exact framework by which a formally republican state could be led by a sole ruler; the result became known as the
Roman Empire. The emperorship was never an office like the
Roman dictatorship which Caesar and
Sulla had held before him; indeed, he declined it when the Roman populace "entreated him to take on the dictatorship".
[1] By law, Augustus held a collection of powers granted to him for life by the Senate, including those of
tribune of the plebs and
censor. He was
consul until 23 BC.
[2] His substantive power stemmed from financial success and resources gained in conquest, the building of patronage relationships throughout the Empire, the loyalty of many military soldiers and veterans, the authority of the many honors granted by the Senate,
[3] and the respect of the people. Augustus' control over the majority of Rome's
legions established an armed threat that could be used against the Senate, allowing him to coerce the Senate's decisions. With his ability to eliminate senatorial opposition by means of arms, the Senate became docile towards him. His rule through patronage, military power, and accumulation of the offices of the defunct Republic became the model for all later imperial governments.
The reign of Augustus initiated an era of relative peace known as the
Pax Romana, or
Roman peace. Despite continuous wars on the frontiers, and one
year-long civil war over the imperial succession, the Mediterranean world remained at peace for more than two centuries. Augustus enlarged the empire dramatically, annexing
Egypt,
Dalmatia,
Pannonia, and
Raetia, expanded possessions in
Africa, and completed the conquest of
Hispania. Beyond the frontiers, he secured the empire with
client states, and made peace with
Parthia through diplomacy. He reformed the Roman system of taxation, developed
networks of roads with an official
courier system, established a standing army, established the
Praetorian Guard, and created official police and fire-fighting services for Rome. Much of the city was rebuilt under Augustus; and he wrote a record of his own accomplishments, known as the
Res Gestae Divi Augusti, which has survived. Upon his death in 14 AD, Augustus was declared a god by the Senate - to be worshipped by the Romans.
[4] His names Augustus and Caesar were adopted by every subsequent emperor, and the month of Sextilis was officially renamed August in his honour. He was succeeded by his stepson, former son-in-law and adopted son,
Tiberius.
