Featured Article Summary #169

Augustus, born Gaius Octavius (also called Octavian), was the founder of the Roman Empire and the first emperor, ruling from 27 BC until AD 14. His reign began the Pax Romana, a period of relative peace, and introduced the principate, a government style where the emperor publicly respected the Senate. After inheriting Julius Caesar’s legacy, Octavian rose to power through alliances and battles, ultimately defeating rivals and taking control of Egypt. He then restored the appearance of a republic while keeping real control through the army and key official powers granted by the Senate. Augustus expanded the empire, improved administration and infrastructure, and strengthened Rome’s institutions, including creating a professional army and the Praetorian Guard. He died in AD 14, was honored by the Senate, and was succeeded by his stepson Tiberius, though rumors have long claimed his wife Livia poisoned him. Augustus was known by different names during his life. As a child he was called Octavius, and after Julius Caesar named him heir in 44 BC he adopted Caesar’s name and later was often distinguished as “Octavian.” By 27 BC the Senate awarded him the honorific Augustus (“the revered”), and historians mostly use Augustus (or Augustus Caesar) for the rest of his life. Octavian, born Gaius Octavius on 23 September 63 BC in Rome, was raised partly on the Palatine Hill and in nearby Velitrae. His mother Atia was Julius Caesar’s niece, and his father came from a moderately wealthy family that held important political roles; after his father’s death, his mother remarried and Octavian had his first public appearance delivering a funeral speech for Caesar’s sister. He was educated by a Greek tutor and later studied philosophy and rhetoric under several teachers. During Julius Caesar’s rise, Octavian became a priest, helped with public games, joined Caesar’s campaigns in ways allowed by his health, and in 45 BC was named Caesar’s principal heir when a new will was deposited. In 44 BC, Octavius was in Illyria when Julius Caesar was declared dictator for life and then assassinated on 15 March. Caesar’s will named Octavius as his main heir, requiring him to take Caesar’s name, so Octavius assumed the identity of Gaius Julius Caesar (though others often called him Octavian). With little money of his own, he demanded Caesar’s stored war funds, took tribute from Asia without permission, and recruited Caesar’s veterans, building a loyal army by June. Octavian arrived in Rome on 6 May 44 BC and found Mark Antony in a tense agreement with Caesar’s assassins, but public feeling soon turned against them. As Octavian tried to carry out Caesar’s plans and gain power, Antony blocked him over money, recognition of Caesar’s status, and political legitimacy, helping Octavian win more support. Over the summer and into autumn, Antony’s confrontational actions made even moderate supporters worry about civil war, while Cicero began speeches warning that Antony threatened the Republic.