Octavian "Augustus" Caesar:
First Roman Emperor
Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus was the first Roman emperor and as history would later reveal, one of the most important. Known in English as Octavian, he later took on the name Augustus beginning in 27 BC. Octavius was actually the great-nephew of Julius Caesar by blood.
When Caesar was proclaimed a god in 42 BC, with the corresponding title, Divus Iulius or the Divine Julius, Octavius who as adopted by Caesar and was therefore next in line to the throne was given the title Divi filius or Son of a god.
While it outwardly seemed that Octavius was all for the preservation of the Roman Republic as a form of governance, in truth his rule was more autocratic in nature and he remained in power for more than 40 years, a reign that was much longer than that of any of the emperors who followed him.
Nevertheless he is considered to this day one of the most influential characters in the history of the entire world. His reign straddled the dividing line between the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire and brought about an end to the numerous civil wars that had previously plagued the country.
Under the rule of Octavius, Rome enjoyed a period of relative peace and tranquillity, with an unprecedented growth in prosperity. This period lasted for more than 200 years and came to be known as Roman peace or Pax Romana.
Gaius Octavius was born in Rome on September 23rd, 63 BC and named after his father, who was descended from a little known although respected family of the equestrian lineage.
The senior Octavius also held the position of governor of Macedonia. When the governor successfully quashed a slave rebellion in Thurii, he gave Octavius the additional name of Thurinus, to commemorate the event. As was mentioned earlier, Octavius was related to the great Roman statesman Julius Caesar.
This bloodline can be traced through his mother who was the niece of Caesar and the two men's paths would be inextricably tied together as history would later bear out. Many of Gaius Octavius' early years were spent near Veletrae (which is now known as Velletri), in his grandfather's house.
His father died in 59 BC, and the responsibility for the care of Octavius fell upon his mother and when she subsequently married, to his stepfather who was named Lucius Marcius Philippus.
Gaius Octavius gradually came into the attention of his great uncle beginning in 52 BC (some reports place the date at 51 BC) when he was tasked to deliver the speech at his Grandmother Julia's funeral.
Julia was the eldest sister of Julius Caesar. In 46 BC, Octavius endeavoured to join the armies of Caesar to fight against Pompey in Hispania but a sudden illness prevented him from doing so. When he felt sufficiently able to join the battle, he sailed towards the front but disaster struck yet again this time in the form of a shipwreck. He was barely able to make it to shore along with a handful of his crewmembers and even then had to navigate through hostile territories before making contact with his great uncle's forces.
When Julius Caesar heard of his great nephew's amazing feat of bravery, Octavius' worth grew considerably and Caesar allowed the young man to share his carriage. In fact so high was Caesar's esteem for Octavius that upon their return to Rome, Caesar wrote a new will in which he named Gaius Octavius the sole beneficiary. For want of a legitimate heir to the throne, Julius Caesar also adopted Gaius Octavius and left him in command of Rome after his death.
Many people in Rome challenged the appointment of Octavius as heir to the throne, among them Marc Antony, who was one of Caesar's most favoured generals before his death. Marc Antony claimed among other things that the appointment of Octavius as heir to the throne was in payment for sexual favours.
In the face of these attacks upon his legitimacy, Gaius Octavius nevertheless gained the support of many of his great-uncle's old allies and thereby strengthened his claims as heir to the throne.
Octavius in turn appointed his own adopted son, Tiberius, as his chosen heir to the throne.
Gaius Octavius died on August 19, 14 AD.
Original Authors: Doods Pangburn
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 22/07/2008
