Octavian

Octavian

Octavian (a.k.a. Augustus) was born Gaius Octavius on September 23, 63 BC in Rome. His father of the same name had only just joined the Roman Senate. Octavian’s mother was Atia, who was the daughter of Julia and, more importantly, the niece of Julius Caesar. This provided Octavian a family link to Caesar and was essential to his rise to power. The elder Gaius died shortly after reaching praetorship in the Senate and finishing serving as governor of Macedonia. It was during Octavian’s fatherless years, Tacitus states in his Dialogues (Southern, Augustus, 3), that he was educated by his mother, Atia. Caesar returned to Rome in 46 BC after a series of victories abroad and Octavian became closely associated with Caesar from then on. When Julius Caesar was murdered in March 44 BC, Octavian went to Brundisium and learned of his adoption by Caesar. He changed his name to Julius Caesar Octavianus, but referred to himself as Caesar. He formed the Triumverate with Marcus Antonius and Marcus Lepidus and defeated Julius Caesar’s assassins Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius at Phillipi. The Triumverate began to fall apart and Octavian eventually declared

war on Antonius who had fled to Egypt. Octavian pursued Antonius and defeated him. Rome had no desire to be ruled by another dictator but Octavian worked his way up in the Senate and gained more power until 23 BC when he declared himself Emperor of Rome. The Senate named him “Augustus”. Augustus died in Nola in 14 A.D.

The Roman Empire enjoyed a long period of peace during Augustus’s reign. This period of peace was called “Pax Romana”, or “the Roman peace”. During this time Rome suffered no major civil wars or invasions. Augustus built the Ara Pacis to celebrate Rome’s long peace. He also worked to promote morality and punished adulterers. His reign was considered