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Political Thinkers
Augustus [Gaius
Octavius] (63 B.C.-A.D. 14)
The first Emperor of the
Roman Empire,
Augustus – born Gaius Octavius – was the great nephew and adopted son of Julius
Caesar. As sole Emperor, he ruled for 41 years and built Rome into a strong
sovereignty, establishing a standardized government, border security, postal
service, and currency; creating a police and fire department, and a legal
system; building roads, bridges, aqueducts, and many buildings; and restoring
temples. Horace, Livy, Ovid, and Virgil formed the Golden Age of Roman
Literature under the reign of Augustus, and his reign was the beginning of the
Pax Romana
(Peace of Rome), an era that signifies the prime of the
Roman Empire; it
ended in 180 with the death of Marcus Aurelius.
Octavius was born in
Rome
and was four years old when his father died. His mother, Caesar’s niece,
supervised his education in language and philosophy; and at 12 years old,
Octavius made his first public speech – the eulogy at his grandmother’s
(Caesar’s sister) funeral. He served as a Roman priest, celebrated Caesar’s
victorious return to Rome
in 46, and endured several hardships while traveling to Hispania to assist
Caesar in a battle with Pompey’s sons. Some historians note that it was the
determination of Octavius to join Caesar in battle that prompted Caesar to make
Octavius his heir. Octavius was in Apollonia (in
Albania)
when he heard about Caesar’s murder, but didn’t know he was Caesar’s heir until
he reached Brundisium (Brindisi
in Puglia).
There, Octavius was able to gain the support of Roman soldiers and financial
backing and made his way to
Rome.
In 43, Octavius formed an alliance with
Mark Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus to create the Second Triumvirate,
sharing the powers of the title of Emperor. A series of battles and struggles
for power led Octavius to become sole ruler of the
Roman Empire in
31. In 27, Octavius was named Emperor of the
Roman Empire and
took the name Augustus. He ruled until his death in A.D. 14. During his rule
Jesus was born, and Augustus ordered the census that brought Joseph and Mary to
Bethlehem.
LINKS:
Augustus
Caesar
The
Deeds of the Divine Augustus
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Written by Janice Mancuso
Biographies
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