Roman Emperor Augustus definition of Roman Emperor Augustus in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Augustus (ôgŭs`təs, əgŭs`–), 63 B.C.–A.D. 14, first Roman emperor, a grandson of the sister of Julius Caesar Caesar, Julius (Caius Julius Caesar), 100? B.C.–44 B.C., Roman statesman and general.

Rise to Power

Although he was born into the Julian gens, one of the oldest patrician families in Rome, Caesar was always a member of the democratic or popular
..... Click the link for more information. . Named at first Caius Octavius, he became on adoption by the Julian gens (44 B.C.) Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian); Augustus was a title of honor granted (27 B.C.) by the senate.

The Second Triumvirate

When Octavius was a youth, Caesar took a great interest in his education and made him his heir without the boy's knowledge. Octavius was in Illyricum when Caesar was killed, and he promptly set out for Rome to avenge the dictator's death. Before he reached the city, he heard that he was Caesar's heir. At Rome, Antony Antony or Marc Antony, Lat. Marcus Antonius, c.83 B.C.–30 B.C., Roman politican and soldier. He was of a distinguished family; his mother was a relative of Julius Caesar .
..... Click the link for more information. was in control, and Octavian was recognized by Cicero and the senate as a leader against him. Antony went north to take Gaul and was defeated (43 B.C.) at Mutina (modern Modena).

Octavian, now dominant in Rome, secured the consulship and made an alliance with Antony and Lepidus Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, d. 152 B.C., was a consul in 187 and 175 B.C., a censor in 179 B.C., and pontifex maximus [high priest] from 180 B.C. He served with distinction in the war with Antiochus III of Syria.

Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, d. 77 B.C.
..... Click the link for more information. (d. 13 B.C.) as the Second Triumvirate. Having proscribed the enemies of the triumvirate, Octavian and Antony went east and defeated (42 B.C.) the army of Marcus Junius Brutus Lucius Junius Brutus, fl. 510 B.C., was the founder of the Roman republic. He feigned idiocy to escape death at the hands of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (see under Tarquin ).
..... Click the link for more information. and Caius Cassius Spurius Cassius Viscellinus, d. c.485 B.C., seems to have been consul several times. In 493 B.C. he negotiated a treaty establishing equal military assistance between Rome and the Latin cities.
..... Click the link for more information. Longinus at Philippi. Octavian's forces then attacked Sextus Pompeius Pompeius, Sextus (sĕk`stəs pŏmpā`əs), d. 35 B.C., Roman commander; one of the sons of Pompey the Great.
..... Click the link for more information. , who controlled Sicily and Sardinia, and Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Agrippa, Marcus Vipsanius (mär`kəs vĭpsā`nēəs əgrĭp`ə), c.63 B.C.–12 B.C., Roman general.
..... Click the link for more information. defeated (36 B.C.) Pompeius at Mylae.

Emperor

Consolidation of Power

While his enemies were being defeated abroad, Octavian also had been consolidating his power in Rome. He was helped by the growing impatience of Rome with Antony's intrigue with Cleopatra, and he had himself appointed (31 B.C.) general against Antony. After the naval battle off Actium Actium (ăk`tēəm, –shē–), promontory, NW Acarnania, Greece, at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf.
..... Click the link for more information. , which Agrippa won over Antony and Cleopatra, Octavian controlled all Roman territories. Although he began to reform the city and the provinces, he never returned control of the state back to the people.

He did, however, give the impression that Rome had gone from a military dictatorship to constitutional rule. He established no court, and he considered himself, at least publicly, not the ruler, but rather the first citizen of the republic. The senate delighted to honor him: in 29 B.C. he was made imperator [Lat.,=commander; from it is derived emperor], in 28 B.C. princeps [leader; from it is derived prince], in 27 B.C. augustus [august, reverend], in 12 B.C. pontifex maximus [high priest], and a month (Sextilis) was renamed Augustus (August) in his honor.

In his effort to hold the borders set by Caesar, he attempted to create a buffer state of the German territory between the Rhine and the Weser (or the Elbe). This led to a rebellion in A.D. 9 by Arminius Arminius (ärmĭn`ēəs), d. A.D. 21, leader of the Germans, called Hermann in modern German.
..... Click the link for more information. in which Varus was defeated. This was the only real reverse Augustus suffered.

Reforms and Policies

Augustus's reforms, which were far-reaching, fostered a revival of Roman tradition. He divided the provinces into two classes—senatorial, ruled by a proconsul chosen by the senate with a term of one year, and imperial, in charge of a governor solely responsible to Augustus with an indefinite term. To control the provinces Augustus encouraged local autonomy in administrative matters and allowed ethnic customs and cultural patterns to to flourish. He also spread the army throughout the empire; before this Italy had been burdened with a huge standing army.

Augustus studied the plans of Caesar for colonization throughout the empire. In economic policy, he supported business and industry. He made taxation more equitable and had general censuses taken. Knowing that the roads were the arteries of the empire, he lavished expenditures on them. He built a new forum, beautified the streets, improved housing conditions, and set up adequate police and fire protection. He was munificent to arts and letters, and he was a close friend of Maecenas Maecenas (Caius Maecenas) (mĭsē`nəs, mē–), d. 8 B.C., Roman statesman and patron of letters.
..... Click the link for more information. and a patron of Vergil, Ovid, Livy, and Horace. He was succeeded by his stepson Tiberius Tiberius (Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus) (tībēr`ēəs), 42 B.C.–A.D. 37, second Roman emperor (A.D. 14–A.D.
..... Click the link for more information. .

Bibliography

See V. Ehrenberg and A. H. M. Jones, Documents Illustrating the Reigns of Augustus and Tiberius (2d ed. 1955); R. Syme, The Roman Revolution (1939); G. W. Bowersock, Augustus and the Greek World (1965); F. Millar and E. Segal, ed., Caesar Augustus: Seven Aspects (1984).

Augustus

original name Gaius Octavianus; after his adoption by Julius Caesar (44 bc) known as Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. 63 bc--14 ad, Roman statesman, a member of the second triumvirate (43 bc). After defeating Mark Antony at Actium (31 bc), he became first emperor of Rome, adopting the title Augustus (27 bc)