AUGUSTUS

(23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14)

Gaius Octavianus Thurinus was a normal Roman young man unbeknownst to

all until suddenly, in 44 BC, he was adopted posthumorously by his great
uncle Julius Caesar; thus his name was legally changed to Gaius Julius
Caesar (also because he didn’t like his old name). Although we at the Roman
Daily Herald have a lot of respect for the man, he perhaps changed his name
a bit too much for our liking-it’s like he was never happy with what he had.
Throughout Augustus’ life, he had a feud with Mark Antony. This all
started when Cicero, seeking to use the inexperienced boy to neutralise Mark
Antony, persuaded the senate that Mark Antony was trying to become
dictator. Augustus and the two consuls won, but when the consuls tried to
cast him aside he marched on Rome and demanded the consulship. He was a
very smart guy, and this shows it.
But it was Antony who avenged Caesar’s death and so got all the
respect, forcing Augustus to do all the dirty work after the campaign against
Brutus and Cassius- finding land for the 100 000 or so veterans to live.
Augustus was pretty angry by now, as we all knew, but in 39 BC the
marriage of Antony to Octavia, Augustus’ sister, seemed to settle their
differences.
Until 31 BC in which Antony was killed by Octavian’s fleet (which
featured Agrippa as their commander). Four years later, Augustus basically
ruling Rome and its empire, was given the name Augustus (the revered one).
Augustus’ power forced this to happen, as he ruled by military force against
the senate essentially; he was consul until 23 BC but even after that the
senate could not do anything against him for fear of being eliminated.
Augustus ruled with this power for his whole life, yet there were hardly any
wars during his reign. The Roman Empire for once was in peace for longer
than a couple of years. In fact the only wars that occurred were a one year
long civil war and various extremely small scale battles on the frontiers of
the empire. And also his expansions.
 Augustus was a legend. He both expanded the empire dramatically over
his rule and yet still managed to make reforms to the Roman legal system
and other various facets of Roman life. He annexed Egypt, Dalmatia,
Pannonia and Raetia and completed the conquest of Hispania while
simultaneously reforming the Roman system of taxation, developing
networks of roads with an official courier system, establishing a standing
army, establishing the Praetorian Guard, and creating official police and fire-
fighting services for Rome. He was a pretty busy guy over his life. It was
because of this that yesterday the senate dubbed him a God, and, as it turns
out, we now have a month called Augustus. Who would have thought that
when he was only a young child, unbeknownst to all??