Augustus Caesar - Revision history

AnthonyPvanDuyn: reworked table to be uniform with Julius Caesar, new section In Prophecy added

2026-09-30T06:32:43Z

reworked table to be uniform with Julius Caesar, new section In Prophecy added

DavidB4-bot: /* top */Spelling, grammar, and general cleanup, typos fixed: 31-23 → 31–23

2024-03-28T03:57:59Z

top: Spelling, grammar, and general cleanup, typos fixed: 31-23 → 31–23

AnthonyPvanDuyn: Works to "Childhood" started

2024-02-03T12:49:40Z

Works to "Childhood" started

AnthonyPvanDuyn at 17:08, February 2, 2024

2024-02-02T17:08:11Z

AnthonyPvanDuyn: Rework of Introduction and installment of an info panel (thereby relocating previous image)

2024-02-02T16:36:43Z

Rework of Introduction and installment of an info panel (thereby relocating previous image)

1990'sguy: Reverted edits by Mondern (talk) to last revision by DavidB4-bot

2019-10-31T00:43:54Z

Reverted edits by Mondern (talk) to last revision by DavidB4-bot

Mondern: Agustus ceasor

2019-10-31T00:33:18Z

Agustus ceasor

Mondern: Augustus ceasor

2019-10-31T00:25:57Z

Augustus ceasor

DavidB4-bot: Spelling, grammar, and general cleanup, typos fixed: Octavian’s → Octavian's (18)

2019-03-27T23:07:49Z

Spelling, grammar, and general cleanup, typos fixed: Octavian’s → Octavian's (18)

Impcaeaug at 03:34, March 8, 2019

2019-03-08T03:34:03Z

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-<table align="right" border ="0"; style="width:22em; font-size:90%; text-align: left;" cellspacing="2">
+{| style="float:right; width:260px; margin:0 0 1em 1em; border:1px solid #aaa; background:#f9f9f9;"
-<tr><th colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size:large;" class="fn" BGCOLOR="cyan">Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus
+|-
-<tr><th colspan="2" style="text-align:center">[[Princeps]]
+! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size:120%; padding:4px;" | Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus
-<tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size:8pt;text-align:center;padding:4pt;line-height:1.25em">
+|-
-[[Image:397px-Statue-Augustus.jpg|thumb|250px|''[[Augustus of the Prima Porta]].'' Discussed extensively in Zanker's text (cited ''infra''), the statue exemplifies Augustus' shift towards a Greek-influenced portraiture.]]<br />
+| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; padding:4px;" | [[Image:397px-Statue-Augustus.jpg|220px|thumb|Augustus of the Prima Porta]]
-<tr><th colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size:larger" BGCOLOR="cyan">Roman emperor
+|-
-<tr><th>Reign<td>
+! Title
-January 27 BC – <br />
+| Princeps; Roman Emperor
-August 14 AD
+|-
-<tr><th>Predecessor<td>[[Roman Republic]]
+! Reign
-<tr><th>Successor<td>[[Tiberius]]
+| 16 January 27 BC – 19 August AD 14
-<tr><th>Born<td>
+|-
-'''Gaius Octavius Thurinus'''<br />23 September 63 BC<br />[[Rome]], [[Italy]]
+! Predecessor
 '''Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus''' (born '''Gaius Octavius Thurinus'''; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) otherwise known as '''Augustus Caesar''', '''Caesar Augustus''', or simply by his [[agnomen]] '''Augustus''' or by his birth [[Nomen gentilicium|nomen]] of '''Octavian'''.  He was the founder of the [[principate]] system of Roman imperial rule upon the collaps of the [[Roman Republic]] and reigned as the first Roman emperor ushering the Roman world into its [[Pax Romana]].
@@ Line 108: / Line 107: @@
 On his deathbed, Augustus is said to have uttered a number of cryptic remarks.  First, he is said to have uttered, “have I not played my part well?  Then all clap as the actor leaves the stage,” perhaps suggesting that Augustus did indeed intend Rome to be a monarchy, with him as a democratic leader in name only.  He is also said to have remarked, “behold, for I found Rome of clay, and I leave her to you of marble.”
 == References ==

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 <tr><th>Career<td>
-[[Consul]] (43, 33, 31-23, 5, 2 BC)<br />
+[[Consul]] (43, 33, 31–23, 5, 2 BC)<br />
 [[Triumvir]] (43–27 BC)<br />
 [[Pontifex Maximus]] (from 12 BC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:49, February 3, 2024
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	== Childhood ==		== Childhood ==
		+	The 23rd of September 63 BC saw the first screams of the infant born ''Gaius Octavius'' from a small property known as 'Ox Head' on the [[Palatine Hill]] in [[Rome]], [[Italy]]. His father's family (gens Octavius), while being of [[plebeian]] rank evidenced a high rank therein as they came from the nearby town of [[Velletri]] where the main street was named 'Octavius' and the altar there dedicated by an Octavius.<ref>[[Suetonius]], ''The Twelve Caesars'', Augustus</ref> While his mother [[Atia]] (then about 22 years old) was the daughter to [[Gaius Julius Caesar\|Julius Caesar's]] older sister [[Julia Minor]]; this made young ''Gaius Octavius'' the great nephew of [[Gaius Julius Caesar\|Julius Caesar]].
		+
		+	It is believed that the [[cognomen]] of ''Thurinus'' was added to young ''Octavian's'' name as a celebration of his victory over some slaves of
		+
	The man who would later become Augustus was born as Octavian from the gens Julia, an extremely ancient Roman family of [[patrician]]s. The Julii were, despite their nobility, fairly unknown before [[Julius Caesar]] revived the fame of the clan, and were also fairly poor, despite their claim to direct descent from the goddess [[Venus]]. During his childhood Octavian was educated in Greek [[philosophy]] in [[Athens]]. His mother was [[Atia]], and he had a sister, [[Octavia Minor]].		The man who would later become Augustus was born as Octavian from the gens Julia, an extremely ancient Roman family of [[patrician]]s. The Julii were, despite their nobility, fairly unknown before [[Julius Caesar]] revived the fame of the clan, and were also fairly poor, despite their claim to direct descent from the goddess [[Venus]]. During his childhood Octavian was educated in Greek [[philosophy]] in [[Athens]]. His mother was [[Atia]], and he had a sister, [[Octavia Minor]].

@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 ==After Philippi==
 After the reason for their alliance disappeared, Lepidus, Antony, and Octavian realized that conflict was inevitable.  To postpone it for some time, the three partitioned the Roman Empire into three parts – Rome and the West went to Octavian, the wealthy East to Antony, and Africa to Lepidus.  The three immediately began to consolidate their power bases for a conflict that they all knew would come.
@@ Line 80: / Line 79: @@
 ==The Great Shift & the Constitutional Settlement==
 [[Image:CivicCrown.jpg|left|thumb|200px|A denarius of Augusuts' ''corona civica'', awarded for "saving the citizens" (''ob civis servato'').]]
 After the battle of Actium, Octavian stayed out of Rome for several years, securing the allegiance of the provinces, before returning to Rome in Triple [[Triumph]] over the Enemies of Rome.  He never mentioned his battle against Antony as a battle against a Roman: he phrased it as a defeat of Egypt, seen clearly in coins minted during this time carrying the inscription ‘’aegypta capta’’, or “Egypt Held Captive.”

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Rome}}
+<table align="right" border ="0"; style="width:22em; font-size:90%; text-align: left;" cellspacing="2">
-'''Augustus Caesar''' (63 B.C. - A.D. 14) was the first Roman emperor.  He was originally called Gaius Octavius Thurinus until he changed it per tradition after being adopted by [[Julius Caesar]] in 44 B.C.
+<tr><th colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size:large;" class="fn" BGCOLOR="cyan">Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus
-== Octavian as a Child ==
+== Childhood ==
-[[Image:397px-Statue-Augustus.jpg|left|thumb|200px|The statue of Augustus Caesar, ''[[Augustus of the Prima Porta]].'' Discussed extensively in Zanker's text (cited ''infra''), the statue exemplifies Augustus' shift towards a Greek-influenced portraiture.]]The man who would later become Augustus was born as Octavian from the gens Julia, an extremely ancient Roman family of [[patrician]]s.  The Julii were, despite their nobility, fairly unknown before [[Julius Caesar]] revived the fame of the clan, and were also fairly poor, despite their claim to direct descent from the goddess [[Venus]].  During his childhood Octavian was educated in Greek [[philosophy]] in [[Athens]].  His mother was [[Atia]], and he had a sister, [[Octavia Minor]].
+The man who would later become Augustus was born as Octavian from the gens Julia, an extremely ancient Roman family of [[patrician]]s.  The Julii were, despite their nobility, fairly unknown before [[Julius Caesar]] revived the fame of the clan, and were also fairly poor, despite their claim to direct descent from the goddess [[Venus]].  During his childhood Octavian was educated in Greek [[philosophy]] in [[Athens]].  His mother was [[Atia]], and he had a sister, [[Octavia Minor]].
 In Greece, and in Rome, Octavian gained two friends who would remain with him for his professional life: [[Myceneas]], and Marcus Vipsanius [[Agrippa]].  The three were fast friends, especially in adolescence.
@@ Line 22: / Line 70: @@
 ==After Philippi==
 After the reason for their alliance disappeared, Lepidus, Antony, and Octavian realized that conflict was inevitable.  To postpone it for some time, the three partitioned the Roman Empire into three parts – Rome and the West went to Octavian, the wealthy East to Antony, and Africa to Lepidus.  The three immediately began to consolidate their power bases for a conflict that they all knew would come.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:43, October 31, 2019
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	On his deathbed, Augustus is said to have uttered a number of cryptic remarks. First, he is said to have uttered, “have I not played my part well? Then all clap as the actor leaves the stage,” perhaps suggesting that Augustus did indeed intend Rome to be a monarchy, with him as a democratic leader in name only. He is also said to have remarked, “behold, for I found Rome of clay, and I leave her to you of marble.”		On his deathbed, Augustus is said to have uttered a number of cryptic remarks. First, he is said to have uttered, “have I not played my part well? Then all clap as the actor leaves the stage,” perhaps suggesting that Augustus did indeed intend Rome to be a monarchy, with him as a democratic leader in name only. He is also said to have remarked, “behold, for I found Rome of clay, and I leave her to you of marble.”
−
−	~~Luke 2:1 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Augustus Caesor, that all the world should be taxed.~~
−
−	~~I wanted to let you know his name is spelled as caesor agustus but it is actually backwords its Augustus ceasor~~

	== References ==		== References ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:33, October 31, 2019
Line 57:		Line 57:

	Luke 2:1 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Augustus Caesor, that all the world should be taxed.		Luke 2:1 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Augustus Caesor, that all the world should be taxed.
		+
		+	I wanted to let you know his name is spelled as caesor agustus but it is actually backwords its Augustus ceasor

	== References ==		== References ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:25, October 31, 2019
Line 55:		Line 55:

	On his deathbed, Augustus is said to have uttered a number of cryptic remarks. First, he is said to have uttered, “have I not played my part well? Then all clap as the actor leaves the stage,” perhaps suggesting that Augustus did indeed intend Rome to be a monarchy, with him as a democratic leader in name only. He is also said to have remarked, “behold, for I found Rome of clay, and I leave her to you of marble.”		On his deathbed, Augustus is said to have uttered a number of cryptic remarks. First, he is said to have uttered, “have I not played my part well? Then all clap as the actor leaves the stage,” perhaps suggesting that Augustus did indeed intend Rome to be a monarchy, with him as a democratic leader in name only. He is also said to have remarked, “behold, for I found Rome of clay, and I leave her to you of marble.”
		+
		+	Luke 2:1 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Augustus Caesor, that all the world should be taxed.

	== References ==		== References ==

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 In Greece, and in Rome, Octavian gained two friends who would remain with him for his professional life: [[Myceneas]], and Marcus Vipsanius [[Agrippa]].  The three were fast friends, especially in adolescence.
-Octavian’s fortunes changed when, upon the death of his uncle Julius Caesar, Caesar’s will was read, naming Octavian as his son-by-posthumous-adoption, not an uncommon practice in ancient [[Rome]].  Caesar had also left Octavian the duty of disbursing nearly all of the money he had accumulated to every [[plebian]] citizen in Rome.
+Octavian's fortunes changed when, upon the death of his uncle Julius Caesar, Caesar's will was read, naming Octavian as his son-by-posthumous-adoption, not an uncommon practice in ancient [[Rome]].  Caesar had also left Octavian the duty of disbursing nearly all of the money he had accumulated to every [[plebian]] citizen in Rome.
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 ==Following Ceasar's Death==
-Upon his adoption, Octavian adopted his full name, Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus, taking his adoptive father’s name and using his own as an adjectival ending, in the Roman tradition.  The new “Caesar,” as he quickly came to call himself, immediately pushed for Caesar’s will to be enforced, and his money to be distributed to the citizens.  He also called for his “father,” Julius Caesar, to be deified by the Senate.  As Caesar had become posthumously more popular with the plebeian class after learning that they were the beneficiaries of Caesar’s will, the citizens of Rome clamored until the Senate acceded to the demands, deifying Julius Caesar, and building his Temple on the burnt remains of the [[Senate House]].  Octavian also succeeded in having Caesar’s assassins, ([[Brutus]] and [[Cassius]]), declared enemies of the state, and also forced the Senate into condemning Caesar’s assassination officially.  Brutus and Cassius immediately fled the city.
+Upon his adoption, Octavian adopted his full name, Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus, taking his adoptive father's name and using his own as an adjectival ending, in the Roman tradition.  The new “Caesar,” as he quickly came to call himself, immediately pushed for Caesar's will to be enforced, and his money to be distributed to the citizens.  He also called for his “father,” Julius Caesar, to be deified by the Senate.  As Caesar had become posthumously more popular with the plebeian class after learning that they were the beneficiaries of Caesar's will, the citizens of Rome clamored until the Senate acceded to the demands, deifying Julius Caesar, and building his Temple on the burnt remains of the [[Senate House]].  Octavian also succeeded in having Caesar's assassins, ([[Brutus]] and [[Cassius]]), declared enemies of the state, and also forced the Senate into condemning Caesar's assassination officially.  Brutus and Cassius immediately fled the city.
-All was not well, though – [[Mark Antony]] was also attempting to portray himself as the rightful heir of Caesar’s legacy, against Octavian’s own claims.  A sticking point was the enforcement of Caesar’s will: Antony felt the money was his by right, but Octavian sought to disburse it to the citizens, as Caesar had requested.  The two immediately fled the city, raised armies, and fought a small battle, which Octavian’s forces quickly won, led to victory by [[Agrippa]].
+All was not well, though – [[Mark Antony]] was also attempting to portray himself as the rightful heir of Caesar's legacy, against Octavian's own claims.  A sticking point was the enforcement of Caesar's will: Antony felt the money was his by right, but Octavian sought to disburse it to the citizens, as Caesar had requested.  The two immediately fled the city, raised armies, and fought a small battle, which Octavian's forces quickly won, led to victory by [[Agrippa]].
-In the meantime, Brutus and Cassius, who had fled to the East to raise an army, were returning to Rome to crush Octavian, who had now become the popular favorite to be Caesar’s heir.  As a result of the threat posed by Brutus and Cassius to both Antony and Octavian’s designs, the two set aside their differences, and formed a secret alliance to defeat Brutus and Cassius.  They sought the financial backing of [[Marcus Lepidus]], and formed the [[Second Triumvirate]] to the ends of crushing Brutus and Cassius, and restoring order to Rome.  To prevent their secret alliance from becoming public knowledge, and to raise funds, the three triumvirs ordered many prominent citizens killed, and their property confiscated.  Marcus Tullius [[Cicero]] was one such target.  The Triumvirate also disbursed Caesar’s will to the plebeians, as Caesar had requested, creating instant popular favor towards Octavian and Antony.
+In the meantime, Brutus and Cassius, who had fled to the East to raise an army, were returning to Rome to crush Octavian, who had now become the popular favorite to be Caesar's heir.  As a result of the threat posed by Brutus and Cassius to both Antony and Octavian's designs, the two set aside their differences, and formed a secret alliance to defeat Brutus and Cassius.  They sought the financial backing of [[Marcus Lepidus]], and formed the [[Second Triumvirate]] to the ends of crushing Brutus and Cassius, and restoring order to Rome.  To prevent their secret alliance from becoming public knowledge, and to raise funds, the three triumvirs ordered many prominent citizens killed, and their property confiscated.  Marcus Tullius [[Cicero]] was one such target.  The Triumvirate also disbursed Caesar's will to the plebeians, as Caesar had requested, creating instant popular favor towards Octavian and Antony.
-The forces of the Second Triumvirate easily defeated Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of [[Philippi]] in Greece.  Octavian is said to have not participated greatly in the battle, Antony and Agrippa doing his fighting for him instead.  This fostered a rumor at Rome that Caesar’s heir was no such thing, but instead a weak and effeminate philosopher.
+The forces of the Second Triumvirate easily defeated Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of [[Philippi]] in Greece.  Octavian is said to have not participated greatly in the battle, Antony and Agrippa doing his fighting for him instead.  This fostered a rumor at Rome that Caesar's heir was no such thing, but instead a weak and effeminate philosopher.
 ==After Philippi==
 After the reason for their alliance disappeared, Lepidus, Antony, and Octavian realized that conflict was inevitable.  To postpone it for some time, the three partitioned the Roman Empire into three parts – Rome and the West went to Octavian, the wealthy East to Antony, and Africa to Lepidus.  The three immediately began to consolidate their power bases for a conflict that they all knew would come.
-During this time, Octavian used his station in Rome to boost his public image.  He portrayed himself elaborately as the “son of a God,” that is, the son of the Deified Caesar.  He commissioned elaborate gold statues and coins, carrying the blazon ‘’Oct. Caes. Div. Fili’’, or “Octavian Caesar, Son of the God.”  The provisions of Caesar’s will, and his association with the popular dead ruler, made Octavian an instant favorite with the people of Rome.  Thus he quickly consolidated his power.
+During this time, Octavian used his station in Rome to boost his public image.  He portrayed himself elaborately as the “son of a God,” that is, the son of the Deified Caesar.  He commissioned elaborate gold statues and coins, carrying the blazon ‘’Oct. Caes. Div. Fili’’, or “Octavian Caesar, Son of the God.”  The provisions of Caesar's will, and his association with the popular dead ruler, made Octavian an instant favorite with the people of Rome.  Thus he quickly consolidated his power.
-In the run-up to the actual conflict, Octavian continued to outmaneuver his other triumvirs.  He threatened Lepidus into giving up command of Africa, and retiring to serve as [[pontifex maximus]], a politically non-threatening religious post.  He portrayed Antony as “captured” by the decadent East, enslaved by love to [[Cleopatra]], and no longer even Roman due to his great love for Egypt.  He secured Antony’s secret will, which had recently been changed to request his burial in Egypt, as opposed to Rome, in the graves of his family.  The Roman people were shocked to find what they saw as one of their own turning his back on Rome herself.  Octavian played off of these feelings by accentuating his own “Roman-ness” by restoring old Roman traditions, such as the opening of the doors of the Temple of [[Janus]] in times of conflict, and the ceremonial casting of a spear into enemy territory by the ‘’fetiales’’, an order of Roman priests.  In a re-hash of this ritual, Octavian himself acted as a ‘’fetial’’ priest, casting a spear into a plot symbolizing [[Egypt]] and [[Mark Antony]] to inaugurate the final conflict between Octavian and Antony.
+In the run-up to the actual conflict, Octavian continued to outmaneuver his other triumvirs.  He threatened Lepidus into giving up command of Africa, and retiring to serve as [[pontifex maximus]], a politically non-threatening religious post.  He portrayed Antony as “captured” by the decadent East, enslaved by love to [[Cleopatra]], and no longer even Roman due to his great love for Egypt.  He secured Antony's secret will, which had recently been changed to request his burial in Egypt, as opposed to Rome, in the graves of his family.  The Roman people were shocked to find what they saw as one of their own turning his back on Rome herself.  Octavian played off of these feelings by accentuating his own “Roman-ness” by restoring old Roman traditions, such as the opening of the doors of the Temple of [[Janus]] in times of conflict, and the ceremonial casting of a spear into enemy territory by the ‘’fetiales’’, an order of Roman priests.  In a re-hash of this ritual, Octavian himself acted as a ‘’fetial’’ priest, casting a spear into a plot symbolizing [[Egypt]] and [[Mark Antony]] to inaugurate the final conflict between Octavian and Antony.
 Whatever doubts about Octavian’s martial prowess may have existed, they were immediately wiped away by his shocking victory over Antony at the Battle of [[Actium]].  Historians dispute whether the conflict was as large as alleged by Octavian – it most certainly was not – but Octavian’s successful portrayal of the battle as an earth-shattering event lent him [[credibility]].
@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 He also resisted his own deification, which the Senate “pressed” on him during his life as well.  He did not want to be seen as a new, self-obsessed tyrant, and towards that end, he even melted all gold statues of himself, re-dedicating the gold to the god Apollo, with whom Augustus nonetheless fostered a subconscious association in his subjects.
-Augustus also argued that Rome must return to normalcy after 100 years of civil war.  His friends Myceneas and Agrippa helped in this goal.  Myceneas, through a “Poet’s Circle,” encouraged and funded panegyrical poetry praising Augustus for restoring Roman virtue and honor.  [[Livy]] received on such grant to write the [[Aeneid]].  Simultaneously, Agrippa rebuilt much of Rome that had been burned or harmed in the civil wars, but rebuilt it in grander fashion.  The [[Pantheon]] was one such project, which now bears the inscription ‘’M. Agrippa, Cos. Ter., L. F., Fecit’’, or “Marcus Agrippa, Consul for the Third Time, Son of Lucius, Built This.”  Agrippa also rebuilt Rome’s sewer system (the [[Cloaca Maxima]]) to wide acclaim.
+Augustus also argued that Rome must return to normalcy after 100 years of civil war.  His friends Myceneas and Agrippa helped in this goal.  Myceneas, through a “Poet’s Circle,” encouraged and funded panegyrical poetry praising Augustus for restoring Roman virtue and honor.  [[Livy]] received on such grant to write the [[Aeneid]].  Simultaneously, Agrippa rebuilt much of Rome that had been burned or harmed in the civil wars, but rebuilt it in grander fashion.  The [[Pantheon]] was one such project, which now bears the inscription ‘’M. Agrippa, Cos. Ter., L. F., Fecit’’, or “Marcus Agrippa, Consul for the Third Time, Son of Lucius, Built This.”  Agrippa also rebuilt Rome's sewer system (the [[Cloaca Maxima]]) to wide acclaim.
 ==Augustus’ Struggle for a Successor, and his Death==

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 == References ==
-* Paul Zanker, “the Power of Images in the Age of Augustus.”
+* Paul Zanker, ''The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus.''
-* Plutarch, “Parallel Lives”: “the Life of Antony,” and “the Life of Caesar.”
+* Plutarch, ''Parallel Lives'': ''The Life of Antony'' and ''The Life of Caesar.”
-* Suetonius, trans. Robert Graves, “The Lives of the Caesars”: “The Life of the Deified Caesar” and “The Life of the Deified Augustus.”
+* Suetonius, trans. Robert Graves, ''The Lives of the Caesars'': ''The Life of the Deified Caesar'' and ''The Life of the Deified Augustus.''
 <references/>
 [[Category:Roman Emperors]]