Octavian

• Historians refer to Augustus as ‘Octavius’ or ‘Octavian’ during the period from his birth in 63 BCE until the 16 January 27 BCE.
• After this date, historians refer to him as Augustus because the Roman Senate officially conferred on him the title of ‘Augustus’.

1.0 BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF OCTAVIAN

• QUICK SYNOPSIS:
  • Augustus in 10 seconds.
• NAME:
  • OCTAVIUS 63-44 BCE Gaius Octavius Thurinus:
    • Historians refer to him as ‘Octavius’ from birth to adoption by Julius Caesar in 44 BCE.
  • OCTAVIAN 44-27 BCE Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus:
    • He changed his name after his posthumous adoption by Julius Caesar in 44 BCE, Historians refer to him as ‘Octavian’.
    • ‘Divi Filius’ meaning ‘Son of God’: In 42 BCE Octavian added this title to his name after Julius Caesar was deified, meaning he was the ‘Son of the God Julius Caesar’.
  • AUGUSTUS 27 BCE-14 CE Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus Divi Filius Augustus:
    • ‘Augustus’: 27 BCE The Roman Senate gave him the title of ‘Augustus’ meaning ‘Revered’. From 27 BCE onwards Historians refer to him as ‘Augustus’.
    • ‘Princeps’: 27 BCE The Roman Senate also gave him the title of ‘Princeps’ meaning ‘First Citizen’: Augustus preferred to use this title instead of ‘Augustus’ to promote Republican values.
    • ‘Pater Patriae’: 2 BCE The Roman Senate also awarded him this Title of ‘Pater Patriae’ meaning ‘Father of the Nation’.
• FAMILY DYNASTY:
  • Julio-Claudian
• OCTAVIAN’S DATE OF BIRTH AND DEATH:
  • 23 September 63 BCE-19 August 14 CE
• WHERE WAS OCTAVIAN BORN AND WHERE DID HE DIE?
  • Born in a house on the Palatine Hill in Rome, Italia and died in Nola, Italia.
• OCTAVIAN’S PREDECESSOR:
  • Octavian became the First Roman Emperor, after having succeeded his adopted Father, the Dictator Julius Caesar following a period of Civil War.
• OCTAVIAN’S SUCCESSOR:
  • Tiberius
• OCTAVIAN’S DATES OF REIGN AS THE EMPEROR AUGUSTUS:
  • 2 September 31 BCE-19 August 14 CE
• OCTAVIAN WAS HEIR TO THE THRONE BECAUSE:
  • He was adopted posthumously by Julius Caesar in his Will. Octavian was only 18 years old.
• OCTAVIAN’S FATHER:
  • Gaius Octavius, who had been a Praetor and Governor of Macedonia. Augustus was born into an Equestrian family, not a Senatorial Family.
• OCTAVIAN’S MOTHER:
  • Atia Balba Caesonia, was a niece of Julius Caesar
• OCTAVIAN’S WIVES AND CHILDREN:
  • Clodia Pulchra 42-40 BCE
  • Scribonia 40-38 BCE
    • Julia the Elder 30 October 39 BCE-14 CE
  • Livia Drusilla 37 BCE-14 CE
• DID OCTAVIAN DIE PEACEFULLY OR WAS HE ASSASSINATED?
  • Either Augustus died a natural death aged 75, or his wife Livia may have poisoned him.
• WHERE WAS OCTAVIAN BURIED?:
  • Mausoleum of Augustus
• WHAT FAMOUS QUOTES WERE MADE BY OCTAVIAN?
  • Two Caesars is one too many was supposedly Octavian’s remark when he ordered Caesarion (Julius Caesar’s son by Cleopatra) to be strangled.

2.0 AUGUSTUS’ CAREER AS OCTAVIAN:

• 48 BCE Elected Pontifex Maximus.
• 47 BCE Prefect of the Latin Games.

3.0 HOW DID OCTAVIAN RISE TO POWER TO BECOME AUGUSTUS?

PHASE I: 44-43 BCE.

• Assassination of Julius Caesar 15 March 44 BCE.
• Octavian was declared Heir in the Will of Julius Caesar
• After the assassination, the conspirators were wary of the Mob. But Cicero made a brilliant Oration, saving the Roman Republic by pardoning the Conspirators and astutely awarding them Governorships in the Provinces to get them away from Rome. As Julius Caesar‘s right hand man, Mark Anthony initially feared he would be assassinated next. When it became clear, he was not seen as a threat, but as the next Heir, his position seemed secure. But after the Will was obtained from the Vestal Virgins and read out, it was the 18 year old Octavian who had been been named Caesar’s Heir. The Conspirators appeared to have successfully achieved Power, and Mark Anthony had been clearly sidelined.
  • The Conspirators’ mistake was in permitting Mark Anthony to speak at the Public Funeral. Dio Cassius states Mark Anthony held up the bloodied robe that Julius Caesar had worn, after delivering a stinging attack on the Assassins. The Mob became bent on Revenge, and immediately left the Funeral to search out the Houses of the Conspirators, and these were forced to flee Rome.
• Upon hearing the news of the assassination, Octavian, who was 18 and waiting in Appollonia, Illyria to accompany Julius Caesar to Parthia, sailed immediately to Brindisi (Brindisium) in Italy. Here, he appropriated the 700 million sesterces stored by Julius Caesar for the war against Parthia. He also intercepted the Annual Tribute to Rome from the Eastern Provinces. Now able to pay for an army, and as declared Heir to Julius Caesar, he recruited some 3,000 of Julius Caesar‘s loyal legionaries and headed for Rome.
• 44 BCE 6 May: Octavian then arrived in Rome with his small Army, where Mark Anthony had become increasingly unpopular. Octavian was made a Senator. By November, Octavian had acquired two of Mark Anthony‘s Legions, and Octavian now controlled the Roman Senate in an alliance with Cicero.
• 43 BCE 1st January: Octavian was made a Senator and given Imperium, the Legal right to Command armies.
  • Mark Anthony was also made Governor of Gallia Cisalpina, but the previous Governor Brutus, refused to relinquish the province. Mark Anthony besieged Brutus at Mutina (Modena).
  • As only Octavian had any Legions to compel Mark Anthony to end his siege, the Roman Senate sent Octavian with his armies and the two Roman Consuls for 43 BCE, Hirtius and Pansa.
  • Mark Anthony was defeated at the Battle of Forum Gallorum and the Battle of Mutina, however, the two Roman Consuls, Pansa and Hirtius, were killed in Battle.
  • Mark Anthony escaped to Gallia Transalpina. Here he formed an alliance with Marcus Lepidus, another ally of Julius Caesar, who controlled the Legions in Gaul. Mark Anthony was then given these Legions to pursue Brutus. Three of Brutus‘ Legions deserted to Mark Anthony.
  • The Roman Senate ordered Octavian to give Brutus his Legions. Octavian refused.
  • Caught between Mark Anthony and Octavian, Brutus was forced to march his remaining army into Macedonia.
  • Octavian, having kept his Legions, then sent a demand to Rome that he be made Consul to replace Pansa and Hirtius, along with a request that Mark Anthony should no longer be declared an outlaw.
  • When this request was refused, Octavian marched into Rome with eight Legions, meeting no resistance.
  • 19 August 43 BCE Octavian was elected Consul. This was the first step by Octavian to achieving complete power.
  • October 43 BCE: Octavian then met Mark Anthony and Marcus Lepidus near Bologna (Bononia) and agreed to form an Alliance, called the Second Triumvirate.

PHASE II: 43-33 BCE. Octavian forms the Second Triumvirate:

• Lex Titia 26 November 43 BCE Octavian formed the second Triumvirate along with Mark Anthony and Marcus Lepidus for a five year term, followed by another five year term.
• Mass Proscription: To raise money, the Triumvirs Proscribed 2,000 Equites and over 100 Senators, declaring them Enemies of the State. They were then executed, and their lands and property confiscated by the State Treasury, the Aerarium. Funds were then in place to pay for new Legions to be raised to conduct the civil war.
  • Julius Caesar‘s assassins, Brutus and Longinus, had taken over the eastern Provinces including Macedonia, Asia and Syria.
  • 42 BCE Battle of Philippi where Octavian and Mark Anthony challenged and defeated Brutus.
  • 40 BCE September ‘Treaty of Brundisium’: the three Triumvirs divided the Provinces between them. Octavian was given the West, Mark Anthony the East, and Marcus Lepidus, Hispania and Africa.
  • Sextus Pompey, who had escaped after the Battle of Munda in 45 BC, had built a powerful army and navy in Sicily, and in 40 BCE his navy invaded Sardinia.
  • 39 BCE Sextus Pompey signed the Pact of Misenum with the Triumvirs, leaving Mark Anthony free to fight the Parthians.
  • 37 BCE Octavian failed to take Sicily at the naval Battle of Messina, and was defeated again in early 36 BCE.
  • 36 BCE Agrippa, Mark Anthony‘s General, finally defeated Sextus Pompey‘s Navy at sea, and Marcus Lepidus raised 14 Legions in Africa to defeat Sextus Pompey on land.
• The Three Triumvirs Fall Out:
  • 36 BCE Octavian then stripped Marcus Lepidus of his title as Triumvir, but allowed him to continue in semi-retirement as Pontifex Maximus.
  • 33 BCE The Triumvirate expired.

PHASE III: 33-31 BCE. The split with Mark Anthony and Queen Cleopatra VII leads to War

• Octavian and Mark Anthony then drew apart, each seeking to consolidate power before eliminating the other.
  • Mark Anthony resided in Egypt with Queen Cleopatra VII and openly lived with her, and having three children by her.
  • After 33 BCE Mark Anthony continued to style himself ‘Triumvir’, despite the Triumvirate having expired.
  • 32 BCE July. Octavian obtained Mark Anthony‘s Will and published it in Rome. In it Mark Anthony bequeathed generous donations to his illegitimate children with Queen Cleopatra VII, and requested his body be buried in Alexandria, Egypt. But most offensive to the Roman Senate, was his declaration that Octavian was not Julius Caesar’s Heir. Instead the Will named Caesarion, the son of Julius Caesar and Queen Cleopatra VII.
  • 32 BCE Octavian moved the Roman Senate to revoke Mark Anthony‘s Consulship and declare War on Queen Cleopatra VII, avoiding the conflict looking like a Roman Civil War with Mark Anthony.

PHASE IV: 31 BCE 2nd September. The Battle of Actium:

• In this battle Octavian destroyed the Fleet of Mark Anthony and Queen Cleopatra VII, who both escaped back to Egypt, closely followed by Octavian with his Legions.

PHASE V: 30 BCE. Octavian invades Egypt:

• 30 BCE 1st August Mark Anthony‘s armies in Egypt mutinied and joined Octavian.
  • Mark Anthony and Queen Cleopatra VII, then facing death, preferred to commit suicide.
  • Caesarion, Queen Cleopatra VII‘s son by Julius Caesar and also his heir, was briefly declared Pharaoh, but was executed by Octavian when he entered Alexandria.
  • Two Caesars is one too many was supposedly Octavian’s remark when he ordered his strangulation.
    Her three children by Mark Anthony were spared and returned to Rome with Octavian.
  • Octavian was then declared Pharaoh of Egypt, and Egypt was retained as the personal Property of all future Roman Emperors.

4.0 OCTAVIAN BECOMES AUGUSTUS:

• Octavian then returned to Rome.
• The Roman Senate conferred upon Octavian the Title of Augustus on the 16th January 27 BCE.

• Octavian was now the undisputed Leader of the Roman World and became the first Roman Emperor.
• From 27 BCE onwards, historians no longer refer to him as Octavian, but call him by his new title of Augustus.