Gaius Octavius

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Gaius Octavius, or later known as Octavian, was the adopted son of Julius Caesar. He took over after Julius died and the republic fell. He belonged to a successful family. His father was the first of his family to become a senator, his mother was the niece of Julius Caesar. They lived in Velitrae. This shows how little of a political background he came from. He traveled with his uncle/ adopted father and learned the ropes of government. He was 18 when he came to Rome to claim his dictatorship. Mark Antony was chief lieutenant at the time (Grant). Augustus Caesar is often a man mistaken for his adoptive father, Julius Caesar, but this man made a name for himself by becoming the first emperor of Rome. He rebuilt Rome from the crumbling civilization that it was to a thriving empire by reorganizing the government and ending the Roman Republic once and for all.

Octavian was a tough man from the start. When he found out that Julius Caesar was murdered, he didn't hesitate to claim his position as Rome's ruler. He immediately left his place of study at Dalmatia, and hurried back to Rome. His family wasn’t too happy about him wanting to rule. They were afraid that he would meet an early demise just as his uncle had. (Sizgorich) Being 18, most would shy away from the experienced commander Mark Antony, but he met Antony head on. Octavian was fearless. The trouble began when Mark Antony was expecting to become the successor to Caesar, but instead Octavian was. This angered Mark and he didn't give up any of Caesar's inheritance, causing Caesar to have to pay for things out of pocket. (Grant) Changing his name to Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, Octavian was able to win the support of many of Julius Caesar’s veterans. (Sizgorich) Caesar also si...

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...perity to Rome. Romans appreciated his way of maintaining laws and keeping the government organized and efficient.

Works Cited

“Augustus.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, Gale Biography In Context. Web. 6 Dec. 2013. .

“Augustus: Res Gestae Divi Augusti (14 CE).” ABC-CLIO. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. <>.

Forsyth, Fiona. The First Emperor: Augustus. New York: Rosen Central, 2003. Print. Leaders of Ancient Rome.

Grant, Michael. “Augustus.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Web. 6 Dec. 2013. .

Sizgorich, Tom. “Augustus.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras.
ABC-CLIO. Web. 16 Dec. 2013.

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