Augustus Caesar

This happened in 44 BC when his great uncle, Julius Caesar, was assassinated by a group of conspirators. Additionally, he received the name “Augustus” a term meaning “the revered one” from the Roman Senate in 27 BC. Because of the various names he had, it is common to call him Octavius while referring to the events that between 63 and 44 BC, Octavian when referring to events between 44 and 27 BC, and Augustus when referring to events after 27 BC. Octavian is arguably the single most important figure in Roman history. Ever since he was a young boy, he was destined to become the next great leader.

When Julius was stabbed to death in 44 BC, 19-year-old Augustus (vroma), went to Rome to collect his inheritance as the direct heir of Julius (Divine). Augustus created a new triumvirate with two other men when he went to Rome: Mark Antony, a close friend of Julius, and Marcus Lepidus, a general in Julius’s army (12). The first thing that Augustus did with his new power, was pursue revenge for his uncle’s death. The triumvirate hunted down the conspirators to Greece (PBS), where they waged a war against Brutus and Cassius at Phillipi and defeated them in two battles (12). After defeating the conspirators of Julius’s death, Antony and Augustus pushed Marcus Lepidus aside so that they could have more power for themselves.

His father was still Emperor at the time but Titan served as the Praetorian Prefect. He was in command of the Praetorian Guard which consisted of body guards which Roman Emperors employed. This position was considered the highest position of power within the Roman administration. Eventually, Vespasian died and Titus was granted the throne on June 23, 79. Titus was the first Roman Emperor to be in succession of his biological father.

This changed Antony’s early life severely and he promised one day he would meet up with Cicero and kill him. 	Mark Antony’s military career started when he was young. His first travels were to Syria where he was soon promoted to a Calvary Commander, and sent off to Judea and Egypt. Antony was later sent to Gaul where he served under Caesar. He was so superior to his peers that at the age of 22 he became Tribune of the People.

Julius Caesar’s legacy and attributes are just as robust today as they were in his time. From the time he took power to the time of his death he accomplished more than many other men would have done in a lifetime. He brought the Roman Empire to its height and from his death on, the Empire did nothing but fall. He was one of the world’s greatest leaders and probably the best. At the age of 15 Caesar became head of his family when his father died in 85bc.

Caesar's marriage in 84 BC to Cornelia, the daughter of Marius's associate was a political Match (Lindsay Salo). When Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Marius's enemy and leader of the Optimates, was made dictator in 82 BC, he issued a list of enemies to be executed. Caesar was not harmed but he was ordered by Sulla to divorce Cornelia. Caesar refused that order and left Rome to join the army (Lindsay Salo) (Comptons Encyclopedia). This was the beginning of an astonishing military career.

Caesar was stabbed twenty three times and died at the base of Pompey’s statue (Ancient History Encyclopedia). With the death of Caesar, it ended his reign and life (Television). Mark Antony turned the side of the Roman plebeians against the conspirators and, allied with Octavian defeated the forces of Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Philippi in 42 B.C (Ancient History Encyclopedia). Julius Caesar turned the Roman Republic into a Roman Empire. His victory in the civil war replaced a republic, ruled by the consuls and the Senate, with an empire, reigned over by emperors and their heirs.

The city was assaulted twice and captured by Roman armies, first in 87 BC by the leaders of the populares, his uncle Marius and Cinna. Cinna was killed the year that Caesar had married Cinna’s daughter Cornelia. The second attack upon the city was carried our by Marius’ enemy Sulla, leader of the optimates, in 82 BC on the latter’s return from the East. On each occasion the massacre of political opponents was followed by the confiscation of their property. The proscriptions of Sulla, which preceded the reactionary political legislation enacted during his dictatorship left a particularly bitter memory that long survived.

It is known that Caesar was educated by a man named Marcus Antonius Gnipho. In his late adolescence, he took up a political position during the Roman Civil Wars. He quickly learned to associate himself with the most powerful people of Rome; he would only marry Cornelia, “the daughter of the most powerful Roman of the era, the consul Lucius Cornelius Cinna”. Shortly after that, Lucius was killed by Sulla, the future “dictator” of Rome. Sulla demanded that Caesar divorce Cornelia; he refused, so Sulla stripped him of his priesthood of Jupiter and extracted his dowry from his marriage to Cornelia.

According to roman mythology, Rome was founded thanks to two brothers, Romulus and Remus. Both found a city near the Tiber river and chose a hill to begin their own settlement. However, taunting and teasing from Remus brought upon his death at the hands of his very own brother, Romulus. Romulus then of course named is city after himself, Rome. An ancient civilization full of wars, peace, greed, a disciplined navy, an efficient bureaucracy and rebellion, Ancient Rome was an empire of high status.