As a consequence of Roman customs, society, and personal preference, Augustus (/ɔːˈɡʌstəs/ aw-GUST-əs) was known by many names throughout his life:
• Gaius Octavius (/ɒkˈteɪviəs/ ok-TAY-vee-əs, … See more

Heir to Caesar
Octavius was studying and undergoing military training in Apollonia, Illyria, when Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March (15 March) 44 BC. He rejected the advice of some army officers to take refuge with the … See more

After Actium and the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra, Octavian was in a position to rule the entire republic under an unofficial principate —but he had to achieve this through incremental power gains. He did so by courting the Senate and the people while upholding the … See more

Augustus's reign laid the foundations of a regime that lasted, in one form or another, for nearly 1,500 years through the ultimate decline of the Western Roman Empire See more

While his paternal family was from the Volscian town of Velletri, approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) south-east of Rome, Augustus was born in Rome on 23 September 63 BC. He was born at Ox Head, a small property on the Palatine Hill, very close to the See more

The illness of Augustus in 23 BC brought the problem of succession to the forefront of political issues and the public. To ensure stability, he needed to designate an heir to his … See more

His biographer Suetonius, writing about a century after Augustus's death, described his appearance as: "... unusually handsome and exceedingly graceful at all periods of his life, though he cared nothing for personal adornment. He was so far from being … See more