Final History: Augustus Caesar also known as Octavian

Names Professor Subject Date Augustus Caesar Augustus Caesar who is also known as Octavian was born on September 23rd 23,63 bc and died on August 19,14 bc in Italy.  He was the first Roman emperor following the republic which had previously been destroyed by the dictatorship of Julius Caesar who was, in fact, his great uncle and adopted father. Historians argue that at the time of the death of Julius Caesar he had named Octavian as his heir. He led an autocratic regime which is commonly referred to as the ‘principate.' This is because he was the only ‘princeps’ meaning he was the only first citizen. He revived the republican institutions that had been destroyed by his great uncle. He was extremely patient, efficient and skilled and through these qualities, he was able to establish a peaceful empire. He brought peace and prosperity to a region which had been torn apart by civil wars. Some scholars argue that the Greco-Roman era was not peaceful since bandits roamed around freely, armed with military attire terrorizing residents. The documents provided especially the map are very important as they can be used for various reasons. One of them is when studying the history of the Romans. The second one is when looking at the form and structures of their government and learning a few lessons. His first step was to make changes in the military. The people who assassinated his uncle run away from him when he came to re-claim the throne. Despite this, he won the loyalty of some troops. He introduced some new strategies and revived others that were rendered un-essential. He was strict to his lieutenants, and it is rumored that he even restricted them from visiting their wives apart from in winter. He was stricter when it came to deserters. When soldiers requested to retire, he would deny them the benefits that are normally awarded after retirement. This was meant to demoralize the troops from ever deserting war. Those who deserted in times of conflict were automatically murdered (Excerpt from The Life of Augustus (121 CE) Suetonius, para 4)   Several times he thought of restoring the republic. The first time was when he defeated Anthony (he considered him the main obstacle towards reviving it), and the second time he was sick. He called the Senate and magistrates to his house with the intention of restoring it. He then thought of becoming a private citizen and decided otherwise. The thought of giving the government back to the people scared him, a...