Augustus Caesar Rome

Augustus Caesar

Augustus Caesar was the great grandson of a former slave and was also the great nephew of Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar was a legendary leader who helped the poor and is a personal favorite leader of mine. Augustus Caesar is and was an important figure who redefined European and Roman culture. Augustus Caesar rebuilt critical Roman infrastructure, built monuments, led the creation of the Roman Empire and executed the killers of Julius Caesar.

Julius Caesar was a wonderful leader who helped the poor, created the Roman Empire, allowed Octavian to come to power and finally started his career in politics at the young age of 25. Julius Caesar led a campaign against the Gauls and then led a civil war and finally took the emperor’s crown. Julius Caesar was a wonderful leader who created many proposals and programs to help the poor.[1] He also created the Roman administration and created the system for Octavian to become Rome’s first emperor. Julius Caesar was killed by Brutus and Cassius. Octavian executed Brutus and Cassius and put Brutus's head next to a Roman temple. [2] Julius Caesar was his great uncle and he was a brilliant general, if cruel at times.

Octavian was Julius Caesar’s nephew and became named Augustus Caesar. The birth of Augustus (Octavian) was not a widely known and was not a big event although his mom was a noble, and his father was a senator. [3] He was born on the 23^rd of September in 63BCE, a time when Rome was the largest city in the world. Octavian started as a primavera and a princeps (first citizen.)[4] A Primavera was a group of three men more powerful than the two consuls. They were Marc Antony, Lepidus and Octavian. They became rivals quickly and Octavian killed them both in battle. Augustus Caesar specifically targeted the nobles because they were “arrogant, and selfish.” That makes me think that Augustus was a good example for the modern-day politician. [5]

Augustus Caesar built back Rome even better than it was before “it was already the biggest city in the world.” He gave every Roman adult citizen 100 denarii and 250 denarii to all veterans. 100 Denarius is a silver coin and is worth $330 dollars today. 250 Denarius is $810 in today’s dollars, kind of like the Covid checks, right?

Augustus Caesar was a world leader who changed the world and led Rome, already the world’s largest city to even greater heights. Augustus Caesar was a world leader who funded the beatification and the grandeur of Rome. Augustus Caesar created a modest legacy however was considered cruel to his enemies. He was the descendant of Julius Caesar and executed Julius Caesar's killers (Julius Caesar was popular.)

Bibliography

Goldsworthy, Adrian. Augustus: First Emperor of Rome. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2014.

King, Ross. The Shortest History of Ancient Rome. Melbourne: Black Inc., 2024.

King, Ross. The Shortest History of Italy: 3,000 Years from the Romans to the Renaissance to a Modern Republic. New York: The Experiment, 2024.

Tacitus. The Annals of Imperial Rome. Translated by Michael Grant. London: Penguin Books, 1956.

Whiting, Jim. Julius Caesar. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2003.

[1] Ross King, The Shortest History of Italy: 3,000 Years from the Romans to the Renaissance to a Modern Republic (New York: The Experiment, 2024), Pg. 73

[2] Ross King, The Shortest History of Italy: 3,000 Years from the Romans to the Renaissance to a Modern Republic (New York: The Experiment, 2024), Pg. 74

[3] Adrian Goldsworthy, Augustus: First Emperor of Rome (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2014) Pg. 19.

[4] Ross King, The Shortest History of Italy: 3,000 Years from the Romans to the Renaissance to a Modern Republic (New York: The Experiment, 2024), Pg. 77

[5] Tacitus, The Annals of Imperial Rome, trans. Michael Grant (London: Penguin Books, 1956), Pg. 88