Augustus

A detailed Summary of Augustus

Augustus was born plain Gaius Octavius at Rome on September 23rd. His father was the first in the family to become senator, but died when Octavian was only four years old. It was his mother who had the more distinguished connection. She was the daughter of Julia, sister to Julius Caesar.

He was short in Stature, and well proportioned. His body however was covered in spots and he had many birthmarks scattered over his chest and belly. As for character it is said that he was cruel when he was young, but became better when he good older. He was tolerant of criticism and possessed a good sense of humor. Although unfaithful to his wife Livia Drusilla, he remained deeply devoted to her. His public moral attitudes were strict.

Octavian served under Julius Caesar in the Spanish expedition of 46 BC. It was possible that he designated to take a senior military command in Caesar's projected Parthian expedition of 44 BC, although at the time he was only 18 years old. But Octavian was with his friends Marcus Agrippa and Marcus Salvidienus Rufus in Appollonia in Epirus completing his academic and military studies, when news reached him of Caesar's assassination. He at once returned to Rom

Augustus' reign was more successful that he ever could of imagined. He lived long enough to make his family seem the natural rulers in the eyes of the Roman's. Though to insure that the power should pass down to an heir of his proved difficult. Save for a premature baby his marriage to Livia produced no children. Augustus did have a daughter, Julia, from a previous marriage to Scribonia. His plans focused on Julia's husband and children.

In 25 BC Augustus married Julia to Marcellus, the son of his sister Ovtavia, but when Augustus believed himself dying in 23 BC he passed his signet rings not to Marcellus, but to Agrippa. On Augustus' recovery there were all the signs of an impending power to struggle between Marcellus and Agrippa. Marcellus soon fell ill and died. This left Agrippa the obvious candidate to be teh emperor's heir. In 21 BC had him divorced his existing wife and marry the widowed Julia. Agrippa was 25 years her senior, but the marriage produced three sons and twon daughters. Augustus adopted the sons Gaius and Lucius of the Marriage as his own. Agrippa died in 12 BC, leaving Julia widowed once again. Augustus without a guardian.

During his final years Augustus withdrew more and more from public life, excusing himself from banquets and senatorial meetings on the grounds of old age. He left Rome for the last time in 14 AD, planning to travel with Tiberius to

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 943
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History