Augustus Caesar Timeline Assessment Choice- Chloe Weidner

Augustus Caesar Is Born

63 BCE

Augustus Caesar (also known as Octavian) was born on September 23, 63 BCE in Palatine Hill, Rome, Italy. His father was Gaius Octavius and his mother was Atia. His father was a governor and senator of Macedonia and his mother was the niece of Julius Caesar and a member of a very wealthy equestrian family. Augustus also had 2 older siblings. They were named Octavia the Elder and Octavia the Younger.

Augustus Becomes An Heir

46 BCE

Augustus gets adopted by his great-uncle Julius Caesar. He then became Caesar’s Heir through his adoption. Because of this, Augustus is now in the position to gain power authority after Caesar’s death.

Augustus's Great-Uncle Gets Assassinated

44 BCE

During this time, Augustus’s great-uncle Julius Caesar died from assassination. Since Augustus was considered an adopted son and Heir of Julius Caesar, he was able to inherit his wealth, property, and the ability to step foot into leadership and power. This was just the very beginning of Augustus ruling.

The Second Triumvirate Is Formed

43 BCE

Augustus, Antony Marcus Aemilius Lepidus formed an alliance as Triumvirs where they would divide the west among themselves. This also took place soon after Julius Caesar’s death so the sole purpose of this was to find the murderers that killed Caesar to restore order in Rome. Forming a Triumvirate was the best way to do this. If just one person were to do it alone it would be very hard to accomplish.

The Battle Of Philippi

42 BCE

The Battle of Philippi was fought near the city of Philippi in Macedonia during this time. This was a battle fought by Octavian (Augustus) along with Mark Antony where they were trying to fight the assassins of Julius Caesar. They ended up succeeding and killed the assassins (Brutus and Cassius). This was important for Octavian because he was able to avenge his great uncle and start the growth of his power through this battle.

Gold Coins

38 BCE

During the Triumvirate with Mark Antony, Octavian made gold coins in order to honor Julius Caesar. He focused on the name “son of a god” to represent his relationship with Julius Caesar and this was put as a caption on his coins. His coins were also supposed to resemble his Triumvirate powers and were to be used as propaganda to gain public support and to spread his message across the empire. Rulers after him started doing this because it resembled power and what each ruler was all about.

Octavian And Sextus Pompeius Go To War

37 BCE

Octavian went into warfare against Sextus Pompeius. The cause of this was that Pompeius had seized Sicily, the sea routes its grain supply which was crucial to Rome. Octavian tried to restore friendly relations with Pompeius so that he could govern Rome efficiently but when this failed, they then went to war (Sextus was finding ways to challenge Octavian’s authority).

Octavian Gets Challenged By Lepidus

36 BCE

Lepidus challenged Octavian by trying to remove his power from Sicily. He attempted to rally troops in the Sicily region to get them to go against Octavian, however, this plan ended up failing. Lepidus’s own troops end up turning against him and defended Octavian Instead. Octavian removed Lepidus from the Triumvirate and forced him into retirement. This showed how powerful Octavian really was.

The End Of The Second Triumvirate

32 BCE

The Triumvirate that Octavian was a part of officially ends during this time period. It ended shortly after Octavian removed Lepidus from power which then left Octavian as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. This was one of the very many steps that led to Octavian becoming a powerful ruler of Rome.

Octavian Goes To War With Cleopatra

31 BCE

There were suspicions of Cleopatra's control over Antony (just divorced Octavian's sister and married Cleopatra) because of their relationship which appeared to be a threat to Octavian. In this naval battle fought with Marcus Agrippa in the Ionian Sea Octavian ended up winning because Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide. Octavian a year later was able to capture Egypt and this was crucial to his growth of power and is what made him the official undisputed master of the Roman Empire.

Octavian's Role In The Senate

28 BCE

Octavian during this time changed the size of the Senate. He reduced the original size of 1,000 members to 800 which then will eventually become 600 members later on. Octavian is also appointed president of the Senate. This only solidified Octavian's position as a dominant figure of Rome more and gave him the ability to have more political control.

Octavian Gaining The Name "Augustus" & More Of His Work

27 BCE

Octavian “restored the Republic”, gained a 10-year tenure (ownership of Spain, Gaul Syria) established a system of Monarchy. This is where Octavian took the name “Augustus” and was granted powers by the Senate. During this time Augustus became the very first Roman emperor. His work also influenced the “Pax Romana” which was a time where people saw peace and economic prosperity.

Military Work & Expansion

25 BCE

This period of time is where Augustus focused on his military campaigns and power in the Roman empire frontiers. He annexed Galatia and the Celtic kingdom found within it and reduced the Alpine tribes. This would only further solidify the power he had over Rome through expansion and control.

Augustus's Political Authority In Rome

23 BCE

Augustus gains “tribunician power” and “imperium maius”. This means that he can have more influence and authority in the political aspect of Rome. These powers allow Augustus to veto decisions and propose laws while also having authority over other Roman governors. With this, Augustus now not only has a lot of power over Rome but also plays a great role in the Roman republic and its political aspects along with control of legislation.

Peace Between Rome And Parthia

20 BCE

Augustus established peace between Rome and Parthia. This was able to bring back military standards of Rome that were lost to Parthain and its empire during the battle of Carrhae that was fought 33 years earlier on. This made Augustus respected and powerful as a military leader and was able to give the people a view that Augustus could bring peace through negotiation and not just war.

The Secular Games

17 BCE

This time period marked the year that Secular Games were held. These were religious ceremonies that marked a significant start to a new era. This specific ceremony would only be held every 110 years and Augustus would use this ceremony to promote the idea of a new golden age that would be under his rule and to purify those of their sins. He would be able to connect with the Roman people and strengthen his role as emperor and the power he had as a leader.

Augustus And The Roman Religion

12 BCE

This year was significant because Augustus became the “Pontifex Maximus”. This meant that Augustus became the official head/chief priest of the Roman religion. This happened in shortly after Lepidus’s death (a close ally of Augustus). He now wasn’t just a leader in politics but also now a leader of religious practices within the Roman religion.

Augustus Given The Name "Pater Patriae"

2 BCE

Augustus was given the name “father of the country” or “pater patriae”. This was an indication of his connection to the people of Rome and the authority he had. He was a figure of Rome and was a role model for the overall well-being of the people in Rome.

Augustus creates "Aerarium Militare"

6

Augustus establishes the “aerarium militare”. This is a military treasury funded by taxes which would go towards retirement benefits of Roman soldiers. This was important because it ensured that veterans would receive the compensation they deserved after they finished their service. This would also create a sense of loyal behavior and positive views of Augustus and the empire he ran from the people since he didn’t just leave soldiers with nothing after all that they did for the Roman country.

Augustus Caesar's Death

14

Augustus passes away at the age of 75. He fell very ill again and this time it resulted in his death. Just a little less than a month later the Senate declared him a god of the Roman state which made him a deity to be worshiped throughout the Roman empire to show respect and honor for his legacy. Augustus was the very first Roman emperor and everything that he did throughout his life was able to shape Rome and its empire immensely.