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Gaius Octavian - the first head of state and founder of the monarchy in the Roman Empire

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Gaius Octavian - the first head of state and founder of the monarchy in the Roman Empire
Latest company news about Gaius Octavian - the first head of state and founder of the monarchy in the Roman Empire

Gaius Octavius Augustus (Latin: Gaius Octavius Augustus, September 23, 63 B.C. - August 19, 14 A.D.), formerly Gaius Octavian Thurinus, one of the Second Triumvirate, the first head of the Roman Empire (Princeps), the founder of the head of state system, ruled Rome for 40 years, and is one of the most important figures in Human history.
Octavian was Caesar's nephew and grandson. He was designated as the first heir by Caesar in 44 BC and adopted as his adopted son. [1] In 43 BC, after Caesar was assassinated, he stepped onto the political stage and formed the "Second Triumvirate" with Anthony and Leibida. In the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC, they defeated Republican leaders Brutus and Cassie with Anthony. In 36 BC, he deprived Leipida of military power, and later defeated Antony in the Battle of Aktiem, wiping out the Ptolemaic dynasty in Ancient Egypt, becoming the winner of the List of Roman civil wars and revolts. In 30 BC, he was recognized as a "lifelong civilian protection officer", and in 29 BC, he was awarded the title of "Generalissimo" (also translated as "Emperor"); in 28 BC, he was awarded the title of "Augustus" (meaning sacred greatness) by the Senate [2]. And the reorganization of the Roman government brought two centuries of peace and prosperity to the Roman world.
Octavian had successively obtained the titles of consul, protector of the people, high priest, and so on. He was actually the Roman emperor. To strengthen governance, reform the military and implement a mercenary system; Establish a garrison in Rome and Italy. Continue to expand outward, complete the conquest of Spain westward, and advance northward to the Danube and Rhine rivers. He is good at judging the situation, having a balance between advance and retreat, and handling affairs with wit, decisiveness, prudence, and steadiness. He adopted a series of favorable domestic and foreign policies, creating a relatively stable political situation and laying the foundation for the prosperity of the empire in the early stages. He passed away on August 19, 2014 AD.

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Octavian has a good family background, and his ancestors were mostly prominent nobles who held various official positions and had a certain influence. Augustus was born in Rome, formerly Gaius Octavius Thurinus. His father Gaius Octavius came from a noble but not well-known knightly family and was the governor of Macedonia before his death in 58 BC. More importantly, his mother Atia was the niece of the greatest general and actual ruler of Rome, Gaius Julius Caesar (Julius Caesar, Julius Caesar, etc.). Caesar adopted Octavian and appointed him as the first heir through his will [3].
As Caesar's adopted son, according to Roman customs, Octavius accepted a new name: Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (later known as "Octavius"). Octavian has diligently studied public speaking and Humanities since childhood, and has accumulated rich knowledge [3]. He was also appointed captain of Caesar's cavalry for one year, and participated in the civil war between Caesar and Pompey. Later, Caesar sent Apollonia to receive education and military technical training, and was responsible for Parthia's army [4]. These exercises honed his willpower and character, familiarized him with the military, and laid the foundation for future military struggles.

Octavian was in the Apollonian army when Caesar was assassinated in March 44 BC. He is eighteen years old, and his opponents often subconsciously underestimate this young man. Faced with the chaotic and dangerous situation, he did not evade or act recklessly and quickly returned to Rome. Caesar explicitly adopted Octavian as his stepson and inherited his property in his will, but his relatives advised him to give up all this because they were afraid of Caesar's enemies. However, he resolutely accepted Caesar's adoption. He repeatedly emphasized that he was Caesar's son to arouse people's favor for him, and changed his name to Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. This decisive decision earned him the support of the Caesars and had a significant impact on defeating the republicans. Due to the presence of a large number of Caesar's former followers in the Senate and the army, and the fact that many people had also received Caesar's favor, he spared no effort in supporting Octavian, which was his unique advantage. More importantly, Octavian's choice was a symbol of his entry into politics and a prerequisite for winning the civil war.

Three Headed Civil War
Main words: Second Triumvirate, the List of Roman civil wars and revolts, Mark Antony
After Caesar was assassinated, he marched to Italy and recruited Caesar's old army to expand. After arriving in Rome, he found that the capital was in the hands of the republicans who murdered Caesar, Marcus Yunius Brutus and Cassius. In the early stages of the Civil War, Octavian failed to win Anthony's support and took advantage of the conflict between the Senate and Anthony, turning to the Senate. He won the support of the Senate by courting Cicero, won the battle of Mutina (the battle of Mutina) with the consul, and then forced the Senate to elect himself consul. At this time, Brutus and Cassio, who had fled to the east, quickly recruited over 90000 soldiers and a large number of ships and money through their expansion in Syria and Macedonia, ready to march into Rome at any time. The decisive battle between the Caesars and the Republicans was tense. Anthony quickly joined forces with Caesar generals such as Leipida and Plunka. Octavian also realized that he had to unite with Caesar's old faction, and tried to reconcile with Anthony through various means. In November of 43 BC, Octavian, Antony and Leibida formally established the Second Triumvirate. At the end of November, the last three led troops into Rome and issued a "public enemy declaration", vigorously cleaning up the murderer and personal political enemies of Caesar, and seizing the opportunity to accumulate wealth. In 43 BC, Octavian and Anthony completely defeated the republicans in the Battle of Philippi, and Octavian achieved his goal of revenge for Caesar. Octavian's army won, and Brutus and Cassius committed suicide (42 BC). So Octavian returned to Rome, while Anthony went to Egypt.
In 42 BC, Pompeii the Younger cut off the supply of goods from overseas to Rome, causing a surge in Roman food prices, resulting in famine and chaos, and making Octavian criticized by the public. With the support of Anthony and Leipida, he worked hard and ultimately defeated Pompeii Jr. (Battle of Cape Narohos). The restoration of peace on land and at sea, which has long been disrupted, has won widespread praise from the people. Subsequently, he sent people to eliminate the thieves in Italy and Rome, stabilize social order, fulfill his duties as a consul, and properly arrange retired soldiers, stabilize society, and promote the recovery and development of the rural economy. In addition, he also repaired or built new temples to provide jobs for the unemployed. In border affairs, he sent people to restore order in Afrika, Aosta Valley and other places, and conquered Illyria. These achievements and victories greatly enhanced Octavian's prestige, and people even elected him as a lifelong civil servant. Obtaining the support of the people, winning the support of all Italy, and then utilizing the unified institutions of the Roman state is not only a way for Octavian to enhance his own strength, but also a powerful means for him to defeat his opponents, which is reflected in his competition with Anthony.

Anthony is Octavian's strongest opponent and his most important ally. Anthony was a renowned general under Caesar who had outstanding military achievements and had extraordinary influence among the army and civilians. Joining forces with Anthony was an important condition for Octavian to defeat the republicans and eliminate Pompeii. But there is an irreconcilable contradiction between them in the issue of seizing the highest power in Rome. The Battle of Philippi gradually intensified their conflict. After the signing of the Treaty of Talington, Octavian managed the West of Rome, while Antony ruled the East, and their combined power was equally strong. Anthony's gradual loss of popularity was the key reason for his failure and also an important condition for Octavian's gradual victory. In 35 BC, Anthony eliminated the remaining forces of Pompeii who had fled to the east and executed him, making him a mortal enemy of the supporters of Pompeii. In 37 BC, Antony formally married Cleopatra VII (Cleopatra VII), the Queen of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt, and publicly announced that he would give Libya, Phoenicia, Syria, Silesia, Armenia and the unconquered Parthia to the Queen of Egypt and Antoni and her children. His actions seriously violated Roman customs, harmed the interests of the Roman people, and aroused strong dissatisfaction among them. Octavian took the opportunity to exaggerate this. In 32 BC, Octavian announced Anthony's will to the public. Anthony affirmed the legitimacy of Caesar Lyon in his will, stating that he intended to pass on the provinces of eastern Rome to Cleopatra VII. This caused public outrage among the Roman people, who deprived Anthony of all his powers and declared him a public enemy. At the same time, the Roman people swore allegiance to Octavian.
Anthony was busy with the Eastern wars and the affair with Cleopatra; Octavian gained popular support in Rome, consolidated power, and spread rumors to slander Anthony: Anthony became more and more like an Egyptian rather than a Roman. The situation is becoming increasingly tense. Finally, in 32 BC, Octavian declared war on Anthony. It was soon clear that Octavian defeated Antony in the Archium Bay on the west bank of Greece. Antony Flight into Egypt, fought Octavian again, lost again, and finally committed suicide. Cleopatra committed suicide. And little Caesar was mercilessly killed by Octavian to avoid affecting his identity as Caesar's only heir.

Repeatedly adding titles
After the Battle of Aktim, Octavian had cleared all obstacles to his progress. After years of civil war, Rome became almost a lawless country, but Rome was not willing to accept an absolute monarch. Octavian is very clever. Firstly, he disbanded the army and held elections. As a result, Octavian was elected consul, the highest Administrator of the government of the Roman Republic. In 27 BC, he announced on official occasions that he wanted to return to the Senate and allow his influence to withdraw from Egypt. The Senate not only refused his request, but also granted him rule over Spain, Gaul, and Syria - the three provinces with the richest Roman military strength. Then the Senate awarded him the title of "Augustus". This title is related to ancient religion and is said to have its etymology as "authoritas" and is related to the spiritual practice of the observer (augur). In the religious beliefs of the people at that time, this title meant that the holder had authority beyond humanity and no statute could define its status or nature. In addition, this special method used to consolidate Octavian's power also sharply separated his upcoming monarchy from his terrifying rule when he was still an individual. In addition, he was also recognized as a lifelong civil protection officer, the chief sacrificial priest in religious affairs, and won the "father of the country", "Generalissimo" and other lofty honors. He also modestly called himself the Princeps of Rome, the head of state [8].
These things are extraordinary in Roman political tradition. However, the Senate at that time was no longer the Senate where the nobles of Caesar were assassinated in the past. Anthony and Octavian cleaned up the dissident forces in the Senate and spread their followers throughout the Senate. Octavian understood that the consul did not guarantee his absolute power. In 23 BC, he resigned from his position as governor and accepted two other positions.

One is the Tribunicia potestas, which allows them to intervene in the Senate and make decisions before the Senate. Because the official position of protecting civilians usually deals with civil matters, this further consolidates his power.
The second is the "supreme power of rule" (which gives him the highest authority in any matter of territorial management over the governors). It is generally believed that Augustus put on the yellow robe in 23 BC. However, he still uses the title Princeps. In 13 BC, Leipida died and Augustus added the Pontifex Maximus [9].
Ruling Rome
Augustus seized power with a very bold hand and ruled Rome with a very prudent wisdom. Rome gave him almost absolute power, and he gave Rome forty years of domestic peace and sustained growth of prosperity, known as "Pax Romana" in history. He founded the first Standing army (including the navy) in Rome, and stationed the corps at the border to prevent them from interfering in internal affairs. Also established the Praetorian Guard to defend the capital and defend the emperor himself. He also reformed the financial and tax systems of Rome [10].
Augustus did not launch a large-scale war. The Battle of the Northern Spanish Mountains from 26 BC to 19 BC ended with the successful conquest of the area. After experiencing the repeated turmoil in Gaul, the Alpine region was also conquered. The territory of Rome extended to the natural territory of the Danube, and the province of Galatia was occupied by Rome. In 9 AD, Rome was defeated in the forest ambush at Teutonburg. From then on, the expansion of Rome to the West Germanic ceased. Afterwards, he accepted the Rhine River as the final boundary of the empire. In the east, Rome annexed Armenia and the Caucasus, while expansion stopped at the borders of the Parthia Empire.

In terms of internal affairs, Augustus used the huge wealth accumulated from the empire to provide the army with generous treatment; He decorated the capital and engaged in recreational activities to entertain Roman citizens. He boasted that 'a brick city has turned into a marble city in my hands'. He built a new Senate (Curia) and built the temples of Apollo and Julius. He is also building a shrine near the Circus Maximus. It is reported that the Capitoline Temple and the Pompeii Theater (not named at the time of construction) were both built by Augustus. It established the Ministry of Transportation and completed a huge transportation network, promoting communication, trade, and postal services for the empire. Augustus also established the world's first fire brigade. It also established a regular police force in Rome. Roman rulers were usually ignorant of economics, and Augustus was no exception. Roman emperor, including Augustus, spent heavy taxes from agriculture on troops, temples and entertainment. Once the empire no longer expands and there is no loot, the economy begins to stagnate and eventually decline. From this perspective, the rule of Augustus is the highest point of imperial power and prosperity. Augustus tried to rehabilitate agriculture by resettling veteran farmers, but with little success. The capital still relies on imported food from Egypt.
Augustus strongly encouraged the worship of Roman gods, especially Apollo. It describes Rome's victory over Egypt as the Roman God's victory over the Egyptian God. Its sponsorship of Virgil's Aenead was aimed at enhancing the reputation of Roman ancestors. Augustus also rectified the social customs and praised marriage, family and fertility; Attack luxury, extravagant marriage, promiscuity, and adultery.

Augustus was also a protector of literature and art. He won the support of the masses by using entertainment and celebrating his own and his family's festivals. When Augustus died, it was impossible for Rome to return to the Republic. The only question was who would succeed Augustus.
Inheritance of power
The power control of Augustus spread throughout the whole empire, so absolute that he was allowed to appoint his own successor. The democratic habit of Rome since the establishment of the Republic has been abandoned and ridiculed. At first, he wanted his sister's son Marcellus, who had married Augustus's daughter Julia Caesaris. However, Malcolus died of food poisoning in 23 BC. Later, historians criticized the poisoning incident and its subsequent death because Augustus's wife Livia poisoned him, but it could not be proved to be true.
After Marcellus died, Augustus married his daughter to his right-hand man, Marcus Agrippa. The two gave birth to Five Enough, three sons and two daughters: Gaius Caesar, Lucius Caesar, Vipassania Julia, Agrippina the Elder, and Postumus Agrippa, so named because these children were born after the death of Marcus Agrippa. When Augustus adopted the first two children as his own sons, he clearly planned to make them his heirs. Augustus loved his adopted son very much. The children born from their first marriage to Livia, Nero Claudius Dulusus Germanicus and Tiberius Claudius, and Augustus also put great importance on them and asked them to conquer a large part of Germany.

After Agrippa's death in 12 BC, Livia's son Tiberi divorced his wife and married Agrippa's widow. Tiberi shared Augustus' right to protect the people, but soon retired. After the death of Guy and Lucci in 4 and 2 BC respectively, and the death of his brother Dulusus (9 BC), Tiberi was recalled to Rome and adopted by Augustus.
On August 19, AD 14, Augustus died. Bostus Agrippa and Tiberi were once designated as joint heirs. However, Bostus was exiled and soon executed. It is not known who ordered his execution, but for Tiberi, this cleared the way for him to inherit power.

Pub Time : 2023-07-03 11:21:01 >> News list
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