Like Darius I of Persia, Augustus was an organizational genius his administrative accomplishments surpassed his military feats. The vast Roman Empire, long contested by consuls and generals, was now firmly in the grasp of an emperor: Augustus Caesar. Returning to Rome in triumph, Octavian added the title Augustus (meaning “sacred” or “exalted”) to his adopted surname, Caesar, and remained imperator for life. Learn about the rise and fall of this ancient civilization and how its influence still endures today. This great empire flourished through innovation and incorporation of the diverse cultures they conquered, such as the adoption of Latin and gladiatorial combat. Spanning over a thousand years, ancient Rome was a civilization of constant evolution. ( Follow Mark Antony and Cleopatra's decadent love affair.) When their fleet was defeated by the Romans at Actium in 31 B.C., Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide. Octavian denounced Antony as a man in the thrall of a foreign queen and waged war on the couple. He had children by Cleopatra and acknowledged Julius Caesar’s son, Caesarion, as Caesar’s true heir in defiance of Octavian’s claim. Antony entered a scandalous affair with Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. But Octavian and Antony turned from allies to adversaries. Antony pursued Caesar’s assassins to Greece, defeating them at Philippi in 42 B.C.įrom Greece, Antony ruled Rome’s wealthy eastern provinces. Together they eliminated political opponents. After Caesar was assassinated, Octavian forged an alliance with Mark Antony, famed general under Caesar, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. Octavian was only 18 years old when his great-uncle Julius Caesar named him heir. His rise to power, however, was anything but peaceful. 14) is best known for initiating the Pax Romana, a largely peaceful period of two centuries in which Rome imposed order on a world long convulsed by conflict. As Rome’s first emperor, Octavian (Augustus Caesar) (63 B.C.–A.D.
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