The First Emperor of Rome
In March 44 BC Julius Caesar was killed by the Senate, the most famous of whom was Brutus, a close friend of Caesar's. Caesar, of course, is famous for a great many things; he conquered Gaul by building two walls (a story for another article), led the first Roman expedition to Britannia and most famously crossed the Rubicon, which eventually led to the downfall of the Roman Republic and the establishment of the Roman Empire. However, he was not Rome's first true Emperor as he was killed off fairly quickly as the dictator consolidated power. That title would fall to Augustus Caesar, not only the namesake for the 8th month but also the first Emperor of Rome and perhaps its greatest.
Entering the Political Scene
Born as Gaius Octavius, his father died when he was only 4 years old, leading to his mother's marriage to the Roman Consul (the Roman Republic’s highest office), Philippus. Still, he was predominately raised by his grandmother — Ceasar's sister. This connection to Caesar would come to represent the backbone of his political career as Octavian was named as primary heir in the leaders' will, inheriting most of his estate. To cement his claim in Roman politics, Octavian changed his name to Gaius Julius Caesar (is referred to as Octavian to stop confusion) and formed a union known as the Second Triumvirate with Mark Anthony and, the one no one has heard of, Lepidus. The First Triumvirate was the union of Caesar, Pompey and the other one no one has heard of, Crassus. The first famously ended in a civil war and the crossing of the Rubicon by Caesar — fingers crossed, the sequel goes a bit better.
The Second Triumvirate
Together they defeated those who had betrayed Caesar. Octavian & Anthony fought in the battle of Phillipi, defeating Brutus & Cassias in 42 BC, solidifying the pairs control and alienating Lepidus. This was followed by Sextus Pompey's defeat, who represented the last bastion of opposition against the Triumvirate in 36 BC by Octavian. The three decided to split the Roman Republic into regions of influence to share power, which at no point in history has ever caused any conflict, so they all shared power and lived happily ever after.
Oh, wait, what's that? They instantly attacked each other? Damn.
After the defeat of Sextus, feeling all lonely at being the forgettable one, Lepidus took 14 legions, giving Octavian the middle finger, stating that Sicily should be within his sphere of influence. Unfortunately for Lepidus, the legions preferred Octavian and abandoned him, promptly leading to his surrender and exile. One down. One to go. While this was going on, cheeky Mark Anthony was getting freaky with Cleopatra (following in the footsteps of Caesar); together, they battled Octavian in Greece at Actium 31 BC and lost. Forced to retreat to Alexandria in Egypt, they both committed suicide; Mark Anthony, who heard that Cleopatra had died, even though she hadn’t, fell on his own sword (very Romeo and Juliett). Cleopatra locked herself away after his death and was found dead later; supposedly, she was bitten by a venomous snake, though the theory's validity is questionable.
Being the last man of the Triumvirate standing, Octavian had won control of the Roman world and was granted Augustus as his name in 27 BC, who would soon establish himself as the first Imperator (emperor) of Rome.
Consolidation of Augustus
Octavian was nothing if not politically savvy. Four months after Caesar's death during Caesar’s memorial games, a comet was seen. Only 19 at the time, Octavian capitalised on this immensely and petitioned for Caesar to be added to the pantheon of the Gods, stating that the comet was Caesar's soul. In 42 BC, the Temple of the Deified Julius was built, and Caesar was added to the pantheon of the Gods; a by-product of which, as I'm all too sure he was aware, is that it essentially made (adoptively speaking) Octavian the son of God.
Despite this, he respected the Senate's power and understood that the downfall of his predecessor was due in large part to his rapid attempt to bypass the Senate. Octavian would not make the same mistake. Instead, he allowed for elections to take place and was voted in as Consul; Ironically, many heralded that he had restored the state of the republic. In 27 BC, Octavian offered to give up his powers; the Senate not only rejected this but gave him administrative rights over Spain, Gaul and Syria and bestowed upon him the name Augustus. Other regions were granted autonomy and voted for their own Proconsuls (regional governor); however, they were firmly under Augustus’s influence. In 23 BC, he ceased to be Consul; however, by the Senate, he was granted the power to convene the Senate and bring forth whatever business he chose to the Senate floor. Not only this, but he was also allowed to convene & actively participate in the popular assembly. This meant that, although he wasn’t an elected official, he still held authority over the legislative. In the same year, the Senate granted him “imperium proconsulare maius” — giving him authority over all the Proconsuls.
Furthermore, following being victorious in the wars after the death of Ceasar, he had control of the military, a control strengthened by his direct administrative ownership of Spain, Gaul and Syria, where much of the army was stationed. In 12 BC, when Lepidus (the same guy from the second triumvirate) died, Octavian becomes his successor as “Pontifex Maximus” — the Pope's ancient Roman religious equivalent.
He was now the highest authority, legislatively, militarily and religiously; none of this power he took by force but was granted by the Senate, making him far more legitimate than Ceasar and allowing his rule to be far more stable. While he accepted and respected the Senate's power, he also directly ensured its loyalty and respect. He lowered the number of the senators, essentially excluding those critical of him, but he did not directly select Senate members; there was still contest during elections. However, he essentially rigged the candidates; It seems that elections are still taking place from the outlook, but only those who liked Augustus could compete, and anyone he endorsed would win. While the Senate had no power, he would usually consult them on anything he planned to do and had a council of 15 senators as his closest aides. He had stripped them of absolute power and, by respecting them, made them content to be powerless under him.
God-King of Rome
Augustus is perhaps the most successful political leader of all time; he held absolute power and was loved for it. The source of this love and perhaps the greatest sign of public acceptance of said power is the occurrence of “Pax Romana” — A period of relative peace throughout the Roman world that began with him. The public literally worshipped him, and the military had to swear annual oaths directly to him.
By no means was there no bloodshed during Augustus's reign; he still marched to war at the frontiers of Roman control; he annexed Egypt, areas of Iberia and regions of the Middle East. However, there was internal stability. He established the widespread construction and use of roadways which promoted economic growth and trade. He linked the central treasury to that of all the provinces, and the introduction of a poll & land tax helped fund the new empire. While he had direct control over the provinces when needed, each Proconsul still held great autonomous power with the ability to enact their own laws. However, he maintained direct military control, and each province had to send tribute to Rome. This method of administration and vast infrastructure allowed such a large empire to survive with relative stability. Though he had the power, Augustus did not meddle or micromanage the Roman provinces; he respected the will of those beneath him as long as they understood his dominance. There were several attempts against his life brewed by a minority of the senatorial class, though these were all unsuccessful.
Augustus died in 14 AD and served as Rome's first and longest-reigning emperor. Under his rule, he set up an administrative system that would last for hundreds of years bringing about Pax Romana after a century of instability within the Roman Republic. He wielded immense power and was beloved by his subjects, who posthumously deified him, adding him to the Roman pantheon. Through his legacy, one of the greatest empires the world has ever seen, and perhaps the most influential civilization in human history, endured the test of time.
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