Editing Augustus (section)

{{Short description|Roman emperor from 27 BC to AD 14}}
{{About|the first Roman emperor||Augustus (title){{!}}''Augustus'' (title)|and|Augustus (disambiguation)|and|Octavian (disambiguation)}}
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{{Infobox royalty
| title        = {{lang|la|[[Princeps]]}}
| image        = Augustus of Prima Porta.jpg
| image_size   = 250px
| alt          = Augustus of Prima Porta. This image shows the sculpture Augustus of Prima Porta, a full body portrait of the Roman Emperor Augustus. He is depicted wearing armor that shows the story of one of his diplomatic gains as well as with a small cherub and dolphin by his right leg.
| caption      = [[Augustus of Prima Porta]], 1st century
| succession   = [[Roman emperor]]
| reign        = 16 January 27 BC – {{awrap|19 August AD 14}}
| predecessor  = 
| successor    = [[Tiberius]]
| occupation   = {{ubl|[[Roman consul|Consul]] (43, 33, 31–23, 5, 2&nbsp;BC)|[[Second Triumvirate|Triumvir]] (43–27&nbsp;BC)|[[Pontifex Maximus]] (from 12&nbsp;BC)}}
| birth_name   = Gaius [[Octavia gens|Octavius]]
| birth_date   = 23 September 63 BC
| birth_place  = [[Rome]], [[Roman Italy|Italy]]
| death_date   = 19 August AD 14 (aged 75)
| death_place  = [[Nola]], Italy
| burial_place = [[Mausoleum of Augustus]], Rome
| spouses      = {{ubl|item_style={{longitem}}|[[Claudia (wife of Octavian)|Claudia]]<br />({{married-in|42 BC}}; div.&nbsp;40 BC)|[[Scribonia (wife of Octavian)|Scribonia]]<br />(m.&nbsp;40 BC; div.&nbsp;38 BC)|[[Livia]]<br />(m.&nbsp;37 BC)}}
| issue        = {{Unbulleted list|[[Julia the Elder]]|[[Gaius Caesar]] (adopted)|[[Lucius Caesar]] (adopted)|[[Agrippa Postumus]] (adopted)|[[Tiberius]] (adopted)}}
| regnal name  = [[Imperator]] Caesar Augustus
| dynasty      = [[Julio-Claudian]]
| father       = {{Unbulleted list|[[Gaius Octavius (father of Augustus)|Gaius Octavius]]|[[Julius Caesar]] (adoptive)}}
| mother       = [[Atia (mother of Augustus)|Atia]]
| module       = {{Infobox officeholder|embed=yes
| allegiance    = [[Roman Republic]]<br />[[Roman Empire]]
| serviceyears  = 43–25 BC
| battles       =
{{Tree list}}
* [[War of Mutina]]
** [[Battle of Forum Gallorum]]
** [[Battle of Mutina]]
* [[Liberators' civil war|Liberators' Civil War]]
** [[Battle of Philippi]]
* [[Perusine War]]
* [[Bellum Siculum]]
** [[History of Taormina|Battle of Tauromenium]]
* [[Octavian's military campaigns in Illyricum|Illyricum Campaigns]]
* [[War of Actium]]
** [[Battle of Actium]]
** [[Battle of Alexandria (30 BC)|Battle of Alexandria]]
* [[Cantabrian Wars]]
{{Tree list/end}}
}}
}}

'''Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus''' (born '''Gaius Octavius'''; 23 September 63&nbsp;BC – 19 August AD&nbsp;14), also known as '''Octavian''' ({{langx|la|Octavianus}}), was the founder of the [[Roman Empire]], who reigned as the first [[Roman emperor]] from 27&nbsp;BC until his death in AD&nbsp;14.{{Efn|The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the [[Roman calendar|Roman Republican]] until 45&nbsp;BC and the [[Julian calendar]] after 45&nbsp;BC. Due to departures from [[Julius Caesar]]'s intentions, Augustus finished restoring the Julian calendar in March AD&nbsp;4 and the correspondence between the proleptic Julian calendar and the calendar observed in Rome is uncertain before 8&nbsp;BC.{{Sfn|Blackburn|Holford-Strevens|2003|pages=670–671}}}} The reign of Augustus initiated an [[Roman imperial cult|imperial cult]] and an era of [[regional hegemony|imperial peace]] (the {{lang|la|[[Pax Romana]]}} or {{lang|la|[[Ara Pacis|Pax Augusta]]}}) in which the Roman world was largely free of armed conflict. The [[Principate]] system of government was established during his reign and lasted until the [[Crisis of the Third Century]].

Octavian was born into an [[equites|equestrian branch]] of the [[plebeian]] [[Octavia gens|{{lang|la|gens|nocat=y}} Octavia]]. Following his maternal great-uncle [[Julius Caesar]]'s [[assassination of Julius Caesar|assassination in 44&nbsp;BC]], Octavian was named in Caesar's will as his [[Adoption in ancient Rome|adopted]] son and heir, and inherited Caesar's name, estate, and the loyalty of his legions. He, [[Mark Antony]], and [[Marcus Lepidus]] formed the [[Second Triumvirate]] to defeat the assassins of Caesar. Following their victory at the [[Battle of Philippi]] (42&nbsp;BC), the Triumvirate divided the [[Roman Republic]] among themselves and ruled as ''de facto'' [[Roman dictator|dictators]]. The Triumvirate was eventually torn apart by the competing ambitions of its members; Lepidus was exiled in 36&nbsp;BC, and Antony was defeated by Octavian at the [[Battle of Actium]] in 31&nbsp;BC. Antony and his wife [[Cleopatra]], the [[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic]] queen of [[Ptolemaic Kingdom|Egypt]], [[death of Cleopatra|killed themselves]] during Octavian's invasion of Egypt, which then became [[Roman Egypt|a Roman province]].

After the demise of the Second Triumvirate, Augustus restored the outward facade of the free republic, with governmental power vested in the [[Roman Senate]], the [[Roman magistrate|executive magistrates]] and the [[Roman assemblies|legislative assemblies]], yet he maintained autocratic authority by having the Senate grant him lifetime tenure as [[commander-in-chief]], [[tribune]] and [[Roman censor|censor]]. A similar ambiguity is seen in his chosen names, the implied rejection of monarchical titles whereby he called himself {{lang|la|[[Princeps]] Civitatis}} 'First Citizen' juxtaposed with his adoption of the name [[Augustus (title)|Augustus]].

Augustus dramatically enlarged the empire, annexing Egypt, [[Dalmatia (Roman province)|Dalmatia]], [[Pannonia]], [[Noricum]], and [[Raetia]], expanding possessions in [[Africa (Roman province)|Africa]], and completing the conquest of [[Hispania]], but he suffered [[Battle of the Teutoburg Forest|a major setback]] in [[Germania]]. Beyond the frontiers, he secured the empire with a buffer region of [[client state]]s and made peace with the [[Parthian Empire]] through diplomacy. He reformed the Roman system of taxation, developed [[Roman roads|networks of roads]] with an [[cursus publicus|official courier system]], established a [[standing army]], established the [[Praetorian Guard]] as well as official [[cohortes urbanae|police]] and [[vigiles|fire-fighting services]] for Rome, and rebuilt much of the city during his reign. Augustus died in AD&nbsp;14 at age 75, probably from natural causes. Persistent rumors, substantiated somewhat by deaths in the imperial family, have claimed his wife [[Livia]] poisoned him. He was succeeded as emperor by his adopted son [[Tiberius]], Livia's son and former husband of Augustus's only biological child, [[Julia the Elder|Julia]].