Editing Augustus (section)

=== Heir to Caesar ===
[[File:Vincenzo Camuccini - La morte di Cesare.jpg|thumb|''The Death of Caesar'' by [[Vincenzo Camuccini]]. On 15 March 44&nbsp;BC, Octavian's adoptive father Julius Caesar was assassinated by a conspiracy led by [[Marcus Junius Brutus]] and [[Gaius Cassius Longinus]]. [[Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna]], Rome.]]
Octavian was studying and undergoing military training in [[Apollonia (Illyria)|Apollonia]], [[Illyria]], when [[Assassination of Julius Caesar|Julius Caesar was assassinated]] on the [[Ides of March]] (15 March) 44&nbsp;BC. He rejected the advice of some army officers to take refuge with the troops in Macedonia and sailed to [[Roman Italy|Italy]] to ascertain whether he had any potential political fortunes or security.{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|page=9}} Caesar had no living legitimate children under Roman law{{Efn|His daughter [[Julia (daughter of Julius Caesar)|Julia]] had died in 54&nbsp;BC.; his son [[Caesarion]] by Cleopatra was not recognized by Roman law and was not mentioned in his will.<ref name="Suetonius-2" />}} and so had [[Adoption in ancient Rome|adopted]] Octavian, his grand-nephew, in his will, making him his primary heir.{{Sfn|Rowell|1962|page=15}} Mark Antony later charged that Octavian had earned his adoption by Caesar through sexual favours, though Suetonius describes Antony's accusation as [[Defamation|political slander]].<ref>[[The Twelve Caesars|Suetonius]], ''Augustus'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Augustus*.html#68 68], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Augustus*.html#71 71].</ref> This form of slander was popular during this time in the Roman Republic to demean and discredit political opponents by accusing them of having an inappropriate sexual affair.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mihai Andrei |date=24 August 2018 |title=In ancient Rome, political discourse was sometimes like an internet fight |url=https://www.zmescience.com/science/history-science/rome-political-discourse-insults-24082018/ |access-date=7 May 2019 |website=ZME Science-US |archive-date=18 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418141034/https://www.zmescience.com/science/history-science/rome-political-discourse-insults-24082018/ |url-status=live}}</ref> After landing at [[Lupiae]] near [[Brundisium]], Octavian learned the contents of Caesar's will, and only then did he decide to become Caesar's political heir as well as heir to two-thirds of his estate.{{Sfn|Rowell|1962|page=14}}{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|page=9}}<ref>[[Appian]], ''Civil Wars'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Appian/Civil_Wars/3*.html#9 3.9–11].</ref>

Upon his adoption, Octavian assumed his great-uncle's name Gaius Julius Caesar.{{sfn|Levick|2009|page=209}} Roman citizens adopted into a new family usually retained their old [[nomen gentilicium|nomen]] in [[cognomen]] form (e.g., {{lang|la|Octavianus}} for one who had been an Octavius, {{lang|la|Aemilianus}} for one who had been an Aemilius. See [[Roman naming conventions#Adoptive cognomina|Roman naming conventions for adoptions]]). However, though some of his contemporaries did,<ref>For example, {{Cite book |last=Cicero |url=http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.perseus-lat1:16.14 |title=Letters to Atticus |publisher=Perseus Digital Library |pages=16:14 |access-date=8 December 2015 |archive-date=24 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224025904/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.perseus-lat1:16.14 |url-status=live}}</ref> there is no evidence that Octavian officially used the name {{lang|la|Octavianus}}, as it would have made his adoptive origins too obvious.{{Sfn|Mackay|2004|page=160}}{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|page=10}}{{Sfn|Southern|1998|pages=20–21}} Historians usually refer to the new Caesar as "Octavian" during the time between his adoption and his assumption of the name Augustus in 27&nbsp;BC in order to avoid confusing the dead dictator with his heir.{{Sfn|Southern|1998|page=21}}

Octavian could not rely on his limited funds to make a successful entry into the upper echelons of the Roman political hierarchy.{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|pages=9-10}} After a warm welcome by Caesar's soldiers at Brundisium,{{Sfn|Rowell|1962|page=19}} Octavian demanded a portion of the funds that were allotted by Caesar for the intended war against the [[Parthian Empire]] in the Middle East.{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|pages=9–10}} This amounted to 700&nbsp;million [[sesterces]] stored at Brundisium, the staging ground in Italy for military operations in the east.{{Sfn|Rowell|1962|page=18}} A later senatorial investigation into the disappearance of the public funds took no action against Octavian since he subsequently used that money to raise troops against the Senate's archenemy Mark Antony.{{Sfn|Rowell|1962|page=19}} Octavian made another bold move in 44&nbsp;BC when, without official permission, he appropriated the annual tribute that had been sent from Rome's [[Near East]]ern province<!--[[Asia (Roman province)]]?--> to Italy.{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|page=10}}{{Sfn|Eder|2005|page=18}}

Octavian began to bolster his personal forces with Caesar's veteran [[legionaries]] and with troops designated for the Parthian war, gathering support by emphasizing his status as heir to Caesar.{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|page=9}}<ref>[[Appian]], ''Civil Wars'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Appian/Civil_Wars/3*.html#11 3.11–12].</ref> On his march to Rome through Italy, Octavian's presence and newly acquired funds attracted many, winning over Caesar's former veterans stationed in [[Campania]].{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|page=10}} By June, he had gathered an army of 3,000 loyal veterans, paying each a bonus of 500 {{lang|la|[[denarii]]}}.{{Sfn|Chisholm|Ferguson|1981|pages=24, 27}}{{Sfn|Rowell|1962|page=20}}