Download Octavian / Caesar Augustus

Octavian / Caesar Augustus
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o Following the murder of Julius Caesar, the assassins
were forced to flee for their lives.
o Caesars leading supporters, Octavian (Caesars 19 year
old grand nephew), Marc Antony, and Marcus Lepidus
joined to form a second triumvirate. That would defeat
Brutus and Cassius in Greece, 42BCE.
o They divided the Roman world among themselves, but
they did not share power for long.
o Octavian forced Lepidus to retire from Politics.
o Antony fell in loved with Cleopatra (Queen of Egypt). He
began to give away parts of Roman territory to her.
o Octavian used the anger of the Romans to wage war
with Antony’s fleet near Actium off the coast of
Greece in 31BCE. Antony abounded his fleet
and they surrendered.
Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt and
committed suicide.
Octactivan conquered Egypt, and returned to
Rome as the undisputed ruler of an empire.
He became the first Emperor (absolute ruler) of Rome and was given the title
Augusts (meaning the highest one) in 27BCE.
He claimed to be restoring the Republic, but everyone knew the senate did
whatever he wanted.
He became known as Caesar Augustus. Many of the later Roman emperors
were Octavian’s descendants. Caesar was an important title of later Roman
emperors.
Under Caesar August began the Pax Romana (200 years of Roman peace and
prosperity).