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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 35 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Augustus
Mausoleum of Augustus. Hope you had fun!
| What territory was NOT conquered by Augustus during his "reign"? | Augustus
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Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was conquered by Trajan in 114 AD, exactly 100 years after Augustus' death. Egypt was conquered from Antony by Augustus in 31 BC after the battle of Actium. Africa was expanded even further during his reign and Germania was invaded by Tiberius and held for about 3 years until the disaster in 9 AD.
| Who was very close to not being chosen as one of the four for emperor after Augustus because he quit his political life and went to the island of Rhodes for six years? | Augustus
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Tiberius. He almost ruined his political career and lived in social and political exile in Rome for about 8 months.
| When did the battle of Actium take place? | Augustus
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31 BC. It was a major victory for Augustus despite the fact that he was a poor naval commander.
Rome. He was born in a "suburb" of Rome in 63 BC.
| Who was the relationship of Julius Caesar to Augustus? | Augustus
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Great- uncle. He was his Augustus' great-uncle, not his uncle as many believe.
| When were the legions in Germania overrun by Germanic tribes? | Augustus
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9 AD. This disaster crushed Augustus' hopes of ever conquering Germany. Immediately after Augustus' death, Tiberius had to deal with a series of serious revolts in Germania and Pannonia.
| What year was Augustus declared emperor of Rome? | Augustus
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He wasn't. He was never officially given the title of emperor by the Senate. Many people think that there was actually a senatorial position called the emperor. This is not true and never has been. They just assumed power and were never actually declared a position called emperor. Augustus got the position because he was declared sole ruler of the Roman world after he defeated Antony. The Senate then looked to him to "fix" what the Senate thought Caesar messed up. This is how he got the "emperor" position in the first place.
| How old was Augustus when he died? | Augustus
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76. He died in AD 14, leaving behind a political, social and economic framework that lasted for the next 400 years.
| Who was Augustus' most loyal general? | Augustus
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Agrippa. He was trusted by Augustus fully and died in 12 BC. After he died, Augustus was forced to send his two sons, Lucius and Gauis, into battle in the east. After they died in 4 AD, Augustus was left all alone and forced to make Tiberius his heir.
| In April of AD 13, Augustus left four documents with the Vestal Virgins; of the four we have his catalogue of achievements, which were to be set on two bronze pillars in front of his mausoleum. There are three surviving copies of this. Where is the main one located? | Augustus: An Interesting Fellow!
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Ancyra. The main inscription is found at the 'Monumentum Ancyranum'. Inscribed on the walls of the temple to Rome and Augustus is this text which appears in Latin and is paraphrased in Greek. There are two other inscriptions found at Apollonia and Antioch.
Octavii. This was a rich and infuential plebeian family in ancient Rome. Later he was adopted posthumoulsy by Julius Caesar, to whom he was already distantly related. His family tree is very complicated.
An informal group of advisors. The 'Amici' were not necessarily friends of Augustus, but their function was to meet privately and discuss issues and plans which would then be presented to other groups/counsels. This was an important political distinction for each individual member, but to be removed from this group likely meant the end of your political career or your life. This custom was not maintained much past the early stages of Tiberius' reign.
He wanted to remove connections to political corruption and illegitimacy. Augustus wanted to restore the position to its former dignity, and throughout his Res Gestae he insists that he has "taken no magistracy contrary to custom". He was interested in maintaining and promoting a pan-Roman sense of morality and virtue.
March 6, 12 BC. Until 13 BC Augustus was in Gaul. On March 6, 12 BC Augustus was officially given the title of his 'father', Julius Caesar.
The first formal police and firefighters. At the time of their creation there was an obvious need for them: in 5 AD there was a 7 day flooding of the Tiber River and there were electoral disturbances, and in 6 AD there was another grain shortage (again in 7 AD). There were divided into 7 groups, and each was responsible for two districts within the city of Rome.
DIVI F. The typical form would be 'CAESAR DIVI F' = 'son of the divine Caesar'
As a note:
VRB ROM = mint marks for Rome (the F was added on for fun)
IMP CAESAR F = Imperator (honorary title and eventual praenomen of Emperors) Caesar (another designation for Emperors) F (Filius 'son') *totally made up, but a combination of existing marks
PP F = Pater Patriae "father of his country" (again the F was just added in)
S. Pompeius. Pompey's pirates were plaguing Sardinia and Sicily; Augustus wanted to secure the safety of the Mediterranean passage and to ensure that grain was available in Rome. Marrying the aunt of Pompey's wife, Augustus was able to secure an unsteady peace for the time being; ultimately, the liberty which Pompey received allowed his supporters to return from the East (39 BC) - among them was Augustus' future wife Liva.
| Augustus' first betrothal was to a certain Servilia; this was cancelled due to more advantageous prospects. In 43 BC Augustus was betrothed to Claudia: what was Augustus' political reason for entering into this? | Augustus: An Interesting Fellow!
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Claudia was the step-daughter of Marc Antony. Claudia was the daughter of Fulvia and P. Claudius. The betrothal was agreed upon after the battle of Mutina to secure an alliance with Antony as well as to enforce their Triumvirate connection (43 BC). In 41 BC Augustus returned Claudia to Fulvia in response to anti-Gus sentiments that her mother was a part of.
Nola. Augustus enjoyed a long reign and left Rome better than it was when he assumed power. He had bouts of ill health all during his life. He was visting Nola, the place of his father's death, fell ill and died.
He was not of noble birth.. Agrippa had very humble origins and there was objection to his marrying into the imperial family, particularly from Livia, who was a proud Claudian. Augustus' will prevailed, however, in this because he was grateful for Agrippa's friendship and loyalty.
| When Octavian returned victorious to Rome after defeating Antony and Cleopatra, approximately how many legions under his command? | Augustus, Rome's first emperor
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40 or more. After the conquest of Egypt, all or most of Antony's legions defected to Octavian. This left Octavian in supreme power over the Roman Empire and it is thought that he returned to Rome with an excess of 40 legions. Since a Roman legion was normally composed of 5,000 men, more or less, this would have been at least 200,000 men who were loyal to Octavian. During the previous years, although the exact number is debated, it is thought that Antony had mustered almost 30 legions.
Ovid. Ovid wrote the "Art of Love," a highly erotic book of poetry. Augustus was beginning his marriage reforms and legislation at that time, and he found Ovid's writings objectionable. Juvenal lived a bit later, and Livy was a historian.
Drusus the Elder. Livia was pregnant with Drusus when she married Augustus. Quinctilius Varus was the commander who suffered a humiliating defeat in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (9 AD). Germanicus was not a stepson and Marcellus was briefly a hopeful successor to Augustus. He was Augustus' nephew, the son of his sister, Octavia.
Sextilis. Augustus gave his name for a month in our calender, just as Julius Caesar gave his name to the month of July.
The Pantheon. Agrippa is best known for constructing the Pantheon in Rome. The Coliseum was not completed until the Flavian dynasty. There is an inscription above the entrance of the Pantheon stating that Agrippa made the temple during his third consulship.
Druids. Augustus banished the Druids from Rome because of their alleged practice of human sacrifice. Druid practices have never been proven historically, however. Roman emperors were naturally suspicious of foreign cults, and Augustus was no exception. Christianity had not even had its origins since Augustus died in 14 AD long before Jesus began his ministry.
Scribonia. Augustus had only one natural child, Julia, by his marriage to Scribonia. She is later referred to Julia the Elder and eventually banished for her immoral behavior. Augustus and Livia had no children together, which forced Augustus to constantly forage for a successor.
| Augustus returned to Rome from Egypt with many legions under his control, including those which defected from Mark Antony. What did he do with regard to this huge army? | Augustus, Rome's first emperor
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He disbanded many legions and settled their veterans in colonies.. Augustus would never have violated Rome's sacred tradition and camp an entire army outside of Rome. He wisely disbanded many of the legions and settled the veterans on colonies throughout Italy and the Empire. Later, when he divided authority over the provinces between himself and the Senate, he judiciously kept control of legions in key areas. No one truly ruled in Rome without the support of the army.
Proconsular. Proconsular power, even under the Republic, was granted to those who had to exercise authority outside of Italy. Augustus, step by step, acquired the functions of various government offices. To be granted proconsular power meant that Augustus could exercise great authority over the Roman provinces. He was extremely careful to avoid the impression that he was creating a monarchy. In 27 BC, Augustus dramatically resigned his powers and expressed the desire to live as a common citizen. The part was well played. He acquired more power in this seemingly modest move.
Interest rates fell and money came out of hiding.. This is a commonsense solution. When confidence is restored, economies improve. Far from creating a financial crisis, with banks closing, Octavian stabilized the Roman economy.
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