Outline of Augustus

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Augustus:

Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (Latin: Octavianus), was the founder of the Roman Empire and the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. The reign of Augustus initiated an imperial cult and an era of imperial peace (the Pax Romana or Pax Augusta) in which the Roman world was largely free of armed conflict. The principate, a style of government where the emperor showed nominal deference to the Senate, was established during his reign and lasted until the Crisis of the Third Century.

Early life and rise to power

  • Early life of Augustus – Detailed account of Augustus's childhood, education, and early political career
  • Rise of Augustus – Detailed account of Augustus's political career as the heir to Caesar, consul, and triumvir Octavian

Reign as Emperor

Titles

  • Augustus (title), the title granted to Augustus by the Roman Senate in 27 BC that would become a regnal title for Roman imperial families
  • Pater patriae, meaning 'father of the country', granted to Augustus by the Roman Senate in 2 BC
  • Pontifex Maximus, head priest in the College of Pontiffs, assumed by Augustus after the death of former triumvir Marcus Aemilius Lepidus
  • Princeps, meaning 'leading citizen' or 'first citizen', a title used by Augustus and his contemporaries to describe his political preeminence in Roman politics after his victory in the War of Actium
  • Sebastos, the Greek equivalent for the title 'Augustus' used in the Greek-speaking Eastern half of the Roman Empire

Cultural influence and contributions during his lifetime

Family and personal life

Abodes

Family members

Grandparents

Parents

Siblings

Wives

  • Claudia – Augustus's first wife
  • Scribonia – Augustus's second wife
  • Livia – Augustus's third wife and influential figure in the early Roman Empire

Children

Other notable family members

Legacy

  • Julio-Claudian dynasty – The imperial dynasty founded by Augustus
  • Aqua Alsietina – aqueduct built in Rome to provide water to an artificial lake along the Tiber where mock naval battles (naumachia) entertained crowds
  • Augustus of Prima Porta – Famous statue of Augustus
  • Roman imperial cult – Worship of emperors, including Augustus, as divine or semi-divine figures
  • Mausoleum of Augustus – Monumental tomb built by Augustus for himself and his family
  • Naumachia of Augustus – an artificial lake built along the Tiber in Rome where mock naval battles were staged and fed by the Aqua Alsietina aqueduct
  • Principate – the style of imperial government established by Augustus (the princeps or 'leading citizen'), which was eventually replaced by the Dominate form of government established by emperor Diocletian in the late 3rd century AD
  • Res Gestae Divi Augusti – Augustus's autobiographical funerary inscription detailing his achievements and honors
  • Temples of Augustus
  • Roman Temple of Évora – Well-preserved Roman temple in Évora, Portugal, possibly dedicated to the imperial cult
  • Felicior Augusto, melior Traiano – Latin phrase meaning "May you be luckier than Augustus and better than Trajan," used to praise subsequent emperors
  • Cultural depictions of Augustus – Representations of Augustus in art, literature, and popular culture throughout history

See also