Augustus: Biography of Octavian, the First Roman Emperor

Caesar Augustus, originally known as Gaius Octavius, was the first Roman Emperor and one of the most transformative figures in world history. Born into an affluent plebeian family, he belonged to an ancient and influential equestrian branch of the gens Octavia. His path to power began under extraordinary circumstances. Following the assassination of his maternal great-uncle, Julius Caesar, in 44 BC, Octavius was named in Caesar's will as his adopted son and successor. This inheritance not o...