Augustus

CONTENTS

Title Page

Dedication

Chronology

Maps

Family Tree

Preface

Introduction

I SCENES FROM A PROVINCIAL CHILDHOOD

II THE GREAT-UNCLE

III A POLITICAL MASTER CLASS

IV UNFINISHED BUSINESS

V A BOY WITH A NAME

VI FROM VICTORY, DEFEAT

VII KILLING FIELDS

VIII DIVIDED WORLD

IX GOLDEN AGE

X FIGHTING NEPTUNE

XI PARTHIAN SHOTS

XII EAST IS EAST AND WEST IS WEST

XIII THE PHONY WAR

XIV SHOWDOWN

XV A LONG FAREWELL

XVI ABDICATION

XVII WHOM THE GODS LOVE

XVIII EXERCISING POWER

XIX THE CULT OF VIRTUE

XX LIFE AT COURT

PHOTO INSERT

XXI GROWING THE EMPIRE

XXII A FAMILY AT WAR

XXIII THE UNHAPPY RETURN

XXIV THE BITTER END

INTO THE FUTURE

Notes

Sources

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Also by Anthony Everitt

Copyright

FOR RODDY ASHWORTH

CHRONOLOGY

B.C.

BEFORE 70

Gaius Octavius marries Atia

? 70

Gaius Cilnius Maecenas born

69

Octavia, Octavius’ second daughter, born

63

Consulship of Marcus Tullius Cicero

Conspiracy of Lucius Sergius Catilina

September 23

Gaius Octavius (Augustus) born

C. 62

Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa born

61

Gaius Octavius (Augustus’ father) praetor

60

First Triumvirate formed

59

Julius Caesar consul

58

Gaius Octavius dies

58–49

Caesar proconsul in Gaul

BEFORE 54

Octavia marries Gaius Claudius Marcellus

53

Marcus Licinius Crassus invades Parthia; defeated and killed at Carrhae

52

Pompey the Great sole consul

49

Civil war begins. Caesar invades Italy, wins campaign in Spain, becomes dictator

48

Caesar defeats Pompey at Pharsalus in Greece

Pompey killed in Egypt

Caesar installs Cleopatra on Egyptian throne

46

Caesar defeats republican army in northern Africa

Cato commits suicide

45

Caesar defeats republican army in Spain

autumn

Octavius at Apollonia

44

Caesar Dictator for Life

March 15

Caesar assassinated

April

Octavius in Italy

Octavius accepts adoption by Caesar; becomes Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, or Octavian

43

War at Mutina; Mark Antony defeated

Octavian consul

Mark Antony, Octavian, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus form Second Triumvirate; Proscription launched; Cicero put to death

42

Campaign at Philippi; Brutus and Cassius commit suicide

Sextus Pompeius in control of Sicily

Julius Caesar deified

Octavia’s son, Marcus Claudius Marcellus (Marcellus), born

Tiberius Claudius Nero, son of Livia Drusilla and Tiberius Claudius Nero, (Tiberius) born

41

Lucius Antonius besieged at Perusia

Antony meets Cleopatra, winters at Alexandria

40

Perusia falls

Marcellus, Octavia’s husband, dies

Octavian marries Scribonia

Parthians invade Syria

Calenus dies in Gaul

Treaty of Brundisium; Antony marries Octavia

39

Treaty of Misenum

Ventidius defeats the Parthians

Agrippa campaigns in Gaul

Octavian’s daughter, Julia, born

38

Triumvirate renewed

Nero Claudius Drusus (Drusus) born

January 17

Octavian marries Livia Drusilla

Antony dismisses Ventidius

Sextus Pompeius defeats Octavian off Cumae and in straits of Messana

37

Virgil’s Eclogues published

Treaty of Tarentum

36

After initial defeat (August), Octavian defeats Sextus Pompeius at Naulochus (September 3)

Lepidus dropped from Triumvirate

Antony’s Parthian expedition

Octavian granted tribunicia sacrosanctitas

35

Sextus Pompeius killed

Octavian campaigns in the Balkans

34

Antony annexes Armenia

Donations of Alexandria

33

Octavian consul (2), Triumvirate lapses at end of year

Agrippa aedile

Tiberius Claudius Nero (father) dies

32

Antony divorces Octavia

Octavian publishes Antony’s will

Consuls leave Rome for Antony

Oath of loyalty to Octavian

31

Octavian consul (3)

Battle of Actium

30

Octavian consul (4)

Octavian captures Alexandria; Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide

29

Octavian consul (5)

Octavian’s triple triumph

Temple of Julius Caesar and the Curia Julia dedicated

Marcus Licinius Crassus pacifies Thrace

28

Octavian consul (6)

Review of Senate

Temple of Apollo on the Palatine dedicated

Mausoleum of Augustus begun

27

Octavian consul (7)

January

First constitutional settlement; Octavian named Augustus; granted a large provincia for ten years

Agrippa builds Pantheon

27–24

Augustus in Gaul and Spain

26

Augustus consul (8)

Dismissal and death of Gaius Cornelius Gallus

Expedition to Arabia Felix

25

Augustus consul (9)

Julia marries Marcellus

Augustus falls ill in Spain, convalesces

? 24–23

Trial of Marcus Primus and conspiracy of Fannius Caepio and Aulus Terentius Varro Murena

24

Augustus consul (10)

23

Augustus consul (11)

Augustus at Rome, falls ill

Second constitutional settlement: Augustus resigns consulship, receives imperium proconsulare maius and tribunicia potestas

Death of Marcellus

Horace’s Odes (three books) published

23–21

Agrippa with enhanced imperium in the east

22–19

Augustus in the east

21

Agrippa marries Julia, goes to Gaul

20

Augustus negotiates entente with Parthia; Tiberius in Armenia

Gaius born to Julia

Rufus Egnatius praetor

C. 19

Agrippa’s daughter, Julia, born

19

Egnatius bids for the consulship

Virgil dies

Augustus, back at Rome, receives consular powers

Agrippa subdues Spanish tribes

18