A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

424 AUGUSTUS. AUGUSTUS.
closes with the deposition of the son of Orestes; uncle, but was obliged to remain behind on account
and, strangely enough, the last emperor combined of illness, but soon joined him with a few comnthe names of the first king and the first emperor of panions. During his whole life-time Augustus,
Rome. [ORESTES, ODOACER.] (Amm. Marc. with one exception, was unfortunate at sea, and
Excerpta, pp. 662, 663, ed. Paris, 1681; Cassiod. this his first attempt nearly cost him his life, for
Chronicon, ad Zenonem; Jornand. de Regnorum the vessel in which he sailed was wrecked on the
Successione, p. 59, de Reb. Goth.. pp. 128, 129, ed, coast of Spain. Whether he arrived in Caesar's
Lindenbrog; Procop. de Bell. Goth. i. 1, ii. 6; camp in time to take part in the battle of
Cedrenus, p. 350, ed. Paris; Theophanes, p. 102, Munda or not is a disputed point, though the
ed. Paris; Evagrius, ii. 16.) [W. P.] former seems to be more probable. (Suet. Aug.
AUGUSTUS, the first emperor of the Roman 94; Dion Cass. xliii. 41.) Caesar became more
empire, was born on the 23rd of September of the and more attached to his nephew, for he seems to
year B. c. 63, in the consulship of M. Tullius have perceived in him the elements of everything
Cicero and C. Antonius. He was the son of C. that would render him a worthy successor to himOctavius by Atia, a daughter of Julia, the sister of self: he constantly kept him about his person; and
C. Julius Caesar, who is said to have been de- while he was yet in Spain he is said to have made
scended from the ancient Latin hero Atys. His his will and to have adopted Augustus as his son,
real name was, like that of his father, C. Octavius, though without informing him of it. In the
but for the sake of brevity, and in order to avoid autumn of B. c. 45, Caesar returned to Rome with
confusion, we shall call him Augustus, though this his nephew; and soon afterwards, in accordance
was only an hereditary surname which was given with the wish of his uncle, the senate raised the
him afterwards by the senate and the people to gens Octavia, to which Augustus belonged, to the
express their veneration for him, whence the Greek rank of a patrician gens. About the same time
writers translate it by leaaTro's. Various wonderful Augustus was betrothed to Servilia, the daughter
signs, announcing his future greatness, were subse- of P. Servilius Isauricus, but the engagement apquently believed to have preceded or accompanied pears afterwards to have been broken off.
his birth. (Suet. A ug. 94; Dion Cass. xlv. 1, &c.) The extraordinary distinctions and favours which
Augustus lost his father at the age of fouor years, had thus been conferred upon Augustus at such an
whereupon his mother married L. Marcius Philip- early age, must have excited his pride and ambipus, and at the age of twelve (according to Nicolaus tion, of which one remarkable example is recorded.
Damascenus, De Vit. Aug. 3, three years earlier) In the very year of his return from Spain he was
he delivered the funeral eulogium on his grand- presumptuous enough to ask for the office of
mother, Julia. After the death of his father his magister equitum to the dictator, his uncle. Caeeducation was conducted with great care in the sar, however, refused to grant it, and gave it to
house of his grandmother, Julia, and at her death M. Lepidus instead, probably because he thought
he returned to his mother, who, as well as his his nephew not yet fit for such an office. He
step-father, henceforth watched over his education wished that Augustus should accompany him on
with the utmost vigilance. His talents and beauty, the expedition which he contemplated against the
and above all his relationship to C. Julius Caesar, Getae and Parthians; and, in order that the
drew upon him the attention of the most distin- young man might acquire a more thorough pracguished Romans of the time, and it seems that J. tical training in military affairs, he sent him to
Caesar himself, who had no male issue, watched Apollonia in Illyricum, where some legions were
over the education of the promising youth with no stationed, and whither Caesar himself intended to
less interest than his parents. In his sixteenth follow him. It has often been supposed that Caeyear (N. Danmascenus erroneously says in his sar sent his nephew to Apollonia for the purpose
fifteenth) he received the toga virilis, and in the of finishing his intellectual education; but although
same year was made a member of the college of this was not neglected during his stay in that city,
pontiffs, in the place of L. Domitius, who had been yet it was not the object for which ihe was sent
killed after the battle of Pharsalia. (N. Damasc. thither, for Apollonia offered no advantages for the
1. c. 4; Vell. Pat. ii. 59; Suet. Aug. 94; Dion purpose, as may be inferred from the fact, that
Cass. xlv. 2.) From this time his uncle, C. Julius Augmustus took his instructors-the rhetorician
Caesar, devoted as much of his time as his own Apollodorus of Pergamus and the mathematician
busy life allowed him to the practical education of Theogenes, with him from Rome. When Caesar
his nephew, and trained him for the duties of the had again to appoint the magistrates ill B. c. 44,
public career he was soon to enter upon. Dion he remembered the desire of his nephew, and conCassius relates that at this time Caesar also brought ferred upon him, while he was at Apollonia, the
about his elevation to the rank of a patrician, but office of magister equitum, on which he was to
it is a well attested fact that this did not take enter in the autumn of B. c. 43. But things
place till three years later. In B. c. 47, when turned out far differently. Augustus had scarcely
Caesar went to Africa to put down the Pompeian been at Apollonia six months, when he was surparty in that country, Augustus wished to accom- prised by the news of his uncle's murder, in
pany him but was kept back, because his mother March, B. c. 44. Short as his residence at this
thought that his delicate constitution would be un- place had been, it was yet of great influence upon
able to bear the fatigues connected with such an his future life: his military exercises seem to have
expedition. On his return Caesar distinguished strengthened his naturally delicate constitution,
him, nevertheless, with mnilitarv honours, and in his and the attentions and flatteries which were paid
triumph allowed Augustus to ride on horseback to the nephew of Caesar by the most distinguished
behind his triumphal car. In the year following persons connected with the legions in Illyricum,
(e. c. 45), when Caesar went to Spain against the sons stimulated his ambition and love of dominion, and
of Pompey, Augustus, who had then completed his thus explain as well as excuse many of the acts of
seventeouth yeair, was to have accompanied his which lie was afterwards guilthy. It was at Apol