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

AUGUSTUS.

AUGUSTUS.' 425

lonia, also, that Augustus formed his intimate Mutina, for which the soldiers saluted him as
friendship with Q. Saividienus Rufus and M. Vip- imperator. The fall of the two consuls threw the
sanius Agrippa. command of their armies into his hands. Antony
When the news of Caesar's murder reached the was humbled and obliged to flee across the Alps.
troops in Illyricum, they immediately offered to Various reports were spread in the meantime of
follow Augustus to Italy and avenge his uncle's disputes between D. Brutus and Augustus, and it
death; but fear and ignorance of the real state of was even said that the death of the two consuls
affairs at Rome made him hesitate for a while. At was the work of the latter. The Roman arislast he resolved to go to Italy as a private person, tocracy, on whose behalf Augustus had acted, now
accompanied only by Agrippa and a few other determined to prevent him from acquiring all
friends. In the beginning of April he landed at further power. They entrusted D. Brutus with
Lupiae, near Brundusium, and here he heard of the command of the consular armies to prosecute
his adoption into the gens Julia and of his being the war against Antony, and made other regulathe heir of Caesar. At Brundusium, whither he tions which were intended to prevent Augustus
next proceeded, he was saluted by the soldiers as gaining any further popularity with the soldiers. He
Caesar, which name he henceforth assumed, for his remained inactive, and seemed ready to obey the
legitimate name now was C. Julius Caesar Octa- commands of the senate. Antony had in the
vianus. After having visited his stepfather in the meantime become reconciled with the governors in
neighbourhood of Naples, he arrived at Rome, ap- Gaul and Spain through the mediation of Lepidus,
parently about the beginning of May. Here he and was now at the head of a powerful army.
demanded nothing but the private property which In these circumstances Augustus resolved to seek
Caesar had left him, but declared that he was re- a power which might assist him in gaining over Ansolved to avenge the murder of his benefactor, tony, or enable him to oppose him more effectually
The state of parties at Rome was most perplexing; if necessary. This power was the consulship. lie
and one cannot but admire the extraordinary tact was very popular with the soldiers, and they were
and prudence which Augustus displayed, and the by promises of various kinds induced to demand
skill with which a youth of barely twenty contrived the consulship for him. The senate was terrified,
to blind the most experienced statesmen in Rome, and granted the request, though, soon after, the
and eventually to carry all his designs into effect, arrival of troops from Africa emboldened them
It was not the faction of the conspirators that again to declare against him. But Augustus had
placed difficulties in his way, but one of Caesar's won the favour of these troops: he encamped on
own party, M. Antony, who had in his possession the campus Martius, and in the month of August
the money and papers of Caesar, and refused to the people elected him consul together with Q.
give them up. Augustus declared before the prae- Pedius. His adoption into the gens Julia was now
tor, in the usual manner, that he accepted of the sanctioned by the curies; the sums due to the pooinheritance, and promised to give to the people the ple, according to the will of Julius Caesar, were
portion of his uncle's property which he had be- paid, the murderers of the dictator outlawed, and
queathed them in his will. Antony endeavoured Augustus appointed to carry the sentence into
by all means to prevent Augustus from obtaining effect. He first marched into the north, professedly
his objects; but the conduct of Augustus gained against Antony, but had scarcely entered Etruria,
the favour of both the senate and the people, when the senate, on the proposal of Q. Pedius,
[ANTONIUS, p. 215, b.] Augustus had to con- repealed the sentence of outlawry against Antony
tend against Dec. Brutus, who was in possession and Lepidus, who were just descending from the
of Cisalpine Gaul, as well as against Antony; but Alps with an army of 17 legions. D. Brutus took
to get rid of one enemy at least, the sword was to flight, and was afterwards murdered at Aquileia
drawn against the latter, the more dangerous of at the command of Antony. On their arrival at
the two. While Antony was collecting troops for Bononia, Antony and Lepidus were met by Authe war against D. Brutus, two of the legions gustus, who became reconciled with them. It was
which came from Macedonia, the legio Martia agreed by the three, that Augustus should lay
and the fifth, went over to Augustus; and to pre- down his consulship, and that the empire should
vent the remaining troops following the example, be divided among them under the title of triumviri
Antony hastened with them to the north of Italy. rei publicae constituendae, and that this arrangeCicero, who had at first looked upon Augustus ment should last for the next five years. Lepidus
with contempt, now began to regard him as the obtained Spain, Antony Gaul, and Augustus Africa,
only man capable of delivering the republic from Sardinia, and Sicily. Antony and Augustus were
its troubles; and Augustus in return courted to prosecute the war against the murderers of
Cicero. On the 10th of December, Cicero, in his Caesar. The first objects of the triumvirs were to
third Philippic, proposed that Augustus should be destroy their enemies and the republican party;
entrusted with the command of the army against they began their proscriptions even before they
Antony, and on the first of January, B. c. 43, he arrived at Rome; their enemies were murdered
repeated the same proposal in his fifth Philippic. and their property confiscated, and Augustus was
The senate now granted more than had been no less cruel than Antony. Two thousand equites
asked: Augustus obtained the command of the and three hundred senators are said to have been
army with the title and insignia of a praetor, the put to death during this proscription: the lands of
right of voting in the senate with the consulars, whole townships were taken from their owners
and of holding the consulship ten years before he and distributed among the veteran soldiers. Nunmattained the legitimate age. He was accordingly bers of Roman citizens took to flight, and found a
sent by the senate, with the two consuls of the refuge with Sex. Pompeius in Sicily. Augustus
year, C. Vibius Pansa and A. Iirtius, to compel first directed his arms against the latter, because
Antony to raise the siege of Mutina. Augustus dis- Pompeius had it in his power to cut off all protinguiished himself by his defence of the camp near visions from Rome. The army assembled at Rihc