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

OCTAVIUS. OCTAVI US. 9
xli. 40; Florus, iv. 2. ~ 31; Oros. vi. 15.) Oc- |praetorship we have no further information; we
tavius afterwards proceeded to attack the town of are only told that he filled the previous dignities
Salonae in Dalmatia, but was repulsed with con- with great credit to himself and obtained a repusiderable loss, and thereupon joined Pompey at tation for integrity, ability, and uprightness.
Dyrrhachium. After the battle of Pharsalia, Velleius Paterculus characterizes him (ii. 59) as
Octavius, who still possessed a considerable fleet, gravis, sanctus, innocens, and dives, and adds that
set sail for Illyricum with the hope of securing it the estimation in which he was held gained for
for the Pompeian party. At first he met with him, in marriage, Atia, the daughter of Julia, who
great success, and defeated Gabinius, who had was the sister of Julius Caesar. Thus, although
been sent by Caesar into Illyricum with reinforce- a novus homo, he was chosen first praetor in B. c.
ments for the army, which was already there; 61, and discharged the duties of his office in so
but he was sqon afterwards driven out of the admirable a manner that Cicero recommends him
country (B. c. 47) by Cornificius and Vatinius, as a model to his brother Quintus. (Cic. ad Qu. F.
and compelled to fly to Africa, where the Pompeian i. 1. ~ 7.) In the following year he succeeded C.
party were making a stand. (Hirt, B. Alex. 42- Antonius in the government of Macedonia, with
4(6; Dion Cass. xlii. 11.) After the battle of the title of proconsul, and on his way to his proThapsus (a.c. 46), Octavius was in the neigh- vince he cut to pieces, in the Thurine district, in
bourhood of Utica in command of two legions, and consequence of orders from the senate, a body of
claimed to have the supreme command with Cato. runaway slaves, who had been gathered together
(Plut. Cat. min. 65.) He is not mentioned again for Catiline, and had previously belonged to the
till the battle of Actium (B.c. 31), when he army of Spartacus. He administered the affairs of
commanded along with M. Insteius the middle of his province with equal integrity and energy. The
Antony's fleet. (Plut. Ant. 65.) manner in which he treated the provincials was
11. C. OcTAvlUS, the younger son of No. 1, again recommended by Cicero as an example to his
and the ancestor of Augustus, remained a- simple brother Quintus. He routed the Bessi and some
Roman eques, without attempting to rise ally other Thracian tribes, who had disturbed the peace
higher in the state. (Suet. Aug. 2; Vell. Pat. of the province, and received in consequence the
ii. 59.) title of imperator from his troops. He returned to
12. C. OcTAVIUS, son of the preceding, and Italy at the latter end of B.c. 59, in full expectation
great-grandfather of Augustus, lived in the time of of being elected to the consulship, but he died
the second Punic war, in which he served as suddenly at the beginning of the following year,
triblne of the soldiers. He was present at the fatal B. c. 58, at Nola, in Campania, in the very same
battle of Cannae (B.C. 216), and was one of the room in which Augustus afterwards breathed his
few who survived the engagement. When the last. Octavius was married twice, first to AnCarthaginians were forcing into the lesser Roman charia, by whom he had one daughter [ANCHARIA],
camp, Octavius and another tribune, Sempronius and secondly to Atia, by whom he had a daughter
Tuditanus, cut their way through the enemy, with and a son [ATIA]. His second wife, and his three
a few soldiers, and arrived in safety at Canusium. children, survived him. (Suet. Aug. 3, 4; Nicol.
(Frontin. Strut. iv. 5. ~ 7; comp. Liv. xxii. 52.) Damasc. Vit. August. c. 2, ed. Orelli; Vell. Pat. ii.
Octavius also served in Sicily under the praetor 59; Cic. ad Att. ii. 1, ad Qu. F.. i. ~ 7, ii. 2. ~ 7,
L. Aemilius Papus (B. c. 205), but what part he Phlilipp. iii. 6; Tac. Ann. i. 9.) The following is
took in the other campaigns in the war is not the inscription which has been above referred to:mentioned. When M. Antonius wished to throw c. OCTAVIVS. C. F. C. N. C.. P.(VFVS). PATER
contempt upon Augustus, he called this C. Octavius AVGVSTI. TR. MIL. BIS. Q. AED. PL. CVM. C. TORANIO.
a freedman and a rope-maker (restio), but whether IVDEX QVAESTIONVM. PR. PROCOS. IMPERATOR
he or his family ever had any thing to do with a APPELLATVS EX PROVINCIA MACEDONIA.
manufactory of ropes, is quite uncertain. (Suet. 15. OCTAVIA, the elder daughter of No. 14, by
Abug. 2.) Ancharia. [OCTAVIA, No. 1.]
13. C. OCTAVIUS, son of the preceding, and 16. OCTAVIA, the younger daughter of No. 14,
grandfather of Augustus, lived quietly at his villa by Atia. [OCTAVIA, No. 2.]
at Velitrae, content with the municipal honours of 17. C. OCTAVWUS, the son of No. 14, by Atia,
his native town, and not aspiring to the dignities was subsequently called C. Julius Caesar Octaof the Roman state. He possessed considerable vianus, in consequence of his adoption by his greatproperty, which he probably augmented by money- uncle, C. Julius Caesar. The senate, at a later
lending, since Antonius and Cassius Parmensis period, conferred upon him the title of Augustus,
called Augustus the grandson of a banker or under which name his life is given. [AUGUSTrTS.]
money-lender. (Suet. Aug. 2, 4, 6.) 18. CN. OCTAVIUS RUFUS, quaestor, B. C. 107,
14. C. OCTAVIUS, son of the preceding and was sent into Africa with pay for the army of
father of Augustus, was likewise said by the Marius, and returned to Rome, accompanied by
enemies of Augustus to have been a money-lender, the ambassadors, whom Bocchus sent to the senate.
and to have been employed in the Campus Martius (Sail. Jug. 104.) The cognomen in most of the
as one of the agents for bribing the electors. But MSS. of Sallust is Ruso, for which, however, we
there is probably no truth in these reports. The ought probably to read Rufus, as the former cogriches left him by his father enabled him, without nomen is unknown in the Octavia gens. From
difficulty, to obtain the public offices at Rome, the fact that this Cn. Octavius filled the office of
although he was the first of his family who had quaestor, it is not impossible that he may be the
aspired to them. We learn from an inscription, same Cn. Octavius, who was consul B. C. 87. [See
which is given below, that he was successively above, No. 6.]
tri:llune of the soldiers twice, quaestor, plebeian 19. L. OCTAVIUS, a legate of Pompey in the
aedile with C. Toranius, judex quaestionum, and war against the pirates, B. c. 67, was sent by
p)ractor. Of his history up to the time of his Pompey into Crete to receive the submission of