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Augustus

Reece Period attributed: Period 1

Obverse image of a coin of Augustus

Member of the Julio-Claudians dynasty.

Coins for this issuer were issued from -31 until 14.

Augustus (born Gaius Octavius) was the great nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar. In the years immediately after Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, Augustus and Mark Antony (Caesar's closest friend and ally) set out to avenge his murder. Within a decade, however, relations between the two had broken down and the Roman World was plunged into civil war. By 31 BC Augustus had emerged as the undisputed victor: Rome's first emperor.

Rome had been a republic for centuries since the fall of its kings and was ruled by the Senate (its supreme political body) and the Roman people. Augustus was anxious that his political position was acceptable to everyone. He based his powers on traditional political offices and presented himself as the "first man" of the Senate rather than as a king. In this way he cleverly preserved the ideals of the Roman Republic.

In about 23 BC, Augustus reformed the coinage. He continued to produce the gold aureus and the silver denarius, but introduced a series of new copper-alloy denominations. The new coinage system was more advanced than anything the ancient world had seen.

Other resources about Augustus

View all coins recorded by the scheme attributed to Augustus.

Information from Wikipedia

  • Preferred label: Augustus
  • Full names:
    • Title: Princeps Civitatis, Roman consul III–XI, Roman consul XII, Roman consul II, Roman consul XIII
    • Predecessor:
    • Successor: Tiberius
    • Definition: Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Principate, which is the first phase of the Roman Empire, and Augustus is considered one of the greatest leaders in human history. The reign of Augustus initiated an imperial cult as well as an era associated with imperial peace, the Pax Romana or Pax Augusta. The Roman world was largely free from large-scale conflict for more than two centuries despite continuous wars of imperial expansion on the empire's frontiers and the year-long civil war known as the "Year of the Four Emperors" over the imperial succession. Originally named Gaius Octavius, he was born into an old and wealthy equestrian branch of the plebeian gens Octavia. His maternal great-uncle Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, and Octavius was named in Caesar's will as his adopted son and heir; as a result, he inherited Caesar's name, estate, and the loyalty of his legions. He, Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate to defeat the assassins of Caesar. Following their victory at the Battle of Philippi (42 BC), the Triumvirate divided the Roman Republic among themselves and ruled as de facto dictators. The Triumvirate was eventually torn apart by the competing ambitions of its members; Lepidus was exiled in 36 BC, and Antony was defeated by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. After the demise of the Second Triumvirate, Augustus restored the outward façade of the free republic, with governmental power vested in the Roman Senate, the executive magistrates and the legislative assemblies, yet he maintained autocratic authority by having the Senate grant him lifetime tenure as commander-in-chief, tribune and censor. A similar ambiguity is seen in his chosen names, the implied rejection of monarchical titles whereby he called himself Princeps Civitatis (First Citizen) juxtaposed with his adoption of the title augustus. Augustus dramatically enlarged the empire, annexing Egypt, Dalmatia, Pannonia, Noricum and Raetia, expanding possessions in Africa, and completing the conquest of Hispania, but he suffered a major setback in Germania. Beyond the frontiers, he secured the empire with a buffer region of client states and made peace with the Parthian Empire through diplomacy. He reformed the Roman system of taxation, developed networks of roads with an official courier system, established a standing army, established the Praetorian Guard as well as official police and fire-fighting services for Rome, and rebuilt much of the city during his reign. Augustus died in AD 14 at age 75, probably from natural causes. Persistent rumors, substantiated somewhat by deaths in the imperial family, have claimed his wife Livia poisoned him. He was succeeded as emperor by his adopted son Tiberius, Livia's son and also former husband of Augustus' only biological daughter Julia.
    • Parents:
    • Birth place: Rome, Roman Republic, Roman Italy
    • Death place: Roman Empire, Roman Italy, Nola
    • Spouse:
    • Other title(s):
      • List of Roman consuls
      • Princeps Civitatis
      • Roman consul III–XI
      • Roman consul XII
      • Roman consul II
      • List of pontifices maximi
      • Roman consul XIII
      • List of Roman emperors
    • Came After:
      • Lucius Passienus Rufus
      • Lucius Calpurnius Piso the Augur
      • Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus (consul 32 BC)
      • Cossus Cornelius Lentulus Gaetulicus
      • Marcus Claudius Marcellus Aeserninus
      • Gaius Calvisius Sabinus (consul 4 BC)
      • Lucius Arruntius (consul 22 BC)
      • Gaius Sosius
      • Lucius Munatius Plancus
      • Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (triumvir)
    • Came before:
      • Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus (consul 32 BC)
      • Lucius Cornelius Lentulus (consul 3 BC)
      • Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus
      • Decimus Laelius Balbus
      • Marcus Herennius Picens (consul 34 BC)
      • Paullus Aemilius Lepidus
      • Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus
      • Aulus Hirtius
      • Gaius Antistius Vetus (consul 6 BC)
      • Gaius Sosius
    • Subjects on wikipedia:

    Types issued

    Adrian Murdoch's Emperor's of Rome

    This video has been embedded from Adrian Murdoch's series of podcasts on the Emperors of Rome. Many thanks to him for allowing us to use these podcasts.

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