From 27 B.C.E. to 180 C.E., the Roman Empire saw a period of relative tranquility and prosperity now known as the Pax Romana ...

Caesar’s republican opponents considered him a tyrant and assassinated him in 44 B.C., whereupon his grand-nephew Gaius ...

Augustus was Julius Caesar's great-nephew ... Known at that point as Octavian, he quickly outshone all his peers in the scramble for absolute power. The pivotal moment in his rise was the defeat ...

Adopted by Caesar, Augustus (c.62 BC – 14 AD / Reigned 31 BC – 14 AD) had to fight for his throne. His long rule saw a huge expansion in the Roman Empire and the beginnings of a dynasty that ...

However, his career began long before securing this unprecedented role in 27 B.C.E. In 44 BCE, Augustus was still known as Octavian. He was Julius Caesar's 19-year-old grand nephew, adopted son ...

Octavian's victory in the 31 ... generals Marius and Sulla wrestled for control; Julius Caesar squared off against his rival Pompey. And, of course, Augustus himself seized power through violence ...

Early in his reign, Halley’s Comet passed over Rome. Augustus claimed it was the spirit of Julius Caesar entering heaven. If Caesar was a god then, as his heir, Augustus was the son of a god and ...

Octavian also said he was unfit to hold office because he was always drunk. Image caption, A statue of Augustus Caesar. Octavian rebranded himself as Augustus when he became the first Emperor of Rome.