Britannica
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- Augustus: Top Questions
- ancient Rome - The dictatorship and assassination of Caesar
- ancient Rome - The Triumvirate and Octavianâs achievement of sole power
- ancient Rome - The establishment of the principate under Augustus
- consul
- Did you know?
- ancient Rome - The Roman Senate and the urban magistracies
- ancient Rome - The consulship
- Augustus
How did Octavian become a consul while still very young?
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Augustus
Portrait of the emperor Augustus, marble, Roman, c. 14â37 ce; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Height 27.94 cm.
Octavian did not attain the consulship through traditional age-based progression; rather, he secured it through the use of armed force.1
Following the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE, Octavian emerged as a challenger for the leadership of the Caesarian party. In 43 BCE, after the two sitting consuls died during the conflict against Mark Antony at Mutina, Octavian demanded the office. Despite being under 20 years of age, he successfully obtained the consulship by leveraging his military strength. This act allowed him to consolidate his position and eventually form the Second Triumvirate with Antony and Marcus Lepidus.12