Today in History—August 19: Roman Teenager Becomes Political Royalty

On this day in 43 bce, a 19-year-old became one of the most powerful people in the Roman Republic. He was Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian (later known simply as Octavian), and he had just ascended to the rank of consul—one of two Roman heads of state, the highest magistrates and officials in the land.

His rise to power was rapid, and he would dramatically change the face of Rome.

A year earlier, his great-uncle Julius Caesar—yes, that Julius Caesar—had adopted him, changing his name from Gaius Octavius to Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian. But this was all a secret—and later, it would make all the difference.

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Octavian’s teenage years were a time of political upheaval. Julius Caesar had crossed the Rubicon with his army in 49 bce. Pompey (a fellow member of the triumvirate that ruled Rome at the time), along with much of the Senate, opposed Caesar’s bid for power. Julius Caesar went to war with Pompey and defeated his armies. He was elevated to dictator to put the Republic back together—but he was brutally killed by members of the Senate in 44 bce.

In the ensuing chaos, Octavian discovered that he was Caesar’s heir and successor. He inherited much of Caesar’s wealth, and he raised an army to avenge the death of his beloved great-uncle. He led his forces into Rome in 43 bce and leveraged his new power to become Rome’s youngest-ever consul. Octavian’s influence was great enough to join with Mark Antony and Senator Marcus Lepidus in a new, second triumvirate.

For several years, this group of three prevented challenges to Roman rule. It did not last, however. Octavian stripped Lepidus of power in 36 bce, and Antony joined with Cleopatra of Egypt to battle Octavian in 32 bce. After the Battle of Actium in 31 bce, Octavian emerged the sole victor.

Octavian traded the Republic’s restoration for more power. In doing so, Rome became a de facto empire in 27 bce, with Octavian becoming its first emperor under the name Augustus Caesar. He ushered in a period of relative peace and stability, until his death in 14 ce, which also occurred, ironically, on August 19.

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