By making public a will, wherein his rival appointed his sons by Cleopatra his heirs, he stirred up the of the Romans against him. Availing himself of this feeling Octa vianus declared war against the Queen of Egypt and led a considerable force, both by sea and land, to the Ambracian Gulf. Here his admiral Vipsanius Agrippa gained the naval victory of Actium (q.v.), which made Octavianus master of the world, 31 a.c. He pursued his rival to Egypt, and ended the war, after rejecting the proposal of Antony to decide their differences by a personal combat. Cleopatra and Antony having killed themselves, Octavianus caused them to be buried with imposing ceremonies. A son of Antony and Fulvia was sacrificed to ensure his safety, and Casarion, a son of Caesar and Cleopatra, shared the same fate. All the other relations of Antony remained uninjured, and Octavianus, on the whole, used his power with moderation. He spent two years in the East, in order to arrange the affairs of Egypt, Greece, Syria, Asia Minor and the islands. On his return to Rome he celebrated a triumph for three days in succession, and (29 a.c.) closed the temple of Janus — for the third time since the foundation of Rome. Freed from his rivals and enemies, and master of the world, he is said to have been undecided as to how he should exercise his power, or whether he should even retain it. He first set about correcting the abuses which had prevailed during the civil war, established a general peace, ejected un worthy members from the Senate, restored ruined temples and built new ones.
At the end of his seventh consulship, he en tered the Senate house, and declared his resolu tion to lay down his power. The Senate, aston ished at his moderation, besought him to retain it. He yielded to their pressing entreaties, and continued to govern through them. He now obtained the surname of Augustus, which marked the dignity of his person and rank, and united, by degrees, in himself, the offices of imperator, or commander-in-chief by sea and land, with power to make war and peace; of proconsul over all the provinces; of perpetual tribune of the people, which rendered his per son inviolable, and gave him the power of in terrupting public proceedings; and, in fine, of censor, and pontif ex maximus, or controller of all religious matters. The laws themselves were subject to him and the observance of them depended upon hiis will. It was the spirit of his policy to retain old names and forms, but he steadfastly refused to assume the title of dictator, which latterly had become especially odious. He conducted many wars in Africa, Asia, and particularly in Gaul and Spain, where he triumphed over the Cantabrians after a severe struggle. His arms subjected Aquitania, Pannonia, Dalmatia and Illyria, and held the Dacians, Numidians and Ethiopians in check. He concluded a treaty with the Parthians, by which they gave up Armenia, and restored the eagles taken from Crassus and Antony. At the foot of the Alps he erected monuments of his triumphs over the mountaineers, the proud re mains of which are yet to be seen at Susa and Aosta. After he had established peace through out the empire, he again closed the temple of Janus. But this peace was interrupted, 9 A.D., by the defeat of Varus, who lost three legions in an engagement with the Germans, under Arminius, and killed himself in despair. The
information of this misfortune greatly agitated Augustus. He let his beard and hair grow, and often cried out in the deepest grief, (0 Varus, restore me my legions P Meanwhile the Germans were held in check by Tiberius. Dur ing the peace, Augustus had issued many use ful decrees, and abolished abuses in the gov ernment. He gave a new form to the Senate, employed himself in improving the manners of the people, particularly by promoting mar riage, enacted laws for the suppression of luxury, introduced discipline into the armies, and order into the games of the circus. He adorned Rome in such a manner that it was truly said, He found it of brick, and left it of marble." He made journeys, as Velleius says, everywhere, to increase the blessings of peace; he went to Sicily and Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Gaul, etc.; in several places he founded cities and colonies. The people erected altars to him, and, by a decree of the Senate, the month Sextilis was called August. The de bauchery of his daughter Julia gave him great pain, and he showed himself more severe against those who destroyed the honor of his family, than against those who threatened his life. History says that, in his old age, he was ruled by his wife, Livia, the only person, per haps, whom he truly loved. He had no sons, and lost by death his sister's son, Marcellus, and his daughter's sons, Gains and Lucius, whom he had appointed his successors. Also, Drusus, his son-in-law, whom he loved, died early; and Tiberius, the brother of the latter, whom he hated, on account of his bad qualities, alone survived.
These numerous calamities, together with his continually increasing infirmities, gave him a strong desire of repose. He undertook a journey to Campania, from whose purer air he hoped for relief ; but disease fixed upon him, and he died, in the 79th year of his age, and 45th of his reign. When he felt his death ap proaching he is said to have called for a mirror, arranged his hair, and demanded of the by standers, *Have I played my part well?" and, an answer being returned in the affirmative, "Then," added he, using the form of the players, "farewell, and applaud" (valete, et plaudite). If this last passage in the life of Augustus is true, it is certainly indicative of his character, his policy, and even of his for tune. He conquered Brutus by means of Antony, and Antony by means of Agrippa. He several times changed his party, but never his purposes, and knew how to cause power to be offered, and pressed upon him, while it was, in fact, the object of all his exertions. It can not be denied that he used his power with wis dom, and became the benefactor of his coun try, which he had previously plunged into the horrors of civil war. His taste and active mind led him to favor and protect the learned; and he even exercised the art of the poet him self ; so that he was not unworthy of giving his name to an age distinguished for intellectual creations. His death plunged the empire into the greatest grief. He was numbered among the gods, and temples and altars were erected to him. Consult Beni& 'Auguste, sa famille et ses =is> (Paris 1867) ; Boissier, 'La religion romaine) (1883) ; Gardthausen, 'Augustus and seine Zeit' (Leipzig 1891); Firth, J. B., 'Au gustus Caesar' (New York 1903); Schuck burg, 'Augustus' (1903).