What is the difference between octavian and augustus

He was obsessed with the glory of leadership and power, and did little to affect permanent, positive change in the Roman Republic. Any ratifications that he implemented saw short term success, and he did not survive long enough to see them become permanent.

Meanwhile, Augustus took the ruins of an empire ravaged by civil war and turned life around into a relatively peaceful era. By contrast, the era of Octavian to Augustus was grand and more peaceful than the Republic had experienced in a long while.

He had the time and wealth to ensure his reforms achieved reality all the while maintaining an image of humility in the eyes of the Roman people. But Octavian and Antony turned from allies to adversaries. Antony entered a scandalous affair with Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. Octavian denounced Antony as a man in the thrall of a foreign queen and waged war on the couple.

When their fleet was defeated by the Romans at Actium in 31 B. Follow Mark Antony and Cleopatra's decadent love affair. The vast Roman Empire, long contested by consuls and generals, was now firmly in the grasp of an emperor: Augustus Caesar. Like Darius I of Persia , Augustus was an organizational genius; his administrative accomplishments surpassed his military feats.

He added senators from throughout Italy and empowered them to appoint independent proconsuls to govern Roman provinces. Augustus did maintain authority over the Senate, though, and exercised his veto power. He confidently halved the number of legions and settled veterans in colonies, which helped Romanize distant provinces and consolidate the empire. Notwithstanding battles in Germany and other contentious regions, Augustus initiated a tranquil era known as the Pax Romana that held sway for generations.

Instead of conflict, Rome now imposed order. Lands once plundered by Roman troops became docile provinces, subject to taxation but spared devastation unless they rebelled. Trade flourished. Cities prospered as Augustus and his successors built roads, aqueducts, baths, and amphitheaters to entertain the masses. That gave Rome a constant supply of troops to call upon. Rome was extremely successful, and the little backwater town became Great.

The population soared, the general wealth esp. The republican system didn't change, but the Roman approach was to make small adjustments within a sacrosanct system. Wealth was based on ownership, and the work required to maintain the system was increasingly done by slaves. Roman plebes went off to fight Romes wars, and when they returned their farms had been absorbed into large plantation-like enterprises. What was a poor Roman without land or wealth to do?

They moved to Rome and made up the "voters" who supplied the support needed by their Patrician leaders to gain power within the Senate and by extension to all the rest of Rome. The Roman military system provided entry into the Equestrian Class to anyone who could afford a horse and the military equipage of the day.

There were attempts to "fix" the system, but those generally failed to be more than temporary, and features like the election of Tribunes continued and added to the complexity of governing. The allies became restless as their men and treasure went off to be spent by Rome, and so Rome grudgingly gave citizenship to them After Rome had consolidated its hold on the Italian Boot, it ran up against the Carthaginians and fought a series of wars against a rival who was far more comfortable at sea and that rivaled or exceeded Rome in reach on land.

Rome lost in Sicily, but and lost often on land right up until Carthage was razed after Scipio Africas' campaign. Rome was eventually victorious, but it no longer was such a generous overlord. Captives were valuable slaves, and to lose to Rome was to surrender significant numbers of slaves and hostages.

The Julian Family remained important, but the Scipios had pretty much hogged all the governmental honors and power to the anguish of all the other Patrician Families who lost power in what was a zero-sum game. The result of weaknesses in the system, a series of ambitious men perverted that system and a whole series of very brutal civil wars resulted.

Pompey was a famous and very competent General with a veteran army at his back. Crassus was the wealthiest man in all of Rome, and perhaps the whole world. I mean really stinking rich. Giaus Julius Caesar was an up and coming politician operating largely on cash from Crassus, buta wildly popular Consul Giaus Julius Caesar was popular and corrupt to the point that when leaving office, he was facing severe penalties under Roman Law. He couldn't be prosecuted while in government office so the upstart kid was sent off to govern Gaul.

Jullius Giaus was almost universally given to Roman boys, and his personal name was Caesar, but now known primarily by his Family name , saw opportunity and exceeded his authority from the Senate to fight his Gallic War.

The Roman politician and general Mark Antony 83—30 B. His romantic and political Julius Caesar was a renowned general, politician and scholar in ancient Rome who conquered the vast region of Gaul and helped initiate the end of the Roman Republic when he became dictator of the Roman Empire.

Despite his brilliant military prowess, his political skills and his Greek philosophy and rhetoric moved fully into Latin for the first time in the speeches, letters and dialogues of Cicero B. A brilliant lawyer and the first of his family to achieve Roman office, Cicero was one of the The son of a great military leader, he escaped family intrigues to take the throne, but his He is best known for his debaucheries, political murders, persecution of Christians and a passion for music that led to the probably In B.

He then marched his massive army across the Pyrenees and Alps into central Italy in what would be remembered as one of the most Known for his philosophical interests, Marcus Aurelius was one of the most respected emperors in Roman history.

He was born into a wealthy and politically prominent family. Growing up, Marcus Aurelius was a dedicated student, learning Latin and Greek.