Augustus Trivia

1. Octavian, a youth of 19 years, was the heir of Julius Caesar, who bequeathed him a fortune. Mark Antony withheld the money to thwart Octavian's efforts to build a political base. How did Octavian execute the financial features of Caesar's will?

From Quiz Augustus, Rome's first emperor

Answer: He borrowed the money to execute Caesar's will.

Octavian showed amazing political acumen, even as a youth of 19. He borrowed the funds and distributed the money exactly according to the Caesar's will, thereby gaining a great deal of support among the benefactors, including the people of Rome. Eventually, Antony relented and allowed Octavian to claim his inheritance.

From Quiz Augustus: An Interesting Fellow!

Answer: September 23, 63 BC

This is the conventionally accepted date; unfortunately, we have no way of knowing EXACTLY when he was born.

From Quiz Augustus

Answer: Agrippa

He was trusted by Augustus fully and died in 12 BC. After he died, Augustus was forced to send his two sons, Lucius and Gaius, into battle in the east. After they died in 4 AD, Augustus was left alone and forced to make Tiberius his heir.

From Quiz Augustus, Rome's first emperor

Answer: Tiberius Claudius Nero

Tiberius Claudius Nero was married to a very pregnant Livia, who already had one son, Tiberius. Octavian divorced his second wife, Scribonia, to marry Livia when Scribonia gave birth to a daughter, Julia. Livia proved to be a great asset, coming from the noble Claudian family.

From Quiz Augustus: An Interesting Fellow!

Answer: Claudia was the step-daughter of Marc Antony

Claudia was the daughter of Fulvia and P. Claudius. The betrothal was agreed upon after the battle of Mutina to secure an alliance with Antony as well as to enforce their Triumvirate connection (43 BC). In 41 BC Augustus returned Claudia to Fulvia in response to anti-Gus sentiments that her mother was a part of.

From Quiz Augustus

Answer: 76

He died in AD 14, leaving behind a political, social and economic framework that lasted for the next 400 years.

From Quiz Augustus, Rome's first emperor

Answer: He wanted to lead her into Rome in chains behind his chariot.

Octavian had no plans other than to utterly destroy Antony and Cleopatra, but wanted to humiliate the proud Cleopatra by bringing her into Rome in chains behind his chariot as the spoils of war. At this stage of his life, Octavian lacked scruples, but he evolved into the magnamimous Augustus.

From Quiz Augustus: An Interesting Fellow!

Answer: S. Pompeius

Pompey's pirates were plaguing Sardinia and Sicily; Augustus wanted to secure the safety of the Mediterranean passage and to ensure that grain was available in Rome. Marrying the aunt of Pompey's wife, Augustus was able to secure an unsteady peace for the time being; ultimately, the liberty which Pompey received allowed his supporters to return from the East (39 BC) - among them was Augustus' future wife Liva.

From Quiz Augustus

Answer: He wasn't

He was never officially given the title of emperor by the Senate. Many people think that there was actually a senatorial position called the emperor. This is not true and never has been. They just assumed power and were never actually declared a position called emperor. Augustus got the position because he was declared sole ruler of the Roman world after he defeated Antony. The Senate then looked to him to "fix" what the Senate thought Caesar messed up. This is how he got the "emperor" position in the first place.

From Quiz Augustus, Rome's first emperor

Answer: Interest rates fell and money came out of hiding.

This is a commonsense solution. When confidence is restored, economies improve. Far from creating a financial crisis, with banks closing, Octavian stabilized the Roman economy.

From Quiz Augustus: An Interesting Fellow!

Answer: DIVI F

The typical form would be 'CAESAR DIVI F' = 'son of the divine Caesar' As a note: VRB ROM = mint marks for Rome (the F was added on for fun) IMP CAESAR F = Imperator (honorary title and eventual praenomen of Emperors) Caesar (another designation for Emperors) F (Filius 'son') *totally made up, but a combination of existing marks PP F = Pater Patriae "father of his country" (again the F was just added in)

From Quiz Augustus

Answer: 9 AD

This disaster crushed Augustus' hopes of ever conquering Germany. Immediately after Augustus' death, Tiberius had to deal with a series of serious revolts in Germania and Pannonia.

From Quiz Augustus, Rome's first emperor

Answer: Proconsular

Proconsular power, even under the Republic, was granted to those who had to exercise authority outside of Italy. Augustus, step by step, acquired the functions of various government offices. To be granted proconsular power meant that Augustus could exercise great authority over the Roman provinces. He was extremely careful to avoid the impression that he was creating a monarchy. In 27 BC, Augustus dramatically resigned his powers and expressed the desire to live as a common citizen. The part was well played. He acquired more power in this seemingly modest move.

From Quiz Augustus: An Interesting Fellow!

Answer: The first formal police and firefighters

At the time of their creation there was an obvious need for them: in 5 AD there was a 7 day flooding of the Tiber River and there were electoral disturbances, and in 6 AD there was another grain shortage (again in 7 AD). There were divided into 7 groups, and each was responsible for two districts within the city of Rome.

From Quiz Augustus

Answer: Great- uncle

He was his Augustus' great-uncle, not his uncle as many believe.

From Quiz Augustus, Rome's first emperor

Answer: He disbanded many legions and settled their veterans in colonies.

Augustus would never have violated Rome's sacred tradition and camp an entire army outside of Rome. He wisely disbanded many of the legions and settled the veterans on colonies throughout Italy and the Empire. Later, when he divided authority over the provinces between himself and the Senate, he judiciously kept control of legions in key areas. No one truly ruled in Rome without the support of the army.

From Quiz Augustus: An Interesting Fellow!

Answer: March 6, 12 BC

Until 13 BC Augustus was in Gaul. On March 6, 12 BC Augustus was officially given the title of his 'father', Julius Caesar.

From Quiz Augustus

Answer: Rome

He was born in a "suburb" of Rome in 63 BC.

From Quiz Augustus, Rome's first emperor

Answer: Scribonia

Augustus had only one natural child, Julia, by his marriage to Scribonia. She is later referred to Julia the Elder and eventually banished for her immoral behavior. Augustus and Livia had no children together, which forced Augustus to constantly forage for a successor.

From Quiz Augustus: An Interesting Fellow!

Answer: He wanted to remove connections to political corruption and illegitimacy

Augustus wanted to restore the position to its former dignity, and throughout his Res Gestae he insists that he has "taken no magistracy contrary to custom". He was interested in maintaining and promoting a pan-Roman sense of morality and virtue.

From Quiz Augustus

Answer: 31 BC

It was a major victory for Augustus despite the fact that he was a poor naval commander.

From Quiz Augustus, Rome's first emperor

Answer: Druids

Augustus banished the Druids from Rome because of their alleged practice of human sacrifice. Druid practices have never been proven historically, however. Roman emperors were naturally suspicious of foreign cults, and Augustus was no exception. Christianity had not even had its origins since Augustus died in 14 AD long before Jesus began his ministry.

From Quiz Augustus: An Interesting Fellow!

Answer: An informal group of advisors

The 'Amici' were not necessarily friends of Augustus, but their function was to meet privately and discuss issues and plans which would then be presented to other groups/counsels. This was an important political distinction for each individual member, but to be removed from this group likely meant the end of your political career or your life. This custom was not maintained much past the early stages of Tiberius' reign.

From Quiz Augustus

Answer: Tiberius

He almost ruined his political career and lived in social and political exile in Rome for about 8 months.

From Quiz Augustus, Rome's first emperor

Answer: The Pantheon

Agrippa is best known for constructing the Pantheon in Rome. The Coliseum was not completed until the Flavian dynasty. There is an inscription above the entrance of the Pantheon stating that Agrippa made the temple during his third consulship.

From Quiz Augustus: An Interesting Fellow!

Answer: Octavii

This was a rich and infuential plebeian family in ancient Rome. Later he was adopted posthumoulsy by Julius Caesar, to whom he was already distantly related. His family tree is very complicated.

From Quiz Augustus

Answer: Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia was conquered by Trajan in 114 AD, exactly 100 years after Augustus' death. Egypt was conquered from Antony by Augustus in 31 BC after the battle of Actium. Africa was expanded even further during his reign and Germania was invaded by Tiberius and held for about 3 years until the disaster in 9 AD.

From Quiz Augustus, Rome's first emperor

Answer: Sextilis

Augustus gave his name for a month in our calender, just as Julius Caesar gave his name to the month of July.

From Quiz Augustus

Answer: Mausoleum of Augustus

Hope you had fun!

From Quiz Augustus, Rome's first emperor

Answer: Drusus the Elder

Livia was pregnant with Drusus when she married Augustus. Quinctilius Varus was the commander who suffered a humiliating defeat in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (9 AD). Germanicus was not a stepson and Marcellus was briefly a hopeful successor to Augustus. He was Augustus' nephew, the son of his sister, Octavia.

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