Augustus

Also known as: Sebastus / younger Caesar · Family: Roman · Role: Roman leader · First appears: Book I, Chapter 11

Augustus, also known as Caesar, Sebastus, and the younger Caesar, was a Roman leader. In Book I, Chapter 11, he stood with Antony against the rival and enemy forces of Cassius and Brutus, and with Antony he killed Cassius near Philippi. After Antony was defeated at Actium, Augustus became his enemy; when he reached Egypt, Antony and Cleopatra were dead. At Rome, the senate unanimously appointed Herod (son of Antipater and Cypros) king of the Jews against Antigonus (son of Aristobulus), and at Rhodes Augustus confirmed Herod’s kingship, restored his diadem, and enlarged his kingdom. Herod became his friend and received his patronage, later saying, “thus thou hast begun to be my friend before I began to be thine.”

Augustus continued to extend Herod’s territories, making him procurator of all Syria and granting him land after Zenodorus’s death. Herod founded Sebaste and built temples to Caesar at Samaria and Panium. Augustus rejected Alexander’s petition, though he later reconciled Herod (son of Antipater and Cypros) with Alexander (son of Herod), required Alexander to come to Rome, and authorized Herod to judge his sons. He banished Eurycles, ordered Acme’s execution, condemned Antipater (son of Herod and Doris) to die while permitting banishment instead, and received reports sent by Volumnius and Olympus. Julia is identified as Caesar’s wife, and Drusus as his son-in-law; Agrippa (friend of Caesar) was closely associated with him, with each described as beloved by the other next after Caesar.

In Book II, Augustus controlled the succession after Herod’s death. He received claims and accusations from Archelaus (son of Herod and Malthace), Salome (sister of Herod), and Antipater (son of Salome), declared Archelaus worthy but postponed a final decision, then granted him half the kingdom as ethnarch while dividing the remainder between Philip (son of Herod and Cleopatra of Jerusalem) and Antipas. He distributed Herod’s bequests among the family, made Salome mistress of Jamnia, Ashdod, and Phasaelis, banished Archelaus to Vienna, and placed his property in Caesar’s treasury. Judea then became a Roman province under Coponius, while Augustus also spared some rebels, ordered certain royal relations executed, condemned the Samaritans, banished Cumanus, and ordered Celer’s execution. He was parent to Julias and adopted Caius (son of Agrippa) as his son; after Augustus’s death, the Roman empire passed to Tiberius.