Augustus

=== Heir to Caesar ===
[[File:Vincenzo Camuccini - La morte di Cesare.jpg|thumb|''The Death of Caesar'' by [[Vincenzo Camuccini]]. On 15 March 44&nbsp;BC, Octavian's adoptive father Julius Caesar was assassinated by a conspiracy led by [[Marcus Junius Brutus]] and [[Gaius Cassius Longinus]]. [[Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna]], Rome.]]
Octavian was studying and undergoing military training in [[Apollonia (Illyria)|Apollonia]], [[Illyria]], when [[Assassination of Julius Caesar|Julius Caesar was assassinated]] on the [[Ides of March]] (15 March) 44&nbsp;BC. He rejected the advice of some army officers to take refuge with the troops in Macedonia and sailed to [[Roman Italy|Italy]] to ascertain whether he had any potential political fortunes or security.{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|page=9}} Caesar had no living legitimate children under Roman law{{Efn|His daughter [[Julia (daughter of Julius Caesar)|Julia]] had died in 54&nbsp;BC.; his son [[Caesarion]] by Cleopatra was not recognized by Roman law and was not mentioned in his will.<ref name=Suetonius_Julius />}} and so had [[Adoption in ancient Rome|adopted]] Octavian, his grand-nephew, in his will, making him his primary heir.{{Sfn|Rowell|1962|page=15}} Mark Antony later charged that Octavian had earned his adoption by Caesar through sexual favours, though Suetonius describes Antony's accusation as [[Defamation|political slander]].<ref>[[The Twelve Caesars|Suetonius]], ''Augustus'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Augustus*.html#68 68], [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Augustus*.html#71 71].</ref> This form of slander was popular during this time in the Roman Republic to demean and discredit political opponents by accusing them of having an inappropriate sexual affair.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mihai Andrei |date=24 August 2018 |title=In ancient Rome, political discourse was sometimes like an internet fight |url=https://www.zmescience.com/science/history-science/rome-political-discourse-insults-24082018/ |access-date=7 May 2019 |website=ZME Science |language=en-US |archive-date=18 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418141034/https://www.zmescience.com/science/history-science/rome-political-discourse-insults-24082018/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Weisberger |first1=Mindy |last2=September 2 |first2=Senior Writer {{!}} |last3=ET |first3=2018 08:11am |title=Think Politics Today Is Ugly? Politicians in Ancient Rome Were Insulting, Too |url=https://www.livescience.com/63473-insults-politics-ancient-rome.html |access-date=7 May 2019 |website=Live Science|date=2 September 2018 |archive-date=10 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510025811/https://www.livescience.com/63473-insults-politics-ancient-rome.html |url-status=live}}</ref> After landing at [[Lupiae]] near [[Brindisi|Brundisium]], Octavian learned the contents of Caesar's will, and only then did he decide to become Caesar's political heir as well as heir to two-thirds of his estate.{{Sfn|Rowell|1962|page=14}}{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|page=9}}<ref>[[Appian]], ''Civil Wars'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Appian/Civil_Wars/3*.html#9 3.9–11].</ref>

Upon his adoption, Octavian assumed his great-uncle's name Gaius Julius Caesar.<ref name=":1" /> Roman citizens adopted into a new family usually retained their old [[nomen gentilicium|nomen]] in [[cognomen]] form (e.g., ''Octavianus'' for one who had been an Octavius, ''Aemilianus'' for one who had been an Aemilius, etc.). However, though some of his contemporaries did,<ref>E.g., {{Cite book |last=Cicero |url=http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.perseus-lat1:16.14 |title=Letters to Atticus |publisher=Perseus Digital Library |pages=16:14 |access-date=8 December 2015 |archive-date=24 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224025904/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:latinLit:phi0474.phi057.perseus-lat1:16.14 |url-status=live}}</ref> there is no evidence that Octavian officially used the name ''Octavianus'', as it would have made his modest origins too obvious.{{Sfn|Mackay|2004|page=160}}{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|page=10}}{{Sfn|Southern|1998|pages=20–21}} Historians usually refer to the new Caesar as "Octavian" during the time between his adoption and his assumption of the name Augustus in 27&nbsp;BC in order to avoid confusing the dead dictator with his heir.{{Sfn|Southern|1998|page=21}}

Octavian could not rely on his limited funds to make a successful entry into the upper echelons of the Roman political hierarchy.{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|pages=9-10}} After a warm welcome by Caesar's soldiers at Brundisium,{{Sfn|Rowell|1962|page=19}} Octavian demanded a portion of the funds that were allotted by Caesar for the intended war against the [[Parthian Empire]] in the Middle East.{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|pages=9–10}} This amounted to 700&nbsp;million [[sestertius|sesterces]] stored at Brundisium, the staging ground in Italy for military operations in the east.{{Sfn|Rowell|1962|page=18}} A later senatorial investigation into the disappearance of the public funds took no action against Octavian since he subsequently used that money to raise troops against the Senate's arch enemy Mark Antony.{{Sfn|Rowell|1962|page=19}} Octavian made another bold move in 44&nbsp;BC when, without official permission, he appropriated the annual tribute that had been sent from Rome's [[Near East]]ern province<!--[[Asia (Roman province)]]?--> to Italy.{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|page=10}}{{Sfn|Eder|2005|page=18}}

Octavian began to bolster his personal forces with Caesar's veteran [[Legionary|legionaries]] and with troops designated for the Parthian war, gathering support by emphasizing his status as heir to Caesar.{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|page=9}}<ref>[[Appian]], ''Civil Wars'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Appian/Civil_Wars/3*.html#11 3.11–12].</ref> On his march to Rome through Italy, Octavian's presence and newly acquired funds attracted many, winning over Caesar's former veterans stationed in [[Campania]].{{Sfn|Eck|Takács|2003|page=10}} By June, he had gathered an army of 3,000 loyal veterans, paying each a bonus of 500 [[denarius|denarii]].{{Sfn|Chisholm|Ferguson|1981|pages=24, 27}}{{Sfn|Rowell|1962|page=20}}