| Caesarion Augustus | |
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| 1st Emperor of the Roman Empire
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| A Roman statue of Augustus from during his lifetime. | |
| Reign | 35 B.C. - 5 A.D. |
| Born | 58 B.C. Alexandria |
| Died | 17 A.D. Rome |
| Burial | Mausoleum of Augustus |
| Spouse | Cornelia Africana Minor |
| Issue | Lucius Julius Caesar Augustus "Regulus", Julia |
| Dynasty | Julian |
| Father | Julius Caesar |
| Mother | Cleopatra |
| Religion |  Roman Polytheism
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Gaius Julius Caesar Alexander Augustus, more commonly known as Caesarion Augustus or just Augustus, was the first Emperor of the Roman Empire. As the son of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra of Egypt, two of the most influential figures in the Mediterranean world at the time, Caesarion was deeply involved in the final days of the Roman Republic and its constant internal struggles. Upon the assassination of his father in 42 B.C. following the end of the Tripartite Civil War, Caesarion gained the allegiance of his father's army and set out after the assassins. Declaring himself Julius Caesar's sole familial and political heir, Caesarion began to consolidate power around himself and purge the last remnants of opposition within the Republic. By 35 B.C., at only twenty-three years old, Caesarion was given extraordinary powers by the Senate, becoming the first emperor of the Roman Empire.
Following the establishment of the Empire, Augustus began to implement several important reforms in the economy, bureaucracy, and military. He sponsored multiple military campaigns during his reign, including the successful pacifications of Kush and Arabia Felix as well as the twin disasters of the Teutoburg Forest and Tagrit. Internally, the Empire prospered as the decades of civil strife had ended and commerce flourished unabated. He constantly toyed with the new position of emperor, establishing important precedents for succession and powers while also portraying the position as an ultimately republican one so as to avoid unpopular perceptions of monarchism. When Augustus died naturally in 17 A.D., the position passed to his son and heir without incident. Rome was once again strong after years of civil war and foreign invasions and would rule the Mediterranean world for centuries with its influence lasting much longer. Because of this, Caesarion Augustus is frequently considered one of the best Roman Emperors and one of the most important political figures of the Classical Era.
Early Life[]
Caesarion was born in Alexandria, the capital of the Argead Kingdom in Egypt. He was the result of a love affair between Julius Caesar and the Argead claimant to the throne Cleopatra. Perhaps as a result of the affair, Caesar quickly defeated the rival claimants and secured Cleopatra as the rightful queen of Egypt. Caesar returned to Rome and continued his rise in Roman politics, likely unaware that he now had a son. Caesarion was raised in the courts of his mother for the first six years of his life. Like his mother, he was educated in Greek and learned native Egyptian, the only Roman Emperor to do so.
At some point, Caesar became aware and insisted that his son be raised in Roman territory in the manner befitting the son of a major Roman aristocrat. Caesarion moved to his father's villas in 52 B.C. where he learned Latin as well as the cultures and politics of the Roman Republic. He rarely saw his father, as Caesar was constantly busy in the politics of Rome and long campaigns in Gaul and Anatolia. While he did not campaign with his father, he is believed to have been in contact with both of his parents and Roman authors of later centuries make claims of some of those conversations.
Entry into Roman Politics[]
Caesarion did not begin his entry into Roman politics until the assassination of his father in 40 B.C. by a group of disaffected senators. Caesarion had planned on laying low with his retainers in the countryside in case the violence spread outside of Rome, but when it became obvious that popular opinion was against the conspirators, Caesarion raced to the city. He quickly gained popularity amongst Caesar's former legionaries, quickly establishing protection for himself and cementing himself as one of Rome's major power players. The day after, Caesarion published what he claimed was Caesar's will, which proclaimed Caesarion as his heir and distributed much of his wealth to the city. While in retrospect the validity of the will has been questioned, it easily turned the remaining public against the conspirators, who fled the city for Greece.
Together with his father's troops and public opinion at his back, Caesarion was able to defeat the conspirators, most of whom were captured and executed. With few opponents, Caesarion soon began to consolidate his power within Rome. He sponsored building projects and reorganizations in order to improve society, aiding in his popularity. He married Cornelia Africana Minor, a member of the diminished yet still prominent Scipii family, to burnish his relations with Rome's major families. One of his more popular moves was to annex Egypt, his personal realm after the abdication of his mother, as a Roman province, ensuring that Rome would never suffer from any potential food shortage in the future.
Beginning the Empire[]
In 35 B.C., Caesarion had amassed so much power and prestige that the Senate felt it appropriate to confer unto him the titles of Augustus and Princeps. While they are vaguely Republican in nature, their announcement is typically seen as the beginning of the Roman Empire, with Caesarion Augustus as Rome's first emperor. The initial first years of his reign remained positive. The following year, the final possible opponent to Augustus, Marcus Antony, died against the Arsacid Persians at the Battle of Tagrit. With no one to oppose him, Augustus slowly began to work on ensuring a plausibly acceptable means of succession for his heirs.
Pax Romana[]
With the disaster that occurred at Tagrit, Caesarion was not that eager to undertake military expansion for some time. However, he did eventually authorize two campaigns around ten years after Tagrit to expand Rome's trade with India and Africa. The two kingdoms of Sabaea and Nubia were integrated as Roman vassals as a result of these campaigns. These new additions to the Empire's sphere helped to strengthen the eastern frontier while also enriching it further.
For the rest of his reign, the Empire was at peace and grew even more prosperous because of its dominance over Mediterranean and Red Sea trade. Trade expeditions went far, even reaching the shores of Lake Chad, further enhancing Rome's understanding of the world at large. Large infrastructure projects like Rome's famous roads linked the Empire together while elements of Roman culture such as temples and amphitheaters were built in cities across the Mediterranean world.
Death and Legacy[]
Augustus died in 5 A.D., leaving the empire united and in peace after a long time of civil strife and war. His passing was mourned by most Romans and lavish monuments and temples were constructed in his honor. He is regarded as one of the best Roman emperors for his role in strengthening Rome's institutions and military power as well as ending a period of violence within Rome. However, his reputation has suffered a little in modern times for his role in extinguishing the republican form of government that Rome had prior.