Augustus | Page 3

former in
compliance with the will of his great-uncle, and the latter upon a
motion of Munatius Plancus in the senate. For when some proposed to
confer upon him the name of Romulus, as being, in a manner, a second
founder of the city, it was resolved that he should rather be called
Augustus, a surname not only new, but of more dignity, because places
devoted to religion, and those in which anything (75) is consecrated by
augury, are denominated august, either from the word auctus,
signifying augmentation, or ab avium gestu, gustuve, from the flight
and feeding of birds; as appears from this verse of Ennius:
When glorious Rome by august augury was built. [114]
VIII. He lost his father when he was only four years of age; and, in his
twelfth year, pronounced a funeral oration in praise of his grand-mother
Julia. Four years afterwards, having assumed the robe of manhood, he
was honoured with several military rewards by Caesar in his African
triumph, although he took no part in the war, on account of his youth.
Upon his uncle's expedition to Spain against the sons of Pompey, he
was followed by his nephew, although he was scarcely recovered from

a dangerous sickness; and after being shipwrecked at sea, and travelling
with very few attendants through roads that were infested with the
enemy, he at last came up with him. This activity gave great
satisfaction to his uncle, who soon conceived an increasing affection
for him, on account of such indications of character. After the
subjugation of Spain, while Caesar was meditating an expedition
against the Dacians and Parthians, he was sent before him to Apollonia,
where he applied himself to his studies; until receiving intelligence that
his uncle was murdered, and that he was appointed his heir, he
hesitated for some time whether he should call to his aid the legions
stationed in the neighbourhood; but he abandoned the design as rash
and premature. However, returning to Rome, he took possession of his
inheritance, although his mother was apprehensive that such a measure
might be attended with danger, and his step-father, Marcius Philippus,
a man of consular rank, very earnestly dissuaded him from it. From this
time, collecting together a strong military force, he first held the
government in conjunction with Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus,
then with Antony only, for nearly twelve years, and at last in his own
hands during a period of four and forty.
IX. Having thus given a very short summary of his life, I shall
prosecute the several parts of it, not in order of time, but arranging his
acts into distinct classes, for the sake of (76) perspicuity. He was
engaged in five civil wars, namely those of Modena, Philippi, Perugia,
Sicily, and Actium; the first and last of which were against Antony, and
the second against Brutus and Cassius; the third against Lucius
Antonius, the triumvir's brother, and the fourth against Sextus
Pompeius, the son of Cneius Pompeius.
X. The motive which gave rise to all these wars was the opinion he
entertained that both his honour and interest were concerned in
revenging the murder of his uncle, and maintaining the state of affairs
he had established. Immediately after his return from Apollonia, he
formed the design of taking forcible and unexpected measures against
Brutus and Cassius; but they having foreseen the danger and made their
escape, he resolved to proceed against them by an appeal to the laws in
their absence, and impeach them for the murder. In the mean time,
those whose province it was to prepare the sports in honour of Caesar's
last victory in the civil war, not daring to do it, he undertook it himself.

And that he might carry into effect his other designs with greater
authority, he declared himself a candidate in the room of a tribune of
the people who happened to die at that time, although he was of a
patrician family, and had not yet been in the senate. But the consul,
Mark Antony, from whom he had expected the greatest assistance,
opposing him in his suit, and even refusing to do him so much as
common justice, unless gratified with a large bribe, he went over to the
party of the nobles, to whom he perceived Sylla to be odious, chiefly
for endeavouring to drive Decius Brutus, whom he besieged in the
town of Modena, out of the province, which had been given him by
Caesar, and confirmed to him by the senate. At the instigation of
persons about him, he engaged some ruffians to murder his antagonist;
but the plot being discovered, and dreading a similar attempt upon
himself, he gained over Caesar's veteran soldiers, by distributing
among them all the money he could collect. Being now commissioned
by