On this day in 63 BCE Gaius Octavius Thurinus, later and better known as Augustus, was born. After the death of his great uncle Julius Caesar, to the shock of everyone, Octavian, a 19 year old sickly youth with no real connections in Rome, was named the perpetual dictators heir. Octavian then took on his uncle's name of Gaius Julius Caesar. This came as a great blow to Caesar's right hand man Marc Antony, who would later say to the new Caesar, "You, boy, owe everything to a name." (The statement just dripping with jealousy). But Octavian didn't owe everything to his name. He was as shrewd a player at "The game of thrones" as anyone on the board...and winter was coming. He aligned himself with Marc Antony to "get revenge" on his adopted fathers assassin's. But then he realigned himself with the some of the men who had assassinated Caesar and then back again to Antony. He held meetings with Brutus himself. He wanted to see exactly what he could get from all available power players before making his move. Ultimately, he did what many great leaders do: he delegated. He let Marc Antony take on the more treacherous adversaries while having his great General Agrippa utilize the former troops of his grand uncle/father that had been preparing to go to Parthia with Caesar just days before the murder. Once done, as you all know, he and Marc Antony faced off in what would end up being a very anticlimactic finally to this round of civil wars. At the battle of Actium Agrippa soundly defeated Antony. Whom shortly after would commit suicide along with his lover Cleopatra VII. Like Mohammed Ali after winning the heavyweight championship of the world his old name would no longer do. The man would love for us to believe that it was all the Senate's idea, as he tells us in his history. No, no. This was a carefully crafted plan from a man who didn't want the people to think of his murdered adopted dictator father whenever they said his name. Didn't want to be called Rex (king) due to the negative history Rome had had with theirs. Didn't want Antony to be correct in that he DID owe everything to a name. He would need something new. Something regal. Something distinguished, respected, eminent, venerable, hallowed, illustrious, prestigious, renowned, celebrated, honored, acclaimed, esteemed... Something Augustus (Actual picture of Augustus) Augustus Silver Denarius, 27 BC-CE 14. Lugdunum, 2 BC-AD 12. CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE, laureate head of Augustus right. Reverse: AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT around, CL CAESARES in exergue, Gaius and Lucius Caesarsstanding facing Marc Antony & Octavian AR Quinarius. Military mint moving with Octavian, 39 BC. Head of Concordia right, wearing diadem and veil, III VIR R P C around / Two hands clasped around caduceus, M ANTON C CAESAR around. Crawford 529/4b Augustus AE Diobol 26 mm 8.65 gr Year 41 11-12 AD Egypt Augustuswith Agrippa Roman Provincial Gaul, Nemausus. 27 BCE- CE 14 Æ dupondiusCE 10- 14. IMP DIVI F, P-P, backto back headsof Augustus and Agrippa/ COL NEM, crocodilechained to palm branch,wreathabove . RPC 525;RIC 160. aVF. Rhoemetalces and Augustus (11 BC-12 CE). Thrace. Æ (19mm, 5.89g, 3h). Diademed head of Rhoemetalces r. R/ Bare head of Augustus r. RPC I 1714. Green patina, Good VF Augustus 27BCE-14AD AE As Obv: Augustus facing right Rev: SCPLVRIVS AGRIPPA Please help me celebrate the man by posting what you have and any of his stories!
He also was concerned with promoting public morality even though his morals and double dealing were off the charts. His res gestae divi augusti (the deeds of the divine augustus) recount his accomplishments in detail in the first person and formed the basis of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Reputedly he spent 600 million denarii of his own money on public building projects, establishment of military colonies throughout the empire and donatives to the Plebes, according to the document. Here's an As of Augustus:
Augustus, with Agrippa (27. B.C. 14 A.D.) GAUL, Nemausus Æ As O: Heads of Agrippa left, wearing rostral crown and laurel wreath, and Augustus right, wearing oak wreath, back to back. IMP above, DIVI F below. R: Crocodile right chained to palm branch with long vertical fronds; above, wreath with long ties, palms below; COL NEM flanking vertical palm. Nemausus mint, 9-3 B.C 10.26g 27mm RPC I 524; RIC 1 158 Augustus (27 BC-14 AD) AR Tetradrachm Syria-Antiochia ad Orontem O: KAIΣAPOΣ ΣEB_AΣTOY, Laureate head right R: ETOYΣ-ZK-NIKHΣ, Tyche seated right on rocks, palm branch in left hand, river god Orontes swimming right below, YPA monogram, IB / ANT monogram in right field Regnal Year 27 (5/4 BC), COS 12. 27mm 14.06g Prieur 51; RPC 4152; McAlee 181 Ex David Hendin, 2004 Note: The ZK breaking the reverse legend is the regnal year 27, IB is for consulship 12. Minted in what is possibly the year of the birth of Jesus Christ. KINGS of THRACE, Sapaian. Rhoemetalces I, with Pythodoris, Augustus, and Livia (Late 1st century BC-AD) Æ 27 O: Heads of Augustus, laureate, and Livia, conjoined right; to right, capricorn right, holding globe. R: Diademed head of Rhoemetalces and draped bust of Pythodoris, conjoined right. 27mm 13.8g Youroukova 182-4, 186; RPC I 1708 Augustus, with Gaius Caesar, ( 27 B.C - 14 A.D.) Phrygia, Apamea. Gaius Masonius Rufus, Magistrate Ӕ20 O: ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ, laureate head right. R: ΓΑΙΟΣ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ ΓΑΙΟΣ ΜΑΣΩΝΙΟΣ ΡΟΥΦΟΣ ΑΠAΜΕΩΝ, Gaius Caesar in facing quadriga. 20mm 4.46g RPC 3129 Tiberius (14 - 34 A.D.) AR Tetradrachm EGYPT, Alexandria O: [TI]BERIOS KAISAR SEBASTOS, laureate head of Tiberius right; LID (date) in right field. R: QEOS SEBASTOS, radiate head of Augustus left. EGYPT, Alexandria Mint, year 14=27/28 A.D. 13.43g 23mm RPC I 5090; Milne 54; Emmett 61 Mark Antony and Octavian (41 B.C.) AR Denarius M. Barbatius Pollio, quaestor pro praetore O: Bare head of Mark Antony right. R: Bare head of Octavian right, wearing slight beard. Ephesus mint, Spring-early summer 41 B.C. 3.5g 20mm Crawford 517/2; CRI 243; Sydenham 1181
OK, it's time to post my Octavian / Marc Antony denarius, struck at the Ephesus Mint, circa 41 BCE, weight 4.03 gm.
Many happy returns, Augustus. I especially like his coins, though I only have a few. As it's his birthday, I'll start with someone else's: a very rare frontal portrait. I got this from Gareth Harney's Twitter feed. I'd love to own this! I wonder why frontal portraits are so rare on coins. Maybe once the fashion for profiles was established, everyone wanted to follow. There are a few frontal portraits on coins of the later empire, but I think this one is magnificent. Mine are ... more modest. First a worn Capricorn. Celebrating victory at Actium. And temple reverse.
Thank you for the excellent tribute to Augustus, @Ryro ! He's one of my favorite emperors to collect. Here are some actors who have played Octavian/Augustus in films. I think my favorite portrayal was by Roddy Mcdowall in Cleopatra (1963) Here's my Augustus currency to date but I may make an Augustus coin purchase to honor the day.
Heres my coin and my copperplate engraving. Happy birthday big guy. Augustus AR Denarius 35 x 24.5 cm (13.8 x 9.8 inches). Mausoleum Augusti (1699 CE) Pietro Santi Bartoli Copperplate engraving on chain-linked cotton paper. (hand colored).
My latest Augustus: Augustus, 27 BC - AD 14. Roman provincial AE 23. Macedon, Amphipolis, 10.25 g, 23.3 mm, 1 h. Obv: ΚΑΙΣΑΡ ΘΕΟΥ ΥΙΟΣ, bare-head, right. Rev: ΑΜΦΙΠΟΛΙΕΙΤΩΝ, Artemis Tauropolos with inflated veil, riding on bull galloping right. Refs: BMC 5, p. 52, 73; Sear Greek Imperial 29.
Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. AR Denarius. Emerita Augusta mint (SW. Hispania). P. Carisius, legate. Struck circa 25-23 BC. IMP CAESAR AVGVST, bare head left / P • CARISIVS • LEG • PRO • PR, trophy of arms, consisting of helmet, cuirass, shield, and javelins, erected on heap of round shields, lances, and other arms. RIC I 4b: HAPPYBIRTHDAYBIG BOSS!
Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear <garbled muddle of clashing names> Happy Birthday to you! Here's my latest Augustus, a very rare issue from Phokaia (not listed correctly in the sale). It has a very unusual portrait style: A quinarius (29-28 BCE) A denarius just before acquiring the title of Augustus: And my tet (5 BCE): Still waiting for the right Gaius & Lucius reverse.
I have that ROMAN EMPIRE, AUGUSTUS Denarius, RIC 207 Rome mint, 2 BCE CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE, Laureate head of Augustus right AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT, Caius and Lucius holding shields and spears 3,65 gr Ref : RCV # 1597, Cohen # 43, RIC # 207 Q
HBD, Auggie! Nice coins, everyone! Cuke-- do you have anything that isn't gorgeous? Is it just me or does anyone else think David Vagi looks a bit like Augustus? (Sev's Phokaia Augustus) I need more coins of Augustus. Many many more.
Considering he had a month of the calendar named after him, I'm surprised he didn't choose for it to be his birth month. Anyway, Happy Birthday, Auggie! AUGUSTUS AR Denarius. 3.64g, 19.9mm, Rome mint, 19-18 BC, P. Petronius Turpilianus, moneyer. RIC 297 (R2). O: CAESAR AVGVSTVS, bare head right. R: P PETRON TVRPILIAN III VIR, Pegasus walking right.
Augustus may have been a great emperor but he did Rome a great diservice by living longer than any of his suitable heirs. We saw some of them on the coins above so we know that having a successor was on his mind. In the end, he left Rome in the hands of Tiberius who was, to put it nicely, not a first rate choice. The fourree below shows the two of them. My photo should be reversed to show Augustus on the obverse since he was still alive when it was issued.