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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;johnmilton, post: 26567462, member: 101855&quot;]If you send an ancient coin, you need to write up something about the coin, or it will just be &quot;a seconds and done situation.&quot; I don&#039;t know what you have and how much you can make out on them. That can be a problem because some ancients don&#039;t have much left. </p><p><br /></p><p>This is an extreme example, I will admit, but here&#039;s a sample:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1692719[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Denarius of Caesar Augustus, Obverse AVGUSTVS DIVI F, (son of divine (Julius) having been adopted by Julius Caesar.) Reverse: IMP X Imperator year 10 which identifies a military victory by Tiberius over the Pannonians in 15 BC. Therefore that is the date of this coin. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>The charging bull seen on this and many other coins of Augustus is thought to be a reference to his father&#039;s victory near the Greco-Italian city of Thurium (Thourioi in Lucania) over a rebellious band of slaves.&nbsp; Denarius, Sears variety # 1610</i></p><p><br /></p><p>· Gaius Octavius was the son of C. Octavius (governor of Macedonia in the early 50s BC) and Atia, who was a niece of Julius Caesar. Caesar was his great-uncle.</p><p><br /></p><p>· Octavius’ father died early in his son’s life. He was raised by his mother.</p><p><br /></p><p>· Julius Caesar adopted him. He changed his name to C. Julius Caesar Octavianus</p><p><br /></p><p>· Although he was only 18 when Julius Caesar was assassinated, his political abilities were already becoming obvious. He formed an alliance, called the Second Triumvirate, with Mark Antony (who was 20 years his senior) and Aemilius Lepidus.</p><p><br /></p><p>· Not long after Caesar’s assassination, a comet appeared in the sky. Many took this as an omen. Before long the myth grew that this was a sign that Caesar was going to join the gods after his death. Octavian latched on to this theory and used it to make Caesar into a god and associated himself with that perception. Coins were issued that featured the bust of Octavian and depicted the comet tying him to the “god Caesar.” The implication was Octavian was a son of a god.</p><p><br /></p><p>· The first order of business was to deal with Brutus and Cassius who had headed up the plot to assassinate Caesar. Brutus and Cassius had fled to the Eastern Empire. Forces led by Mark Antony defeated them at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC. Brutus and Cassius committed suicide. Fainting illness or cowardice, Octavian took little part in the batter. Mark Antony achieved a military reputation that historians say was overblown.</p><p><br /></p><p>· Through political skill, ruthless suppression of his enemies and luck, Octavian came to dominate the Triumvirate. Sextus, the surviving son of Pompey died. Lepidus was pushed out of the Triumvirate in 36 BC. The orator Cicero, after trying to drive a wedge between Octavian and Mark Antony, failed and was executed.</p><p><br /></p><p>· The last external confrontation was with Mark Antony. Antony, who was in charge of the Eastern Empire, developed a romantic relationship with Cleopatra VII, the Queen of Egypt. He dumped his wife, Octavia, who was Octavian’s older sister, in favor of Cleopatra. They had three children together and a sham marriage ceremony. This ruined Mark Antony’s reputation among the powerful nobility in the Western Empire.</p><p><br /></p><p>· Octavian’s highly capable lieutenant, Agrippa, routed Antony’s forces routed at the sea battle of Actium in 31 BC. Antony and Cleopatra fled to Alexandria. Octavian had achieved mastery of the Roman world.</p><p><br /></p><p>· Octavian’s forces easily took what remained of Cleopatra’s empire, the Ptolemaic Kingdom, in 30 BC. Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide</p><p><br /></p><p>· Over the next two years, Octavian consolidated his hold on the Roman Government. He planned a constitutional reorganization and became the Emperor of Rome when the Senate conferred the title “Augustus” upon him on January 27, 16 BC.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Caesar Augustus as Emperor</b></p><p><br /></p><p>· Using subtle manipulation and sometimes raw brute strength against his enemies, Octavian gained control of the Roman State while the Senate gave him the name “Augustus.” Although he came to gain control over the state as the royal, absolute leader, he avoided becoming a tyrant and led his empire to period of peace and reform.</p><p><br /></p><p>· Augustus might have been the target of more plots on his life had it not been for the fact that he brought peace and prosperity to the empire. Prior to his rule, there are been continuous civil wars and unrest. Under Augustus there was stability.</p><p><br /></p><p>· Although Augustus did enjoy some popularity because of the success of his reign, he was always concerned with personal safety. He had a personal guard that protected him at all times and kept&nbsp; control of the army. Augustus was always aware of what had happened to his great uncle, Julius Caesar.</p><p><br /></p><p>· Although Augustus has been described as a “dictator,” he was adept at assigning responsibility to members of the Senate. Since he had packed the Senate with his supporters, this arrangement worked well.</p><p><br /></p><p>· His health often seemed precarious, and yet he lived to be 77 years old. He out lived his contemporaries and even those who he thought might succeed him as emperor.</p><p><br /></p><p>· As emperor, Augustus brought strength combined with economic and political stability to the empire. He was greatly admired in most circles and set the standard for future emperors. It has been said that he grew milder and more sympathetic to other people as he grew older. He was widely&nbsp; mourned when he died.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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