Augustus 27 BC-AD 14. Lugdunum (Lyon)
Denarius AR

18 mm, 3,58 g

CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE, laureate head of Augustus to right / AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT / C L CAESARES, Caius and Lucius standing facing, each togate and resting hand on shield; behind each shield a spear; between them, simpulum and lituus.

Good Very Fine

RIC 207.

Augustus, born Gaius Octavius Thurinus in 63 BC, was the first Roman emperor and one of the most significant figures in Roman history. He was the grand-nephew and adopted heir of Julius Caesar, who posthumously named him his successor in his will. After Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, Octavian, as he was then known, quickly positioned himself as a central figure in Roman politics. Following Caesar's death, Augustus formed the Second Triumvirate in 43 BC with Mark Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, a powerful alliance that sought to defeat Caesar's assassins and take control of Rome. This period was marked by proscriptions and political purges, as the triumvirs eliminated their rivals. The triumvirate eventually dissolved due to internal conflicts, leading to a power struggle between Octavian and Mark Antony. This struggle culminated in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, where Octavian's forces decisively defeated Antony and Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt. Following their defeat, both Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide, leaving Octavian as the unchallenged ruler of Rome. In 27 BC, Octavian was granted the title "Augustus" by the Senate, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire and the end of the Roman Republic. As the first emperor, Augustus established a new political order that maintained the outward appearance of the Republic while concentrating power in his hands. He implemented extensive reforms, reorganizing the military, the administration, and the tax system, and initiated an era of relative peace and stability known as the Pax Romana, which lasted for over two centuries. Augustus also undertook significant building projects in Rome, famously claiming to have found the city made of brick and left it made of marble. His reign saw the flourishing of Roman literature and culture, with figures like Virgil, Horace, and Livy producing some of their greatest works under his patronage. Augustus ruled for over four decades until his death in AD 14 at the age of 75. His legacy as Rome's first emperor and the architect of the Roman Empire remained profound, setting a standard for his successors and establishing a dynastic line that included emperors like Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero. Augustus was deified after his death, worshipped as a god by subsequent generations, and his reign marked a pivotal transformation in Roman history.