The Roman Revolution

Octavian

Gaius Julius Octavius

Into the tense weeks after the murder came a new figure—Octavius, Caesar's adopted son. He was 18 at the time of his father's death, and was in Greece. He was urged by his friends to go to Rome to protect his interests.

What he found out was that he was Caesar's chief heir. Antony, being Caesar's long-time friend and colleague, naturally expected to find himself in that role. Finding instead a mere boy, he was both angry and a little contemptuous. Octavian, he believed, would be easily handled, and he was less than courteous.

Octavian, however, was a very serious and very determined young man. The will named him and he was determined to receive his due. When he saw Antony at his revels, paid for by state funds, he was offended and angry. When he insisted on his rights, Antony became angry in his turn. By the summer of 44, the two were already at loggerheads.

History of Western Civilization

E.L. Skip Knox
Boise State University

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