On this day, 16 January, in 27 BC, Octavian Caesar took the title of Augustus and became the first Emperor of Rome.

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1. On this day Octavian formally gave up his extraordinary powers (which he had held during the civil wars and the war against Egypt and Anthony) in favor of the Senate, and was given in exchange the title of Augustus (as proposed by Lucius Munatius Plancus) and many constitutional powers that redesigned the Roman state as a diarchy ruled by the Senate and Augustus himself as the  “Princeps Senatus”. However, since the Senate was under his control, he effectively was the absolute ruler of the empire, exercising direct authority over the provinces attributed to him and indirect authority over those attributed to the Senate.    

    “I, who am supreme over the entire sea within the Pillars of Hercules except for a few tribes, I who possess both cities and provinces in every continent, at a time when there is no longer any foreign enemy making war upon me and no one at home is engaged in sedition, but when you are all at peace, are harmonious and strong, and, greatest of all, are content to yield obedience, I, in spite of all this, voluntarily and of my own motion resign so great a dominion and give up so vast a possession… it is to you senators, to you who are the best and the wisest, that i restore the entire administration of the State”. (Book LIII of Dio’s Roman history)

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3. 3rd Most Famous Roman

4. Ave Caesar!

5. Ave!

6. (Not important) I’m glad to have my birthday on this important date! (Plus my mom, she and I share the same birthday date) 🙂

7. We always learned about the Ides of March — growing up and learning about it all on my own, I thought it was peculiar no one ever mentioned that Augustus got them all back (most of them at least) in the end.

8. Ave Caesar!