Octavian/Augustus (63 BCE–14 CE)

Question 1

What was Octavian’s original name?

Answer 1

Gaius Octavius Thurinus

Question 2

Who was Octavian’s famous great-uncle?

Answer 2

Julius Caesar

Question 3

In what year was Octavian born?

Answer 3

63 BCE

Question 4

What title did Octavian take when he became the first emperor of Rome?

Answer 4

Augustus

Question 5

Which battle solidified Octavian’s position as the sole ruler of Rome?

Answer 5

Battle of Actium

Question 6

What significant period of peace did Augustus initiate?

Answer 6

Pax Romana

Question 7

Fill in the blank: Augustus restructured the Roman government and established the ____ Empire.

Answer 7

Roman

Question 8

Who were Augustus’ main rivals in the Second Triumvirate?

Answer 8

Mark Antony and Lepidus

Question 9

What military and security force did Augustus create to protect the emperor?

Answer 9

Praetorian Guard

Question 10

What type of infrastructure projects did Augustus oversee?

Answer 10

Roads, aqueducts, and temples

Question 11

Fill in the blank: Augustus claimed to have found Rome a city of ____ and left it a city of marble.

Answer 11

bricks

Question 12

What event marked the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire?

Answer 12

Octavian becoming Augustus and consolidating power in 27 BCE

Question 13

What major victory did Augustus achieve over Cleopatra and Mark Antony?

Answer 13

The Battle of Actium

Question 14

Which poets flourished under Augustus’ patronage?

Answer 14

Virgil, Horace, and Ovid

Question 15

What was the Pax Romana?

Answer 15

A period of over 200 years of relative peace and stability in the Roman Empire

Question 16

How did Augustus present himself to maintain popular support while consolidating power?

Answer 16

As a modest leader restoring the Republic

Question 17

Which family member of Augustus was exiled for adultery?

Answer 17

His daughter, Julia

Question 18

Why did some Romans resent Augustus despite his reforms?

Answer 18

He centralized power and effectively ended the traditional Republican system

Question 19

Fill in the blank: Augustus was known for being very ____ in stature, despite his powerful legacy.

Answer 19

short

Question 20

What challenge did Augustus face after Julius Caesar’s assassination?

Answer 20

A power struggle during the civil wars

Question 21

How did Augustus change Rome’s tax system?

Answer 21

He reformed and stabilized it to fund public works and the military

Question 22

What is Augustus’ legacy in terms of the future of governance?

Answer 22

He laid the foundation for the Roman Empire and future autocratic rule

Question 23

How long did the system of government Augustus established last?

Answer 23

Over 1,000 years in various forms

Question 24

How are later rulers influenced by Augustus?

Answer 24

His name (Caesar) became synonymous with power and was used by rulers like Czars

Question 25

What is an interesting contradiction about Augustus’ physical appearance and his rule?

Answer 25

He was short and unimposing, yet he controlled the vast Roman Empire