Augustan Chronology

The chronology offered here is not a replacement for a narrative biography of Augustus. It is intended to aid the reader trying to see the big picture and keep track of Augustan dates while studying the first emperor's life. For that reason, and because I sought to preserve visual simplicity, I have streamlined the data in the entries and extensively pipelinked to detailed explanations.

As an example of what can be seen in such a chronological outline, consider Augustus' strategies for holding power. He begins with triumviral power (effectively dictatorial, though shared) for 10 years (43-33). He gets through 32 by whipping the people up into a war-posture against Antony and Cleopatra and driving out Antony's friends, including both consuls. In 31 he begins an unbroken series of 9 consulships, granting his consular colleague equal status only in 28--when his colleague was his right-hand man Agrippa.

Though Augustus did not hold the consulship for the entirety of every year, he was effectively monopolizing 50% of the chief perks of his "restored" republican government, and historians have pointed to the coincidence of a series of conspiracies (as the Augustan press called them) and a lightening of his grip in the so-called "second settlement" of 23. In that year, he ceased holding the consulship (except for ceremonial purposes) and contented himself with more subtle (but in reality much stronger) powers.

B.C.

63.     23 September. Born Gaius Octavius.
59.     Father dies. Taken into household of L. Marcius Philippus, cos. 56.
51.     Gives funeral oration for his maternal grandmother, Caesar's sister.
47.     Made [pontifex] under [Julius Caesar|Caesar].
45.     In [Hispania|Spain] with Caesar; made [patrician];
          13 September Caesar makes his will adopting Octavius.
44.     Octavius becomes Caesar's principal heir after the Ides. Adopts name C. Iulius Caesar Octavianus.
43.     7 January. [Octavian] given [praetor|praetorian] [imperium].
          19. August. Elected [consul] after marching on Rome. Soon thereafter his adoption formalized.
          27 November. [Lex Titia] establishes [triumvirate]. [proscription|Proscriptions] get underway.
          7 December. [Marcus Tullius Cicero|Cicero] killed.
42.     1 January. [Divus Iulius|Caesar deified]. Octavian becomes C. Iulius divi f. Caesar Octavianus, 'son of the god'.
          October-November. Battles at [Philippi]. [Cassius], then [Brutus] kill themselves.
40.     Late winter. [Perusia] falls ending resistance of [Lucius Antonius] and [Fulvia]. Octavian siezes [Gallia|Gaul].
          Fall. [Marcus Antonius|Antony] returns to [Italy]. [Peace of Brundisium]. Antony marries [Octavia].
39.     Peace with [Sextus Pompeius|Sextus Pompey]. Return of exiles.
          Octavian divorces [Scribonia], marries [Livia].
          [Julia], daughter of Octavian and Scribonia, born.
38.     War with Sextus Pompey. By now, Octavian unofficially using [Roman names|name] '[Imperator]'.
          31 December. Triumviral powers nominally lapse.
37.     Antony returns again.
          [Peace of Tarentum].
          Triumvirate renewed for 5 years, until 31 December 33.
          [Agrippa] consul I.
36.     Sextus Pompey and [Marcus Aemilius Lepidus|Lepidus] eliminated.
          Octavian possibly receives [tribunus plebis|tribunician] [sacrosanctitas].
          Temple of [Apollo Palatinus|Apollo] on Palatine begun.
33.     Octavian consul II.
          Agrippa [aedile]: building projects, refurbishing aqueducts of Rome, builds [Aqua Julia].
          31 December. End of triumvirate.
32.     Antony's friends (including both consuls) driven from Rome.
          Antony's will published.
          'All Italy' (tota Italia) swears an oath of allegiance to Octavian.
          Antony divorces Octavia.
31.     Octavian consul III.
          2 September. Battle of [Actium]. Antony loses balance of fleet, flees with [Cleopatra] to [Egypt].
30.     Octavian consul IV.
          August. Egypt falls. Antony, Cleopatra commit [political suicide|suicide]. [C. Cornelius Gallus] [equestrian] [prefect].
29.     Octavian consul V.
          April. C. Cornelius Gallus erects his tablet commemorating his achievements in Egypt.
          August. Octavian's triple [triumph] over [Illyricum], Actium, Egypt.
          Triple triumphal arch of Octavian built. Construction of [mausoleum] begun this or next year.
28.     Octavian consul VI, Agrippa consul II.
          Nominal equality given to Octavian's consular colleague.
          [Amnesty] granted. All illegal orders given during triumvirate rescinded.
          9 October. Temple of Palatine Apollo dedicated.
          [M. Licinius Crassus] claims [spolia opima] for defeating an enemy king in single combat. [Cornelius Cossus|Claim disallowed].
27.     Octavian consul VII, Agrippa consul III.
          13 January. First settlement. Octavian gains huge province for 10 years, "restores [Roman republic|republic]".
          16 January. Given title [AUGUSTUS]. Shield of the [Roman virtues|virtues], laurel wreaths, civic crown awarded.
          [Pantheon] of Agrippa begun this year or next.
26.     Augustus consul VIII.
          Augustus departs for western provinces. Tour of Gaul, then wars in Spain, down to 24.
          Agrippa dedicates refurbished [Saepta Iulia].
25.     Augustus consul IX.
          Julia, daughter of Augustus, married to [M. Claudius Marcellus].
24.     Augustus consul X.
          Aug. returns to Rome.
23.     Augustus consul XI.
          So-called "second settlement".
          Augustus receives tribunician power ([tribunus plebis|tribunicia potestas]), which will be renewed at yearly intervals until his death.
          Given [imperium maius] (supreme command) over all provinces, though the division between [senate|senatorial] and imperial provinces remains intact.
          Augustus resigns consulship, 1 July. Becomes seriously ill.
          Conspiracy of [Fannius Caepio] and [Varro Murena].
          Late in year: Marcellus dies.
22.     Problems with the food supply. Augustus offered a [dictator|dictatorship]. Settles for [cura annonae], "oversight of the grain supply".
          Augustus departs for the east.
21.     Augustus in east. People elect only one consul, leaving a place for Augustus. Agrippa persuades them to elect another.
          Agrippa marries Julia.
20.     Augustus in east: carries out negotiations with [Parthia|Parthians].
          [Gaius Caesar], son of Agrippa and Julia born.
19.     People again leave the consulship open for Augustus: he refuses.
          Augustus returns from east with lost [eagle|standards] and prisoners from [Marcus Licinius Crassus|Crassus'] and Antony's expeditions.
          Augustus' Parthian arch built. Standards deposited in [Forum of Augustus].
          Augustus granted consular insignia and right to [curule chair|sit] between consuls as though a third colleague.
          Conspiracy of [Egnatius Rufus].
          Agrippa completes [Aqua Virgo] and his [Baths of Agrippa|baths].
          The poet [Vergil] dies, asking that his [Aeneid], 99 % complete at his death, be burned: it is not, at Augustus' orders.
18.     Augustus’ provincial imperium renewed for five years.
          Agrippa made Augustus' colleague in imperium and tribunician power for five years.
          Probable date of:
               lex Iulia de maritandis ordinibus (Augustan [Augustan reforms|marriage ordinances]);
               lex Iulia de adulteriis coercendis ([Augustan reforms|anti-adultery legislation]);
17.     [The Secular games|Secular games] [carmen saeculare|celebrating] new age.
           [Lucius Caesar], son of Agrippa and Julia born.
           Gaius and Lucius Caesar adopted by Augustus.
16.     Augustus departs for another tour of the provinces.
13.     Agrippa made colleague in imperium and tribunician power for another 5 years.
           4 July: [Ara Pacis|Ara Pacis Augustae] vowed.
12.     Agrippa dies. Lepidus the triumvir dies, and Augustus becomes [pontifex maximus].
11.     [Tiberius] marries Julia.
9.       30 January: Ara Pacis dedicated.
6.       Tiberius made colleague in tribunician power and imperium for 5 years.
          Tiberius goes into voluntary exile in [Rhodes] because Gaius and Lucius are preferred by Augustus.
5.       Augustus consul XII to introduce Gaius Caesar to public life.
2.       Augustus consul XIII to introduce Lucius Caesar to public life.
          Augustus named [Pater Patriae] ("father of the fatherland", or "father of his country").
          Augustus dedicates his Forum with the temple of [Mars Ultor] (Mars the Avenger).
          Julia implicated in a far-reaching [Roman sexuality|adultery scandal]. Banished to the island of Pandateria.

A.D.

2.       Tiberius returns from Rhodes.
          Lucius Caesar dies.
4.       Gaius Caesar dies.
          Augustus adopts Tiberius. Tiberius made colleague in tribunician power.
6.       [Pannonia|Pannonian] revolt.
9.       [P. Quinctilius Varus] [Battle of the Teutoberg Forest|defeated] in [Germania|Germany] with loss of [legions of Varus|three legions].
14.     19 August. [Porta Carmentalis|Death of Augustus]. Publication of the [Res Gestae Divi Augusti|Res Gestae].

An E2 quest could profitably be run to fill in the many gaps concerning Augustus.

Augustus (thing)