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Bronze, SEE IMAGES OF COIN YOU WILL RECEIVE. . Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (c. 63 BC–12 BC) was a Roman statesman and general. He was a close friend, son-in-law, lieutenant anddefense minister to Octavian, the future emperor CaesarAugustus. He was responsible for most of Octavian’s military victories, most notably winning the navalBattle of Actium against the forces ofMark Antony andCleopatra VII of Egypt. He was the son-in-law of the Emperor Augustus, maternal grandfather of the Emperor Caligula, father-in-law of the EmperorTiberius and the Emperor Claudius, and maternal great-grandfather of the EmperorNero. Augustus(Latin:IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS; 23 September 63 BC – 19 AugustAD 14), born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, wasadopted byhis great-uncleJulius Caesar in 44 BC, and between then and 27 BC was officially named Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. After 27 BC, he was named Gaius JuliusCaesar Augustus. Because of the various names he bore, it is common to callhim Octavius when referring to events between 63 and 44 BC, Octavian(or Octavianus) when referring to events between 44 and 27 BC, and Augustus when referring to events after 27 BC. He became the firstemperor of theRomanEmpire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. The youngOctavius came into his inheritance after Caesar's assassination in 44 BC. In 43BC, Octavian joined forces withMarkAntony andMarcus Aemilius Lepidus in amilitary dictatorship known as theSecond Triumvirate. As atriumvir, Octavian ruled Rome and many of its provinces as anautocrat, seizing consular power after the deaths of the consulsHirtius andPansa and having himself perpetually re-elected. The triumvirate waseventually torn apart under the competing ambitions of its rulers: Lepidus wasdriven into exile, and Antony committed suicide following his defeat at theBattle of Actium by the fleet of Octavian commanded byAgrippa in 31 BC. After the demise of the Second Triumvirate, Octavian restoredthe outward facade of theRoman Republic, with governmental power vested in theRomanSenate, but in practice retained his autocratic power. It took several yearsto work out the exact framework by which a formally republican state could beled by a sole ruler; the result became known as theRomanEmpire. The emperorship was never an office like theRoman dictatorship which Caesar andSulla had held before him; indeed, he declined it when the Roman populace"entreated him to take on the dictatorship".By law, Augustus held a collection of powers granted to him for life by theSenate, including those oftribune ofthe plebs andcensor.He was consul until 23 BC.His substantive power stemmed from financial success and resources gained inconquest, the building of patronage relationships throughout the Empire, theloyalty of many military soldiers and veterans, the authority of the many honorsgranted by the Senate,and the respect of the people. Augustus' control over the majority of Rome'slegionsestablished an armed threat that could be used against the Senate, allowing himto coerce the Senate's decisions. With his ability to eliminate senatorialopposition by means of arms, the Senate became docile towards his paramountposition. His rule through patronage, military power, and accumulation of theoffices of the defunct Republic became the model for all later imperialgovernment. The rule of Augustus initiated an era of relative peace known as the Pax Romana,or Roman peace. Despite continuous frontier wars, and oneyear-long civil war over the imperial succession, the Mediterranean worldremained at peace for more than two centuries. Augustus expanded the RomanEmpire, secured its boundaries withclientstates, and made peace withParthiathrough diplomacy. He reformed the Roman system of taxation, developednetworksof roads with an officialcouriersystem, established a standing army (and a small navy), established thePraetorian Guard, and created official police and fire-fighting forces forRome. Much of the city was rebuilt under Augustus; and he wrote a record of hisown accomplishments, known as the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, which has survived. Upon his death in AD 14,Augustus was declared a god by the Senate, to be worshipped by the Romans.His names Augustus and Caesar were adopted by every subsequent emperor, and themonth of Sextilis was officially renamed August in his honour. He was succeeded byhis stepson and son-in-law,Tiberius.
