A legacy endures! The main emperor Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Octavius, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, took the Roman Empire by force in 44 BC when Julius was brutally assassinated. Thrown into the difficult world of politics at just the age of 19 (12), Augustus took Rome by storm and reigned as emperor from approximately 27 BC until 14 AD (Britannica). Emperor Augustus, Rome's beloved father figure, positively influenced the Roman Empire. He did this by returning Rome to the era of the Pax Romana, rebuilding it into a marble empire, and reforming Roman government. Known as the first emperor of Rome, Augustus reformed the government to have a single, all-powerful ruler to bring stability to the Empire. Augustus' real name was Octavian or Octavian Caesar, but he changed it to Augustus when he became principate. He came to power because his great-uncle, Julius Caesar, made Augustus his adopted son (12). When Julius was stabbed to death in 44 BC, 19-year-old Augustus (vroma) went to Rome to collect his inheritance as Julius' direct heir (Divine). Augustus created a new triumvirate with two other men when he went to Rome: Mark Antony, a close friend of Julius, and Marcus Lepidus, general of Julius' army (12). The first thing Augustus did with his new power was to take revenge for the death of his uncle. The triumvirate tracked the conspirators to Greece (PBS), where they waged war against Brutus and Cassius at Phillipi and defeated them in two battles (12). After defeating the conspirators of Julius' death, Antony and Augustus removed Marcus Lepidus so that they could have more power for themselves. After removing Marcus Lepidus from the picture, the alliance between Antony and Augustu...... middle of paper ... Stus's last words were: "Did I not play my part well?" (Forum). He was revered and praised as God, adored and cherished by his citizens. Rome was once again at the height of its glory thanks to the efforts of Augustus in reforming the governmental system to have a strong center of power. Furthermore, because of this, Augustus created the Pax Romana which led to the prosperity of the Roman economy, and he ensured to restore the magnificence of the city by rebuilding it to the height so that no one in the Mediterranean could doubt the power of Rome. Augustus passed through Rome like a burning hell. He started out as a young boy of nineteen who was nothing more than the heir to Julius Caesar, one of the most powerful men, if not the most powerful, in the world of his time. Augustus Casear definitely deserved the title of first emperor of Rome and played his role to the fullest.