Gaius Octavius Thurinus Julius Caesar Octavianus Augustus

(-Romulus)

Gaius Octavius was given the name "Thurinus" shortly after

his birth, possibly to commemorate his father's victory at

Thurii. He was later adopted by Julius Caesar and became

Julius Caesar Octavianus. On January 16th, 27 BC, the

senate honored him with the name "Augustus", which

means "majestic," "the increaser," "consecrated", "sacred"

or "venerable". He thus became "Imperator Caesar

Augustus". The name "Augustus" was given for political

reasons, but was a religious new name. In the Res Gestae

Divi Augusti, Augustus declared that, in response to his

service, he had been given the name "Augustus" and had

been honored with crowns. The name "Augustus" became

associated with the office of emperor and was adopted by

subsequent emperors.

"In my sixth and seventh consulships, when I had

extinguished the flames of civil war, after receiving

by universal consent the absolute control of

affairs, I transferred the republic from my own

control to the will of the senate and the Roman

people. For this service on my part I was given the

title of Augustus by decree of the senate, and the

doorposts of my house were covered with laurels

by public act, and a civic crown was fixed above

my door, and a golden shield was placed in the

Curia Julia whose inscription testified that the

senate and the Roman people gave me this in

recognition of my valor, my clemency, my

justice, and my piety." (Res Gestae Divi Augusti VI) (1)

Suetonius wrote the following about the names of Augustus:

"While he was yet an infant, the surname of Thurinus was given him, in memory of the

birth-place of his family, or because, soon after he was born, his father Octavius had been

successful against the fugitive slaves, in the country near Thurium. That he was surnamed

Thurinus, I can affirm upon good foundation, for when a boy, I had a small bronze statue of

him, with that name upon it in iron letters, nearly effaced by age, which I presented to the

emperor [Hadrian], by whom it is now revered amongst the other tutelary deities in his

chamber. He is also often called Thurinus contemptuously, by Mark Antony in his letters; to

which he makes only this reply: I am surprised that my former name should be made a

subject of reproach. He afterwards assumed the name of Gaius Caesar, and then of

Augustus; the former in compliance with the will of his great-uncle, and the latter upon a

motion of Munatius Plancus in the senate. For when some proposed to confer upon him

the name of Romulus, as being, in a manner, a second founder of the city, it was

resolved that he should rather be called Augustus, a surname not only new, but of more

dignity, because places devoted to religion, and those in which anything is consecrated by

augury, are denominated August, either from the word auctus, signifying augmentation, or ab

avium gestu, gustuve from the flight and feeding of birds; as appears from this verse of Ennius:

When glorious Rome by August augury was built." (Suetonius: The Divine Augustus) (2)

Nicolaus of Damascus, a contemporary of Augustus wrote:

"Men gave him this name in view of his claim to honor".(3)

(1)

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Augustus/Res_Gestae/6*.html#ref141

(2) http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-augustus.html

(3)http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/nicolaus.html

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