How did Gaius Octavius become Augustus, the ruler of Rome?

           Augustus Caesar’s real name was Gaius Octavius .He was the grand nephew of Julius Caesar. In his will, Caesar had adopted Octavius and made him his heir, so Octavius changed his name to Gaius Julius Caesar. Octavian was a shrewd, brilliant, and astute politician. Upon his grand uncle’s assassination in 44 BC, Octavius went to Rome. There, on August 19th, at the age of 19, Octavius was elected Consul.

            In November, Octavius, Mark Antony, and Aemilius Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate and forced the Senate to grant all three of them consular power for five years. Later, Antony left for Egypt, where he married the Queen Cleopatra, even though he was still married to Octavius’s sister in Rome. This outraged Octavius. He had already seized power from Lepidus, and he now defeated Antony and Cleopatra in a sea battle.             

            The world over which Rome presided was now in chaos. To meet this challenge, Octavian strengthened the military. From 31-23 BC, Octavian had himself elected Consul. In 27 BC, the Senate gave him the title of Augustus. From then on, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus – also known as the Emperor Augustus – ruled Rome until his death in 14 AD.