Augustus and Julius Caesar

Gaius Octavius (Augustus), born September 23, 63 B.C., was the son of Octavius, a praetor from Velitrae, and Atia, the daughter of Julius Caesar's sister Julia. When Caesar went to Spain to fight the Pompeians in 45 B.C., Gaius Octavius went with him. Caesar arranging the schedule in advance, named Gaius Octavius Master of the Horse for 43 or 42 B.C. Caesar died in 44 B.C. and in his will adopted Gaius Octavius. Octavius took the name C. Julius Caesar Octavianus at this point.

I think Julius Caesar was a much more critical and major leader than his grand nephew Augustus. Julius Caesar did so much more for Rome; he was a disciplined and very strong leader, he was a great military commander, and he was a tactical genius. Julius Caesar also tried to prevent poverty in his homeland and was loyal to his followers and friends, and would punish criminals who broke the laws. He was the individual who started the Roman Empire. In the end he might have been crazy, had a disease, or he could have just been hungry for power and control, but in this debate, what he accomplished is what counts. Once he was murdered, in other words stabbed by all his friends and followers who were in the room, Rome went into another civil war. The other side of the debate, Augustus did bring 200 years of peace to Rome and expanded its Empire, but without the commence of Julius Caesar, Augustus would have been just another senator; bringing me to the point that without Julius Caesar, Rome would have never become the almighty Empire we know of.