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Gaius Octavian (character of Rome)
Encyclopedia
Gaius Octavian is a character in the HBO
/BBC2 original television series Rome
, played by Max Pirkis
as a child in season one and the beginning of season two, and in the rest of the second season he is played by Simon Woods
. He is portrayed as a shrewd, if somewhat cold, young man, with an understanding of the world, people, philosophy, and politics that go well beyond his years. Despite this he is very power hungry and unaccomplished and uses the accomplishments of others that he is related to in order to further his political career. The basis for this character is the early life of Augustus
, the first Roman Emperor
.
. His father died when he was young and was subsequently brought up by his mother and his older sister, Octavia
. At the beginning of the series Rome
, Octavian is mere adolescent and his mother has him travel across a barren land with only a few slaves to take a white horse (brought to Rome by Timon
), as a gift, to his great-uncle. However, along the way his slaves are killed and he is kidnapped by some of Pompey's
men. He is rescued by Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus
and with them, they recover the golden eagle from Pompey's men and return it to Octavian's great-uncle, Julius Caesar
. Caesar is extremely impressed with the young boy's strength, intelligence and common beliefs about the Plebeians.
Octavian returns to Rome, accompanied by Pullo and Vorenus under the command of Mark Antony
, Atia's lover, and is taken home to his mother. He demonstrates a large understanding about the state of Rome and its politics. As the result of the rebellion, the Julii family and their allies prepare to commit suicide. Upon being asked who he would wish to kill him, Octavian states that, "I can take care of myself." Caesar returns to Rome and the Julii family are spared, leaving many of the other nobility to ask the protection from them. In the rebellion, Octavia's husband is killed, and although it would seem that Octavian suspects his mother is involved, he says nothing.
His mother is ambitious for Octavian's future, encouraging him to risk his life to impress his great-uncle, having him eat goat's testicles to make him more of a man, and enlisting Pullo as a tutor to help Octavian in his battle, as well as copulation skills. He is not capable of killing but he does manipulate others into killing for him. He is partly responsible for the deaths of Pompey's men and helping to murder Vorenus' brother-in-law, Evander Pulchio. Julius Caesar takes an interest in Octavian, giving him important political roles, including making him a pontiff
despite his young age.
When Caesar's will is read shortly after his assassination it is revealed that he has adopted Octavian as his son and made him his heir. Octavian uses this to his full advantage and convinces Mark Antony to stay in Rome in order to stop Brutus and the other assassins from gaining power. However, after Brutus and the others flee Rome, Mark Antony refuses to transfer control of Caesar's money from Caesar's name to Octavian's. In retaliation against Antony and his mother, Octavian promises the plebeians the money that Caesar promised in the will. When Antony and Atia find out, he is attacked violently by Antony after Octavian insults his mother and refuses to apologize. Octavian is disgusted with his mother's choice of siding with Antony against him, and he runs away from home, taking all his belongings and a few soldiers. He travels south to Campania to stay with his friend Marcus Agrippa, who is well established there.
It is later mentioned that he and Agrippa have organized an army ten thousand strong that includes a large number of veterans. Cicero eventually sides with them against Antony, who is then declared a traitor. Very soon afterwards, Octavian is reunited with his friend Titus Pullo
, who is amazed to see that the generals the Senate sent to led Octavian's soldiers have defeated Mark Antony. Pullo tells Octavian that Vorenus' children are alive and that he wanted to tell Vorenus, but he fought on Antony's side. Nonetheless, Octavian straight away insists that they find Vorenus, and gives him food, a horse and the seal of Caesar so that he might pass through the crowds. When Octavian returns to camp with Agrippa, they meet up with their friend Gaius Maecenas who informs them that the two generals who aided in defeating Antony have died and Octavian selfishly claims the victory is his. Although Octavian insists that the victory was not to spite Antony, it appears to be false and he intends to use his new found power as influence in Rome, much to Cicero's fears.
The meeting between Octavian and Cicero is congenial, if not tense. Cicero adamantly refuses to give Octavian a triumph for his victory, claiming that Antony is still alive and thus a total victory was not achieved. However, at Octavian's insistence (along with some pressure from Agrippa), Cicero agrees to make Octavian consul provided that he listen to his advice. Octavian apparently agrees but then goes back on his promise when he declares Brutus and Cassius as enemies of the state (much to Cicero's chagrin). Due to the presence of armed soldiers in the Senate House, no one, not even Cicero, dares to oppose the measure and it is passed unanimously.
Octavian also continues to harbor a certain grudge against Atia for allowing Antony to beat him despite the pleas from Octavia to forgive their mother. Although Octavian is cold and stubborn, he seems to loosen up considerably when Atia personally asks for forgiveness. It remains to be seen whether Octavian truly forgives his mother.
Eventually, Cicero brings forth a dilemma to Octavian. Brutus and Cassius have begun their march back to Rome with an alleged 20 legions (although Agrippa correctly guesses that this is an exaggeration) and will seek to remove Octavian. Octavian is initially quite distressed by the threat as he only has four legions but is quickly provided an answer by his mother. Going out to Cisalpine Gaul
, Octavian (with some aid from Atia) creates an alliance with Antony in order to defeat Brutus and Cassius. While Antony proposes a direct attack, Octavian decides to first kill all supporters of Brutus before engaging in battle, Cicero being the most notable on his death list. Although the measure is greeted with shock by Lepidus, Antony enthusiastically adds the names of a couple of his own enemies onto the list and even Atia contributes.
During the decisive Second Battle of Philippi, Octavian endures Antony's taunts with severe coldness and anxiously watches the battle while Antony impassively munches on a loaf of bread. When the battle reaches a critical turning point, Antony personally leads an attack while Octavian stays behind. Realizing that Antony would receive all the credit for a victory, Octavian sends Agrippa into battle as well. When the battle is finally over, Octavian notes with disgust that the smell of victory is nothing but "smoke, shit and rotting flesh".
In Death Mask
, Atia suggests that the marriage between her and Mark Antony finally occur as a show of unity between Antony and Octavian. The men agree that such an arrangement is necessary as a marriage between their two houses would clearly make a strong political statement. However, to Atia's surprise it is her daughter Octavia who is betrothed to Antony. Understanding that Octavia's childbearing age makes her more suitable for the match, Atia goes along with the marriage — but is furious nonetheless. It was in this episode that Servilia of the Junii (mother to Brutus) cursed Atia prior to sacrificing her own life. Distraut from the recent news of Brutus' defeat at the second battle of Philippi, Servilia's curse pleaded to the gods for Atia to "taste nothing but ashes and iron" and for the remainder of her life to filled with "bitterness and despair".
Octavian's darker side emerges further in the episode A Necessary Fiction
. He meets Livia, the young wife of Claudius Nero (and mother of his son, Tiberius), and decides that she will divorce her husband and marry him. He later confides in her that he may beat or lightly whip her during their marriage, but only because it brings him "sexual pleasure"; it is revealed in Deus Impeditio Esuritori Nullus
that these sadomasochistic tendencies are mutual. When Maecenas reveals that Atia and Mark Antony have resumed their affair and that Octavia is involved with Agrippa, a furious Octavian invites them all to dinner. There he commands Antony to leave Rome indefinitely, or be publicly shamed with Octavia's adultery. He sends Atia and Octavia into seclusion (under armed guard) at Atia's villa, and solemnly forgives a shamed and remorseful Agrippa.
When Antony takes up with Cleopatra in Alexandria and cuts off the grain shipments from Egypt, Octavian faces rioting in Rome and renewed civil war. With the assistance of Posca, he obtains Antony's will and orders it read aloud to the people of Rome, revealing that Antony had left control of the eastern provinces to Cleopatra's progeny. The scandal is an appropriate casus belli
, and after defeating Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium
, he pursues them to Alexandria. There Antony descends into a drunken stupor and Octavian attempts to bargain with Cleopatra, hoping to display her as spoils of war at his triumph
. He is foiled by their dual suicide; he sends Titus Pullo to assassinate Caesarion
, but Pullo deceives him and saves the boy. The series ends with Octavian and his family attending his triumph, hailed as Caesar and savior of the Republic, at the dawn of the Empire
.
) and Titus Pullo
, to whom he admits his mediocre skills in physical combat, "I dare say I can kill a man, so long as he's not fighting back." He has already demonstrated this upon Pullo's rescue of him from being kidnapped by bandits hired by Pompey
, when he beats to death an already heavily wounded bandit. His friendship with Pullo becomes a major plot point in the second season, with Octavian even entrusting to the soldier the assassination of the teenage Caesarion
.
He is also well read in philosophy and is implied to be a monotheist
and more specifically a deist
(in contrast to his polytheistic society
)--he does not believe in the Roman gods, but is open to the possibility of some kind of Prime Mover
. He has political beliefs favoring rule by the people rather than the elite. Upon Lucius Vorenus
asking why should the Republic be changed and the nobles out placed, Octavian counters by saying "Because the Roman people are suffering, because slaves have taken all the work, because nobles have taken all the land, and because the streets are filled with the homeless and the starving. Thus demonstrating a sense of compassion for the Roman people, but not so much for his own social class, the nobles. In the second season, his opinions evolve; it becomes obvious that he intends to establish a tyranny, and he sincerely advocates a harsh stance on issues of moral degeneration amongst the Roman elite - particularly his own family, with whom he shares a tense and manipulative relationship, frequently using them for political gain. He also orders, along with Mark Antony, the assassination of nearly a thousand senators and rich citizens, including Cicero and the father of Jocasta, primarily to obtain their wealth and also to eliminate his opponents in the Senate. Despite this, he seems to be motivated by genuine benevolence for the Roman people and moral outrage at the corruption of Roman society.
He is shown to have sadist
ic sexual tendencies; he mentions this to his fiance Livia, rather ashamed, that when they are married he will sometimes beat her with his hands or a light whip, citing that it's not out of anger, but it gives him sexual pleasure. Luckily, not only does Livia tolerate his predilection, but also shares his pleasure in it; the two engage in erotic asphyxiation
and particularly violent sex.
was born Gaius Octavius in 63 BC
, son of the elder Gaius Octavius
, a Senator of obscure provincial origins, and Atia
, niece of Julius Caesar
. In 44 BC
he learned that Caesar had named him in his will as his adopted son and heir, at which point he took the name Gaius Julius Caesar. He would have been expected to add the surname Octavianus to indicate his family of origin, although there is no evidence he himself ever used this name; but from this he is conventionally known as "Octavian" in English. In fact, the historical Caesar Augustus avoided the use of the name "Octavian" as it pointed to him having been born a plebian rather than a Patrician, and it is for this reason that Cicero
amused himself by continually addressing him as such.
Little is recorded of his childhood, so his trip to Gaul in "The Stolen Eagle" is entirely fictional. His appointment to the College of Pontiffs
at the age of 15, however, is accurate. Suetonius
reports that he was accused by Mark Antony
of having a homosexual relationship with Caesar (dramatised in the series as a misunderstanding following Caesar's epileptic seizure), but dismisses the accusation as political slander.
In 47 BC
, on his return from Egypt
, Caesar asked the now 16-year-old Octavian to join his staff for his campaign against Cato
and Scipio
in Africa
, but his mother refused to let him go. Even so, Caesar presented him with military honours after his victory at the Battle of Thapsus
, and allowed him take part in his Triumph
.
The following year he obtained Atia's permission for Octavian to join him in Spain
for his campaign against Pompey's sons, but Octavian fell ill and was unable to travel. He eventually set out for the field, but was shipwrecked. Washed up on a beach with a handful of soldiers, Octavian managed to make it through enemy territory to Caesar's camp. After Caesar's victory in the Battle of Munda
, Octavian travelled back to Rome in Caesar's carriage.
It was after this campaign that Caesar secretly changed his will, naming Octavian as his heir. He officially enrolled the boy as a Patrician, and sent him to Macedonia to study rhetoric
under Apollodorus of Pergamon. When Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, Octavian was in Apollonia, Illyria
, studying and undergoing military training. Rejecting the advice of some army officers to take refuge with the troops in Macedonia
, he sailed to Italia
. After landing at Lupiae near Brundisium, he learned of the contents of Caesar's will. In the series, Octavian is in Rome when Caesar is killed, and convinces his mother and Mark Antony not to flee the city; they hear the contents of Caesar's will soon after.
In 'Rome', Octavian becomes known as Gaius Octavian Caesar after Caesar's death. The real Octavian became known as Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (except by Cicero, who continued to address him as Octavian in order to amuse himself and dent Octavian's ego).
In Philippi Octavian does not object to Mark Antony's desire to proscribe
and kill Cicero whereas historical sources indicate that Octavian only very reluctantly went along with Antony's wishes after two days of arguments and objections.
In A Necessary Fiction, Octavian meets and plans to marry his first wife, Livia; historically, Octavian had already been married to and divorced Clodia Pulchra
(daughter of Fulvia
, wife of Mark Antony before Octavia) by this time. Furthermore, when Octavian met future wife Livia
he was married to Scribonia
, whom he divorced the same day she gave birth to his only child, Julia the Elder
. Rome ignores these former relationships, but does acknowledge the existence of Livia's child, Tiberius Nero
, by her first husband Tiberius Claudius Nero
. Historically, Livia was pregnant with her second child Nero Claudius Drusus
when she met Octavian, whom she married mere days after giving birth to her son.
The personality of Octavian as presented in the show is different from that presented in the sources. Rome presents Octavian as an emotionless and openly calculating member of the elite, while Suetonius
presents him as more of a home-spun populist and a lover of other men's wives (including the wife of Maecenas, which led to their falling out). It is possible that both these portrayals are true to some extent, reflecting different facets of his persona. The eminent classicist Ronald Syme
, whose work The Roman Revolution
has been highly influential in the English-speaking world, famously called Octavian a 'chill terrorist'. But the position he put himself in, as Augustus, rebuilding Rome from deep division and near-catastrophe to peace and stability, necessitated the subtle and complex portrayal of a wide range of facets of personality, real and simulated. In the words of Julius Caesar's biographer, Christian Meier, Octavian "had to be an actor, and he knew this". Suetonius reports that on the day he died, Augustus summoned his friends and asked them, "Did you like the performance?", referring to the play-acting and regal authority that he had put on as emperor. They assured him that they had and he replied, "Since I've played my part well, all clap your hands, and from the stage dismiss me with applause."
Home Box Office
HBO, short for Home Box Office, is an American premium cable television network, owned by Time Warner. , HBO's programming reaches 28.2 million subscribers in the United States, making it the second largest premium network in America . In addition to its U.S...
/BBC2 original television series Rome
Rome (TV series)
Rome is a British-American–Italian historical drama television series created by Bruno Heller, John Milius and William J. MacDonald. The show's two seasons premiered in 2005 and 2007, and were later released on DVD. Rome is set in the 1st century BC, during Ancient Rome's transition from Republic...
, played by Max Pirkis
Max Pirkis
Max William R. Pirkis is an English film actor.-Personal life:Pirkis was born in London, England to a stockbroker father and a publisher mother. He also has an older sister, Elli Pirkis....
as a child in season one and the beginning of season two, and in the rest of the second season he is played by Simon Woods
Simon Woods
Simon Woods is an English actor best known for his role as Octavian in Season 2 of the British-American television series Rome and the 2005 Pride & Prejudice as Mr. Charles Bingley...
. He is portrayed as a shrewd, if somewhat cold, young man, with an understanding of the world, people, philosophy, and politics that go well beyond his years. Despite this he is very power hungry and unaccomplished and uses the accomplishments of others that he is related to in order to further his political career. The basis for this character is the early life of Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
, the first Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
.
Character history
Born to one of the most powerful families in Rome, the Julii, Octavian is the only son and youngest child of Atia of the JuliiAtia of the Julii
Atia of the Julii is a fictional character from the HBO/BBC/RAI original television series Rome, played by Polly Walker. The niece of Julius Caesar and mother of Octavian/Augustus and Octavia, she is depicted as a cheerfully amoral and opportunistic manipulator...
. His father died when he was young and was subsequently brought up by his mother and his older sister, Octavia
Octavia of the Julii
Octavia of the Julii is a fictional character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by Irish actress Kerry Condon. The character is based on the Roman matron Octavia Thurina Minor, sister of Roman Emperor Augustus.-Season One:...
. At the beginning of the series Rome
Rome (TV series)
Rome is a British-American–Italian historical drama television series created by Bruno Heller, John Milius and William J. MacDonald. The show's two seasons premiered in 2005 and 2007, and were later released on DVD. Rome is set in the 1st century BC, during Ancient Rome's transition from Republic...
, Octavian is mere adolescent and his mother has him travel across a barren land with only a few slaves to take a white horse (brought to Rome by Timon
Timon (character of Rome)
Timon, is a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by Lee Boardman. He is a Jew, depicted as a "hired sword" – from bodyguard to assassin – for Atia of the Julii, from whom he is quite willing to take her body in lieu of coin.-Personality:Timon initially appears as little...
), as a gift, to his great-uncle. However, along the way his slaves are killed and he is kidnapped by some of Pompey's
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (character of Rome)
Gnaeus Pompey Magnus is a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by Kenneth Cranham. He is depicted as a legendary general, past the days of his prime, who tries to recapture the glories of his youth as much as to do what is right for the Republic...
men. He is rescued by Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus
Lucius Vorenus (character of Rome)
Lucius Vorenus is a semi-fictional character in the British-Italian-American historical drama television series Rome, a show about the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. Played by Scottish actor Kevin McKidd in the series, Lucius Vorenus is introduced as a main character...
and with them, they recover the golden eagle from Pompey's men and return it to Octavian's great-uncle, Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (character of Rome)
Gaius Julius Caesar is a historical figure who features as a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by Irish actor Ciarán Hinds...
. Caesar is extremely impressed with the young boy's strength, intelligence and common beliefs about the Plebeians.
Octavian returns to Rome, accompanied by Pullo and Vorenus under the command of Mark Antony
Mark Antony (character of Rome)
Mark Antony is a historical figure who features as a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by James Purefoy. Like the real Mark Antony he was a Roman general and politician and a close supporter of Julius Caesar.- Season 1 :...
, Atia's lover, and is taken home to his mother. He demonstrates a large understanding about the state of Rome and its politics. As the result of the rebellion, the Julii family and their allies prepare to commit suicide. Upon being asked who he would wish to kill him, Octavian states that, "I can take care of myself." Caesar returns to Rome and the Julii family are spared, leaving many of the other nobility to ask the protection from them. In the rebellion, Octavia's husband is killed, and although it would seem that Octavian suspects his mother is involved, he says nothing.
His mother is ambitious for Octavian's future, encouraging him to risk his life to impress his great-uncle, having him eat goat's testicles to make him more of a man, and enlisting Pullo as a tutor to help Octavian in his battle, as well as copulation skills. He is not capable of killing but he does manipulate others into killing for him. He is partly responsible for the deaths of Pompey's men and helping to murder Vorenus' brother-in-law, Evander Pulchio. Julius Caesar takes an interest in Octavian, giving him important political roles, including making him a pontiff
Pontiff
A pontiff was, in Roman antiquity, a member of the principal college of priests . The term "pontiff" was later applied to any high or chief priest and, in ecclesiastical usage, to a bishop and more particularly to the Bishop of Rome, the Pope or "Roman Pontiff".-Etymology:The English term derives...
despite his young age.
When Caesar's will is read shortly after his assassination it is revealed that he has adopted Octavian as his son and made him his heir. Octavian uses this to his full advantage and convinces Mark Antony to stay in Rome in order to stop Brutus and the other assassins from gaining power. However, after Brutus and the others flee Rome, Mark Antony refuses to transfer control of Caesar's money from Caesar's name to Octavian's. In retaliation against Antony and his mother, Octavian promises the plebeians the money that Caesar promised in the will. When Antony and Atia find out, he is attacked violently by Antony after Octavian insults his mother and refuses to apologize. Octavian is disgusted with his mother's choice of siding with Antony against him, and he runs away from home, taking all his belongings and a few soldiers. He travels south to Campania to stay with his friend Marcus Agrippa, who is well established there.
It is later mentioned that he and Agrippa have organized an army ten thousand strong that includes a large number of veterans. Cicero eventually sides with them against Antony, who is then declared a traitor. Very soon afterwards, Octavian is reunited with his friend Titus Pullo
Titus Pullo
Titus Pullo was one of the two Roman centurions of the 11th Legion mentioned in the writings of Julius Caesar. The other soldier mentioned was Lucius Vorenus; they appear in Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico, Book 5, Chapter 44....
, who is amazed to see that the generals the Senate sent to led Octavian's soldiers have defeated Mark Antony. Pullo tells Octavian that Vorenus' children are alive and that he wanted to tell Vorenus, but he fought on Antony's side. Nonetheless, Octavian straight away insists that they find Vorenus, and gives him food, a horse and the seal of Caesar so that he might pass through the crowds. When Octavian returns to camp with Agrippa, they meet up with their friend Gaius Maecenas who informs them that the two generals who aided in defeating Antony have died and Octavian selfishly claims the victory is his. Although Octavian insists that the victory was not to spite Antony, it appears to be false and he intends to use his new found power as influence in Rome, much to Cicero's fears.
The meeting between Octavian and Cicero is congenial, if not tense. Cicero adamantly refuses to give Octavian a triumph for his victory, claiming that Antony is still alive and thus a total victory was not achieved. However, at Octavian's insistence (along with some pressure from Agrippa), Cicero agrees to make Octavian consul provided that he listen to his advice. Octavian apparently agrees but then goes back on his promise when he declares Brutus and Cassius as enemies of the state (much to Cicero's chagrin). Due to the presence of armed soldiers in the Senate House, no one, not even Cicero, dares to oppose the measure and it is passed unanimously.
Octavian also continues to harbor a certain grudge against Atia for allowing Antony to beat him despite the pleas from Octavia to forgive their mother. Although Octavian is cold and stubborn, he seems to loosen up considerably when Atia personally asks for forgiveness. It remains to be seen whether Octavian truly forgives his mother.
Eventually, Cicero brings forth a dilemma to Octavian. Brutus and Cassius have begun their march back to Rome with an alleged 20 legions (although Agrippa correctly guesses that this is an exaggeration) and will seek to remove Octavian. Octavian is initially quite distressed by the threat as he only has four legions but is quickly provided an answer by his mother. Going out to Cisalpine Gaul
Cisalpine Gaul
Cisalpine Gaul, in Latin: Gallia Cisalpina or Citerior, also called Gallia Togata, was a Roman province until 41 BC when it was merged into Roman Italy.It bore the name Gallia, because the great body of its inhabitants, after the expulsion of the Etruscans, consisted of Gauls or Celts...
, Octavian (with some aid from Atia) creates an alliance with Antony in order to defeat Brutus and Cassius. While Antony proposes a direct attack, Octavian decides to first kill all supporters of Brutus before engaging in battle, Cicero being the most notable on his death list. Although the measure is greeted with shock by Lepidus, Antony enthusiastically adds the names of a couple of his own enemies onto the list and even Atia contributes.
During the decisive Second Battle of Philippi, Octavian endures Antony's taunts with severe coldness and anxiously watches the battle while Antony impassively munches on a loaf of bread. When the battle reaches a critical turning point, Antony personally leads an attack while Octavian stays behind. Realizing that Antony would receive all the credit for a victory, Octavian sends Agrippa into battle as well. When the battle is finally over, Octavian notes with disgust that the smell of victory is nothing but "smoke, shit and rotting flesh".
In Death Mask
Death Mask (Rome)
"Death Mask" is the seventh episode of the second season of the television series Rome. It aired on March 4, 2007.-Plot summary:Servilia mourns the death of Brutus, killed at Phillipi. She kneels in front of Atia's door chanting repeatedly for justice. Although Atia ignores her initially, the...
, Atia suggests that the marriage between her and Mark Antony finally occur as a show of unity between Antony and Octavian. The men agree that such an arrangement is necessary as a marriage between their two houses would clearly make a strong political statement. However, to Atia's surprise it is her daughter Octavia who is betrothed to Antony. Understanding that Octavia's childbearing age makes her more suitable for the match, Atia goes along with the marriage — but is furious nonetheless. It was in this episode that Servilia of the Junii (mother to Brutus) cursed Atia prior to sacrificing her own life. Distraut from the recent news of Brutus' defeat at the second battle of Philippi, Servilia's curse pleaded to the gods for Atia to "taste nothing but ashes and iron" and for the remainder of her life to filled with "bitterness and despair".
Octavian's darker side emerges further in the episode A Necessary Fiction
A Necessary Fiction
"A Necessary Fiction" is the eighth episode of the second season of the television series Rome. The air date is March 11, 2007.-Plot summary:...
. He meets Livia, the young wife of Claudius Nero (and mother of his son, Tiberius), and decides that she will divorce her husband and marry him. He later confides in her that he may beat or lightly whip her during their marriage, but only because it brings him "sexual pleasure"; it is revealed in Deus Impeditio Esuritori Nullus
Deus Impeditio Esuritori Nullus (No God Can Stop a Hungry Man)
"Deus Impeditio Esuritori Nullus" is the ninth episode of the second season of the television series Rome. The air date is March 18, 2007...
that these sadomasochistic tendencies are mutual. When Maecenas reveals that Atia and Mark Antony have resumed their affair and that Octavia is involved with Agrippa, a furious Octavian invites them all to dinner. There he commands Antony to leave Rome indefinitely, or be publicly shamed with Octavia's adultery. He sends Atia and Octavia into seclusion (under armed guard) at Atia's villa, and solemnly forgives a shamed and remorseful Agrippa.
When Antony takes up with Cleopatra in Alexandria and cuts off the grain shipments from Egypt, Octavian faces rioting in Rome and renewed civil war. With the assistance of Posca, he obtains Antony's will and orders it read aloud to the people of Rome, revealing that Antony had left control of the eastern provinces to Cleopatra's progeny. The scandal is an appropriate casus belli
Casus belli
is a Latin expression meaning the justification for acts of war. means "incident", "rupture" or indeed "case", while means bellic...
, and after defeating Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium
Battle of Actium
The Battle of Actium was the decisive confrontation of the Final War of the Roman Republic. It was fought between the forces of Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC, on the Ionian Sea near the city of Actium, at the Roman...
, he pursues them to Alexandria. There Antony descends into a drunken stupor and Octavian attempts to bargain with Cleopatra, hoping to display her as spoils of war at his triumph
Roman triumph
The Roman triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the military achievement of an army commander who had won great military successes, or originally and traditionally, one who had successfully completed a foreign war. In Republican...
. He is foiled by their dual suicide; he sends Titus Pullo to assassinate Caesarion
Caesarion
Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar , better known by the nicknames Caesarion and Ptolemy Caesar , was the last king of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, who reigned jointly with his mother Cleopatra VII of Egypt, from September 2, 44 BC...
, but Pullo deceives him and saves the boy. The series ends with Octavian and his family attending his triumph, hailed as Caesar and savior of the Republic, at the dawn of the Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
.
Personality
Highly intelligent and well read, Octavian is a young man whose formidable mind marks him out even among the upper classes of Rome. His astute understanding of those around him makes him observant and lethally sharp in guessing the motives and intent of others. He is, however, cold and distant. He also displays a cynicism which is most likely a product of exposure to his amoral mother and the morally corrosive nature of Roman politics. He does however occasionally display his insecurities such as self-doubt in front of his sister (for whom he has sexual feelingsIncest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
) and Titus Pullo
Titus Pullo (character of Rome)
Titus Pullo is a fictional character from the HBO/BBC original television series Rome, played by Ray Stevenson. He is depicted as a hedonistic, devil-may-care soldier who discovers hidden ideals and integrity within himself...
, to whom he admits his mediocre skills in physical combat, "I dare say I can kill a man, so long as he's not fighting back." He has already demonstrated this upon Pullo's rescue of him from being kidnapped by bandits hired by Pompey
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
, when he beats to death an already heavily wounded bandit. His friendship with Pullo becomes a major plot point in the second season, with Octavian even entrusting to the soldier the assassination of the teenage Caesarion
Caesarion
Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar , better known by the nicknames Caesarion and Ptolemy Caesar , was the last king of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, who reigned jointly with his mother Cleopatra VII of Egypt, from September 2, 44 BC...
.
He is also well read in philosophy and is implied to be a monotheist
Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief in the existence of one and only one god. Monotheism is characteristic of the Baha'i Faith, Christianity, Druzism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Samaritanism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.While they profess the existence of only one deity, monotheistic religions may still...
and more specifically a deist
Deism
Deism in religious philosophy is the belief that reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organized religion, can determine that the universe is the product of an all-powerful creator. According to deists, the creator does not intervene in human affairs or suspend the...
(in contrast to his polytheistic society
Polytheism
Polytheism is the belief of multiple deities also usually assembled into a pantheon of gods and goddesses, along with their own mythologies and rituals....
)--he does not believe in the Roman gods, but is open to the possibility of some kind of Prime Mover
Cosmological argument
The cosmological argument is an argument for the existence of a First Cause to the universe, and by extension is often used as an argument for the existence of an "unconditioned" or "supreme" being, usually then identified as God...
. He has political beliefs favoring rule by the people rather than the elite. Upon Lucius Vorenus
Lucius Vorenus (character of Rome)
Lucius Vorenus is a semi-fictional character in the British-Italian-American historical drama television series Rome, a show about the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. Played by Scottish actor Kevin McKidd in the series, Lucius Vorenus is introduced as a main character...
asking why should the Republic be changed and the nobles out placed, Octavian counters by saying "Because the Roman people are suffering, because slaves have taken all the work, because nobles have taken all the land, and because the streets are filled with the homeless and the starving. Thus demonstrating a sense of compassion for the Roman people, but not so much for his own social class, the nobles. In the second season, his opinions evolve; it becomes obvious that he intends to establish a tyranny, and he sincerely advocates a harsh stance on issues of moral degeneration amongst the Roman elite - particularly his own family, with whom he shares a tense and manipulative relationship, frequently using them for political gain. He also orders, along with Mark Antony, the assassination of nearly a thousand senators and rich citizens, including Cicero and the father of Jocasta, primarily to obtain their wealth and also to eliminate his opponents in the Senate. Despite this, he seems to be motivated by genuine benevolence for the Roman people and moral outrage at the corruption of Roman society.
He is shown to have sadist
Sadism and masochism as medical terms
In psychiatry, the terms sadism and masochism describe a personality type characterized by the actor or actrix deriving pleasure and gratification from inflicting physical pain and humiliation ; and from suffering pain and humiliation upon the self ; such pleasure often is sexual, but not...
ic sexual tendencies; he mentions this to his fiance Livia, rather ashamed, that when they are married he will sometimes beat her with his hands or a light whip, citing that it's not out of anger, but it gives him sexual pleasure. Luckily, not only does Livia tolerate his predilection, but also shares his pleasure in it; the two engage in erotic asphyxiation
Erotic asphyxiation
Erotic asphyxiation or breath control play is the intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for sexual arousal. The sexual preference for that behavior is variously called asphyxiophilia, autoerotic asphyxia, hypoxyphilia. Colloquially, a person engaging in the activity is sometimes called a...
and particularly violent sex.
Comparison to the historical Octavian
The future AugustusAugustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
was born Gaius Octavius in 63 BC
63 BC
Year 63 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cicero and Hibrida...
, son of the elder Gaius Octavius
Gaius Octavius
Gaius Octavius was an ancestor to the Roman Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He was the father of the Emperor Augustus, step-grandfather of the Emperor Tiberius, great-great grandfather of the Emperor Caligula, great-grandfather of the Emperor Claudius, and great-great-great grandfather of...
, a Senator of obscure provincial origins, and Atia
Atia
Atia Balba Caesonia , sometimes referred to as Atia Balba Secunda to differentiate her from her two sisters, was a Roman noblewoman...
, niece of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
. In 44 BC
44 BC
Year 44 BC was either a common year starting on Sunday or Monday or a leap year starting on Friday or Saturday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Sunday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
he learned that Caesar had named him in his will as his adopted son and heir, at which point he took the name Gaius Julius Caesar. He would have been expected to add the surname Octavianus to indicate his family of origin, although there is no evidence he himself ever used this name; but from this he is conventionally known as "Octavian" in English. In fact, the historical Caesar Augustus avoided the use of the name "Octavian" as it pointed to him having been born a plebian rather than a Patrician, and it is for this reason that Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
amused himself by continually addressing him as such.
Little is recorded of his childhood, so his trip to Gaul in "The Stolen Eagle" is entirely fictional. His appointment to the College of Pontiffs
College of Pontiffs
The College of Pontiffs or Collegium Pontificum was a body of the ancient Roman state whose members were the highest-ranking priests of the polytheistic state religion. The college consisted of the Pontifex Maximus, the Vestal Virgins, the Rex Sacrorum, and the flamines...
at the age of 15, however, is accurate. Suetonius
Lives of the Twelve Caesars
De vita Caesarum commonly known as The Twelve Caesars, is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire written by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus.The work, written in AD 121 during the reign of the emperor Hadrian, was the most popular work of Suetonius,...
reports that he was accused by Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
of having a homosexual relationship with Caesar (dramatised in the series as a misunderstanding following Caesar's epileptic seizure), but dismisses the accusation as political slander.
In 47 BC
47 BC
Year 47 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Calenius and Vatinius...
, on his return from Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, Caesar asked the now 16-year-old Octavian to join his staff for his campaign against Cato
Cato the Younger
Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis , commonly known as Cato the Younger to distinguish him from his great-grandfather , was a politician and statesman in the late Roman Republic, and a follower of the Stoic philosophy...
and Scipio
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica , in modern scholarship often as Metellus Scipio, was a Roman consul and military commander in the Late Republic. During the civil war between Julius Caesar and the senatorial faction led by Pompeius Magnus , he remained a staunch optimate...
in Africa
Africa Province
The Roman province of Africa was established after the Romans defeated Carthage in the Third Punic War. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day northern Tunisia, and the small Mediterranean coast of modern-day western Libya along the Syrtis Minor...
, but his mother refused to let him go. Even so, Caesar presented him with military honours after his victory at the Battle of Thapsus
Battle of Thapsus
The Battle of Thapsus took place on April 6, 46 BC near Thapsus . The Republican forces of the Optimates, led by Quintus Caecillius Metellus Scipio, clashed with the veteran forces loyal to Julius Caesar.-Prelude:...
, and allowed him take part in his Triumph
Roman triumph
The Roman triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the military achievement of an army commander who had won great military successes, or originally and traditionally, one who had successfully completed a foreign war. In Republican...
.
The following year he obtained Atia's permission for Octavian to join him in Spain
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
for his campaign against Pompey's sons, but Octavian fell ill and was unable to travel. He eventually set out for the field, but was shipwrecked. Washed up on a beach with a handful of soldiers, Octavian managed to make it through enemy territory to Caesar's camp. After Caesar's victory in the Battle of Munda
Battle of Munda
The Battle of Munda took place on March 17, 45 BC in the plains of Munda, modern southern Spain. This was the last battle of Julius Caesar's civil war against the republican armies of the Optimate leaders...
, Octavian travelled back to Rome in Caesar's carriage.
It was after this campaign that Caesar secretly changed his will, naming Octavian as his heir. He officially enrolled the boy as a Patrician, and sent him to Macedonia to study rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
under Apollodorus of Pergamon. When Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, Octavian was in Apollonia, Illyria
Apollonia, Illyria
Apollonia was an ancient Greek city in Illyria, located on the right bank of the Aous river . Its ruins are situated in the Fier region, near the village of Pojani, in modern-day Albania...
, studying and undergoing military training. Rejecting the advice of some army officers to take refuge with the troops in Macedonia
Macedonia (Roman province)
The Roman province of Macedonia was officially established in 146 BC, after the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated Andriscus of Macedon, the last Ancient King of Macedon in 148 BC, and after the four client republics established by Rome in the region were dissolved...
, he sailed to Italia
Italia (Roman province)
Italia was the name of the Italian peninsula of the Roman Empire.-Under the Republic and Augustan organization:During the Republic and the first centuries of the empire, Italia was not a province, but rather the territory of the city of Rome, thus having a special status: for example, military...
. After landing at Lupiae near Brundisium, he learned of the contents of Caesar's will. In the series, Octavian is in Rome when Caesar is killed, and convinces his mother and Mark Antony not to flee the city; they hear the contents of Caesar's will soon after.
In 'Rome', Octavian becomes known as Gaius Octavian Caesar after Caesar's death. The real Octavian became known as Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (except by Cicero, who continued to address him as Octavian in order to amuse himself and dent Octavian's ego).
In Philippi Octavian does not object to Mark Antony's desire to proscribe
Proscription
Proscription is a term used for the public identification and official condemnation of enemies of the state. It is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a "decree of condemnation to death or banishment" and is a heavily politically charged word, frequently used to refer to state-approved...
and kill Cicero whereas historical sources indicate that Octavian only very reluctantly went along with Antony's wishes after two days of arguments and objections.
In A Necessary Fiction, Octavian meets and plans to marry his first wife, Livia; historically, Octavian had already been married to and divorced Clodia Pulchra
Clodia Pulchra
Clodia Pulchra, also known as Claudia was the daughter of Fulvia by her first husband Publius Clodius Pulcher. She was the stepdaughter of Mark Antony and half-sister of Marcus Antonius Antyllus and Iullus Antonius....
(daughter of Fulvia
Fulvia
Fulvia Flacca Bambula , commonly referred to as simply Fulvia, was an aristocratic Roman woman who lived during the Late Roman Republic. Through her marriage to three of the most promising Roman men of her generation, Publius Clodius Pulcher, Gaius Scribonius Curio and Mark Antony, she gained...
, wife of Mark Antony before Octavia) by this time. Furthermore, when Octavian met future wife Livia
Livia
Livia Drusilla, , after her formal adoption into the Julian family in AD 14 also known as Julia Augusta, was a Roman empress as the third wife of the Emperor Augustus and his adviser...
he was married to Scribonia
Scribonia
Scribonia was the second wife of the Roman Emperor Augustus and the mother of his only natural child, Julia the Elder. She was the mother-in-law of the Emperor Tiberius, great-grandmother of the Emperor Caligula and Empress Agrippina the Younger, grandmother-in-law of the Emperor Claudius, and...
, whom he divorced the same day she gave birth to his only child, Julia the Elder
Julia the Elder
Julia the Elder , known to her contemporaries as Julia Caesaris filia or Julia Augusti filia was the daughter and only biological child of Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire. Augustus subsequently adopted several male members of his close family as sons...
. Rome ignores these former relationships, but does acknowledge the existence of Livia's child, Tiberius Nero
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
, by her first husband Tiberius Claudius Nero
Tiberius Nero
Not to be confused with his son Tiberius or his grandson Germanicus, who both had the name 'Tiberius Claudius Nero' at one time or another. Tiberius Claudius Nero was a member of the Claudian Family of ancient Rome. He was a descendant of the original Tiberius Claudius Nero a consul, son of...
. Historically, Livia was pregnant with her second child Nero Claudius Drusus
Nero Claudius Drusus
Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus , born Decimus Claudius Drusus also called Drusus, Drusus I, Nero Drusus, or Drusus the Elder was a Roman politician and military commander. He was a fully patrician Claudian on his father's side but his maternal grandmother was from a plebeian family...
when she met Octavian, whom she married mere days after giving birth to her son.
The personality of Octavian as presented in the show is different from that presented in the sources. Rome presents Octavian as an emotionless and openly calculating member of the elite, while Suetonius
Suetonius
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius , was a Roman historian belonging to the equestrian order in the early Imperial era....
presents him as more of a home-spun populist and a lover of other men's wives (including the wife of Maecenas, which led to their falling out). It is possible that both these portrayals are true to some extent, reflecting different facets of his persona. The eminent classicist Ronald Syme
Ronald Syme
Sir Ronald Syme, OM, FBA was a New Zealand-born historian and classicist. Long associated with Oxford University, he is widely regarded as the 20th century's greatest historian of ancient Rome...
, whose work The Roman Revolution
The Roman Revolution
The Roman Revolution is an enormously influential scholarly study of the final years of the ancient Roman Republic and the creation of the Roman Empire by Caesar Augustus. The book was the work of Sir Ronald Syme , a noted Tacitean scholar, and was published by the Oxford University Press. It was...
has been highly influential in the English-speaking world, famously called Octavian a 'chill terrorist'. But the position he put himself in, as Augustus, rebuilding Rome from deep division and near-catastrophe to peace and stability, necessitated the subtle and complex portrayal of a wide range of facets of personality, real and simulated. In the words of Julius Caesar's biographer, Christian Meier, Octavian "had to be an actor, and he knew this". Suetonius reports that on the day he died, Augustus summoned his friends and asked them, "Did you like the performance?", referring to the play-acting and regal authority that he had put on as emperor. They assured him that they had and he replied, "Since I've played my part well, all clap your hands, and from the stage dismiss me with applause."