Who they were
Augustus was the first Roman emperor. Born Octavian, he was the adoptive heir of Julius Caesar.
What they did
After Caesar’s murder he joined the Second Triumvirate, defeated the assassins at Philippi and then Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 BC, ending the civil wars. From 27 BC he ruled as Augustus, founding the Principate while keeping republican forms, reorganizing the army, provinces, and finances, and beginning the Pax Romana.
Legacy
He turned Rome from Republic to Empire and set the template for emperors for centuries. The month August is named for him, and his long reign is remembered as a golden age of Roman literature and stability.