Being a Roman emperor was a risky job. It wasn't unusual for emperors to be killed by usurpers wanting to remove them from power. They also faced many health challenges, such as death from epidemics ...

Having fought his way into power, Augustus used religion as a tool to protect his position and promote his political agenda. Having gained power by force in a bitterly fought civil war, Augustus was ...

Adopted by Caesar, Augustus (c.62 BC – 14 AD / Reigned 31 BC – 14 AD) had to fight for his throne. His long rule saw a huge expansion in the Roman Empire and the beginnings of a dynasty that, over the ...

Archaeologists have already located places where Augustus partied, but a new lead has emerged in the century-long search for the villa where Ancient Rome’s first emperor passed away. Since 2002, the ...

This story is a collaboration with Biography.com. Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius: the long-hidden villa that may mark the final resting place of ...

Explore the completion of Augustus's revolution. This second half of the tour examines how the first emperor used the Forum to cement his power and legacy. We analyze the symbolic Arch of Augustus, ...

Augustus inherited a fractured Republic and found himself fighting wars on every horizon. In Spain, entrenched tribes resisted Rome’s advance; in Thrace, the terrain was as unforgiving as the enemy.

The transformation of the Roman Empire into what modern historians call Byzantium was not a single event but a gradual ...