Gaius Octavian (Rome Character) - Character History

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 Julii. 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 Gaulish brigands. 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 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.