Cassius of Parma also taunts Augustus with being the grandson both of a baker and of a money-changer, saying in one of his letters: "Your mother's meal came from a vulgar bakeshop of Aricia this a money-changer from Nerulum kneaded into shape with hands stained with filthy lucre." 7 2 But Antonius again, trying to disparage the maternal ancestors of Augustus as well, twits him with having a great-grandfather of African birth, who kept first a perfumery shop and then a bakery at Aricia. After holding the office of praetor, he was one of the commission of twenty 6 appointed by the Julian law to distribute lands in Campania to the commons. Balbus, a native of Aricia on his father's side, and of a family displaying many senatorial portraits, 5 was closely connected on his mother's side with Pompey the Great. Atia was the daughter of Marcus Atius Balbus and Julia, sister of Gaius Caesar. P127 showed equal justice and courage for besides routing the Bessi and the other Thracians in a great battle, his treatment of our allies was such, that Marcus Cicero, in letters which are still in existence, 3 urges and admonishes his brother Quintus, who at the time was serving as proconsular governor 4 of Asia with no great credit to himself, to imitate his neighbour Octavius in winning the favour of our allies.Ĥ 1 While returning from Macedonia, before he could declare himself a candidate for the consulship, he died suddenly, survived by three children, an elder Octavia by Ancharia, and by Atia a younger Octavia and Augustus. Macedonia fell to his lot at the end of his praetorship on his way to the province, executing a special commission from the senate, he wiped out a band of runaway slaves, refugees from the armies of Spartacus and Catiline, who held possession of the country about Thurii. This is all that I have been able to learn about the paternal ancestors of Augustus.ģ 1 His father Gaius Octavius was from the beginning of his life a man of wealth and repute, and I cannot but wonder that some have said that he too was a money-changer, and was even employed to distribute bribes at the elections and perform other services in the Campus for as a matter of fact, being brought up in affluence, he readily attained to high positions and filled them with distinction. Marcus Antonius taunts him with his great-grandfather, saying that he was a freedman and a rope-maker from the country about Thurii, while his grandfather was a money-changer. 3 This is the account given by others Augustus himself merely writes 2 that he came of an old and wealthy equestrian family, in which his own father was the first to become a senator. His grandfather, content with the offices of a municipal town and possessing an abundant income, lived to a peaceful old age. Augustus's great -grandfather served in Sicily in the second Punic war as tribune of the soldiers under the command of Aemilius Papus. P125 Gnaeus and Gaius, from whom two branches of the Octavian family were derived, of very different standing for Gnaeus and all his scions in turn held the highest offices, but Gaius and his progeny, whether from chance or choice, remained in the equestrian order down to the father of Augustus.
The first of the house to be elected by the people to a magistracy was Gaius Rufus, who became quaestor. There was, besides, a decree of the people on record, providing that for the future too the inwards should be offered to Mars in the same way, and the rest of the victims be handed over to the Octavii.Ģ 1 The family was admitted to the senate by king Tarquinius Priscus among the lesser clans 1 was later enrolled by Servius Tullius among the patricians in course of time returned to the ranks of the plebeians and after a long interval was restored to patrician rank by the Deified Julius. This man was leader in a war with a neighbouring town, and when news of a sudden onset of the enemy was brought to him just as he chanced to be sacrificing to Mars, he snatched the inwards of the victim from the fire and offered them up half raw and thus he went forth to battle, and returned victorious. 1 1 There are many indications that the Octavian family was in days of old a distinguished one at Velitrae for not only was a street in the most frequented part of town long ago called Octavian, but an altar was shown there besides, consecrated by an Octavius.
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