Octavian’s Motives

A statue of Augustus, as Octavian would be called after becoming emperor.

There is a near consensus among historians that Octavian, even as a young man, was one of the strongest and most cunning political minds of the time. He is considered a level-headed man who remained focused on his political goals—namely avenging his adopted father, Caesar, and gaining the same level of power as that of Caesar—at all times. A picture has been painted of Octavian as a shrewd, intelligent, and at times even cold politician, willing at different times to form alliances and betray allies for the improvement of his political position[1]. Dissenters argue that Octavian, at least at the beginning, was a rash and reckless youth, who sometimes made political mistakes[2]. In the end, it is difficult for historians to agree on what type of man Octavian was when he first emerged on the political scene. Without that information, here it will only be possible to judge his actions by their political outcomes and effects, not by personality traits or motivations that historians do not necessarily agree on.