Before examining Octavian’s political actions, it is first necessary to determine the extent of Caesar’s popularity among the Romans, as Octavian used that popularity for his own advantage.
The Dictator’s Will
Statue of the Dictator
In Caesar’s will, which was released after his death, the dictator named Octavian as his adopted son, giving the young heir access to his wealth, property, and most importantly, the powerful name of Caesar. In addition, Caesar promised to pay a fixed amount of currency to all Roman citizens and gifted to the people one of his gardens, which was now considered public property for all citizens. The ancient sources reported that when the will was presented by Antony before a large crowd of Romans, many people reacted with anger towards Caesar’s death after learning that he planned to grant gifts to them.
In Antony’s funeral eulogy for the dictator, he reportedly reminded the people of Caesar’s greatness and how he had been slain by those who had gained from the dictator’s patronage. The reaction of the crowds is quite telling; an angry mob formed up and attempted to attack the conspirators’ homes with fire, forcing the assassins to leave Rome for their own safety[1]. Most historians take this as evidence that the dictator was quite popular among the Roman people. If the majority of people did not like Caesar, it does not make sense they would react in such a way. It is possible that the people were divided over Caesar, but even then the actions of the mob show that the dictator retained a large amount of support and that many people were not sympathetic with the assassins’ cause.
Inherited Loyalty
When Octavian first emerged on the scene, many of Caesar’s supporters immediately rushed to support him, particularly the urban plebeians[2] and the soldiers who had fought under Caesar. This was primarily due to his role as the Caesar’s adopted son and his ability to claim the name of “Caesar” for himself, which tied him to the popularity of the dictator[3]. Historians report that Caesar’s allies and supporters generally followed him out of a loyalty and devotion that transferred to his heir[4]. Octavian took advantage of this to quickly build up a large number of his own supporters.
[1] Appian BCiv II.143-8.
[2] Plebeians, or plebs, refer to “the mass of Roman citizens”, in contrast to the patricians, the privileged aristocratic members of society (Lintott and Momiglian).
[3] Appian BCiv III.9-12.
[4] Everitt 57 and Syme 121-2.