(Octavian) (d. 14 C.E.) First emperor of the Roman Empire and the first to rule over Egypt
He held Egypt as a special province from 30 B.C.E. until his death. He was born Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus in 63 B.C.E. and was the great nephew and adopted son and heir of Julius CAESAR. When Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C.E., Octavian, as he was called then, allied himself with Marc ANTONY and Lepidus in the ensuing civil war against his uncle’s murderers, Brutus, Cassius, and the so- called Liberators.
The political alliance between Octavian and Antony collapsed in 31 B.C.E., and Octavian, aided by Marcus AGRIPPA and others, set out to destroy Marc Antony and CLEOPATRA VII (51–30 B.C.E.). Winning the battle of ACTIUM, Octavian occupied ALEXANDRIA and watched the suicides of Egypt’s last queen-pharaoh, Cleopatra VII, and Marc Antony. He refused to honor the APIS BULL in SAQQARA and the mummies of ancient pharaohs. Reportedly he did touch the body of ALEXANDER III THE GREAT, causing a piece of the preserved nose to fall off the body. Augustus did tour the Nile Valley, and he started programs of repair on the irrigation system, using Roman troops to make the necessary changes.
Augustus made Egypt an imperial estate of Rome and set out to rule the largest empire in that historical period. He brought peace and prosperity to Rome and main- tained the provinces securely. The Altar of Peace, erected in 13 B.C.E. in Rome’s Campus Martius, and the Monu- ment Ancyranum, erected in Ankara (modern Turkey), provide evidence of his robust vision and his careful rebuilding and administration of the empire. Octavian, as Augustus, died in Rome in 14 C.E. Augustus’s annexation of Egypt was a necessary move, and he handled the Roman occupation of the Nile Valley with tact and with an awareness of the land’s his- tory and potential prosperity. Giving Egypt the status of an imperial estate, a personal possession of the reigning emperor, he applied a prefect to govern in his name. This prefecture was open only to members of the Equestrian Knighthood. He also decreed that no Roman of the Sena- torial or Equestrian classes could enter Egypt without the emperor’s personal permission. The Egyptians reconciled themselves to the political changes and turned inward again, forming stable NOMES and leaders that endured the Roman presence, the taxes, and the obligations. Auibre (fl. 26th century B.C.E.) Prince of the Fourth Dynasty He was the son of Prince DJEDEFHOR (c. 2530 B.C.E.). The Instructions of Djedefhor was addressed to him. Auibre was the grandson of KHUFU (Cheops). Prince Auibre was coun- seled to marry and to raise up “stout sons” for Egypt. Ausim (Hem, Letopolis) A site north of modern Cairo in Egypt’s Delta territory, called Hem by the Egyp- tians and Letopolis by the Greeks. The site was a cult center for the falcon deity, HORUS, in the forms of Khenty- Khem or Khenty-Irty. Monuments honoring Horus were erected at Ausim by NECHO II (r. 610–596 B.C.E.), PSAM- METICHUS II (r. 595–589 B.C.E.), HAKORIS (r. 393–380 B.C.E.), and NECTANEBO I (r. 380–362 B.C.E.). aut This was the ancient Egyptian name for the funerary offerings for the deceased, when such offerings could be afforded by the family, or contracted before death. The priesthood maintained special groups of trained officials who offered goods to the deceased as part of MORTUARY RITUALS. auta The ancient Egyptian name for the cobra, the god- dess WADJET, in a striking position with a full hood dis- played, this symbol was represented on the crowns of the kings in the form of the URAEUS. Avaris (Hut-Waret) A site located in the eastern Delta, northeast of BUBASTIS, in the region of Khatana and Qantir, the site of the PER-RAMESSES, the residence of the Nineteenth Dynasty (1307–1196 B.C.E.) rulers. Avaris dates to ancient times and was considered a shrine city of the god OSIRIS; a piece of the god’s body was supposed to be buried there as a holy relic. The city was called Hut- Waret by the Egyptians. Avaris became the capital of the HYKSOS, the Asiatics, who dominated northern territories during the Second Intermediate Period (1640–1532 B.C.E.) and was probably founded c. 1720–1700 B.C.E. They used distinctly Canaanite architecture and displayed alien cultural symbols. The Hyksos provided the city with walls, causeways, and various defenses to protect the inhabitants against sieges and missile attacks. KAMOSE tried to reach Avaris with his southern army in c. 1500 B.C.E. in order to expel the Hyksos, but the task fell to his brother, ’AHMOSE (r. 1550–1525 B.C.E.), founder of the Eighteenth Dynasty. He used both land and sea forces to assault the capital. Avaris endured the siege, and the withdrawal of the Hyksos appears to have been the result of negotiations, although the Egyptian army pursued them even beyond the border. The surrender of Avaris in 1532 B.C.E. ended the Hyksos domination and the division of Egypt. In the Ramessid Period the site would become a spectacular metropolis again. Avaris appears to have been the home of the first RAMESSES (r. 1307–1306 B.C.E.), and his successors transformed the city into a vast complex of temples, palaces, shrines, and military encampments. awet The ancient CROOK and FLAIL, the royal symbol of the pharaohs, adopted from the god OSIRIS and the ancient shepherd deity ANDJETI. The crook denoted the pharaoh’s role as the guardian of the people of the Nile. The crook and the flail were used in all royal ceremonies and were part of the mortuary regalia of all rulers. 60 Auibre A silver denarius struck to celebrate the victory of Octavian (Augustus) and his conquest of Egypt in 30 B.C.E. (Courtesy Historical Coins, Inc.)
