February 28, 2005
And all the rest
"Alas," said the Roman emperor Vespasian in 79 A.D., "I feel myself becoming a god." Vespasian, a one-time courtier of Nero's, is known mainly for his reign's relative tranquility; his death is mostly remarkable for its placidity (he died in his home province) and his deathbed witticism. And by Roman theological standards, he was right: becoming gods was what dying emperors did. And of these emperors, the first of the Caesars were undoubtedly the greatest. Gaius Julius, reshaped Rome and marched his armies down its streets, ending the Republic. His nephew, Gaius Octavius, later Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, later still Caesar Augustus (Caesar the Exalted), was the first true emperor of Rome. Special emperors deserve special recognition, which is why we have months called "July" and "August" but none called "Claud" or "Flav."
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