In the year 22 BCE, Augustus went to Sicily, Rome’s oldest overseas province. But the people aren’t prepared to let him go that easily. They start burning shit down and breaking the furniture, until he pays them attention – and sends Agrippa home.

Gary Arndt has been everywhere. Which is why his blog is called Everything Everywhere. Since 2007 he’s been travelling nearly non-stop, taking photos – and has been named  Travel Photographer of the Year three times. He joined us on Skype from an undisclosed location recently to discuss Caesar-related travel destinations.

The Primus Affair continues. Shortly after, there’s another scandal – the Fannius Caepio conspiracy. It’s time for Augustus to crack down.

The people try to convince Augustus to become dictator. He refuses. Then the proconsul of Macedonia, Marcus Primus, is brought up on serious charges of ruining the reputation of Rome. He blames his actions – on Augustus!

It’s late 23 BCE. Agrippa leaves Rome and makes his home in Lesbos. Rumours fly. Meanwhile there are still plagues, famine and natural disasters in Rome. The dark shadow of death lies over at least one member of Augustus’ inner circle.

In 23 BCE Augustus fell very sick with man flu once again. It was so bad, everyone thought he was going to die. When he miraculously recovered, he decided he’d had enough of the stress of being consul – and he resigned. This time – for good. Which caused some problems.

When Augustus finally returns to Rome late in 24, he travels along newly restored roads that he had mostly paid for himself. They were adorned with statues of him. But how much did those statues, and those that survive today, actually resemble his true likeness? Also, Marcellus and Tiberius, the young guns, are being prepped…

We’re back! First show of 2017! On his way back from Spain, Augustus falls deathly ill with man flu, which forces him to think about his future. It doesn’t stop him from becoming consul for the 10th time where his new colleague is a guy with an unfortunate name that leads us into some dark…

It’s in Spain where we first see the new cautious Augustus. Instead of taking crazy risks, like he sometimes did when he was younger, now that he’s 38, his favourite slogans are now: “festina lente” or “make haste slowly.” This doesn’t mean he isn’t fully aware of his own mortality.

Augustus needed to decide on the size and shape of the army. How many soldiers would he need to maintain the borders and to expand them when desired? And now that the civil war is over, what kind of new discipline is needed?

Before Augustus leaves Rome, the gates of the Temple of Janus were re-opened, which means the peace is officially over. He’s going to war, to restore Roman order to his regions. But these are good old fashioned wars against foreign tribes. They aren’t civil wars. And Rome loved a good old war against barbarians.

With great reluctance, Octavian allows the Senate to refuse his resignation. It’s a brilliant piece of political theatre. And to celebrate, he gets a new name. 

On the 1 January 27 BCE, Octavian started his seventh consulship.  On the 13th Jan, the Senate convened with Octavian as presiding consul.  And it was that day, that Octavian quit his job.

Apart from reviving the traditional institutions, Octavian also starts rebuilding the physical infrastructure of Rome. He ordered the restoration of 82 temples within Rome. So he’s working hard to bring back a sense of religious order and a return to traditional values. The Temple of Apollo on the Palatine Hill was opened and on the…

Octavian gives a speech to the Senate, inviting each senator to look at his own reputation, wealth and ancestry and decide whether he was truly fit to belong to Rome’s most prestigious body. He reduces the number of senators and he is made ‘princeps senatus’ – the principal senator, “first among equals”. It was also…

Octavian is trying to restore some kind of normality to Rome. He hands out large wads of cash, opens the Temple to the Divine Julius and on 1 January 28 BCE begins his sixth consulship – this time with Agrippa – which they hold for the entire year, taking turns, month on, month off, just…

Octavian is running around settling affairs in the Middle East before he returns to Rome. Herod in Judaea visited Octavian to win his support. Octavian then does a peace treaty with the Parthians. Finally, in 29 BCE, Octavian finally returns to Rome to celebrate his three triumphs.

It was a whole year after the suicides of Antony and Cleopatra before Octavian returned to Italy. Octavian captured the city of Alexandria on August 1, 30 BCE. Egypt now lost the independence it had enjoyed for thousands of years and would not regain for another 2000 years.