How did Augustus Caesar change Rome from a republic to a dictatorship?
It started with Julius Ceasar and his ambition to become dictator. Rome had dictators before, elected by the Senate during times of war and national emergency; they had absolute authority but their terms were limited to one year. Once out of office, they could be held accountable for their actions. Ceasar was looking to make it a lifetime office and was assassinated by a group of republican senators, seeking to remove a tyrant. This touched off a civil war between republicans and Ceasar’s political machine. Ceasar’s adopted son and grand-nephew, Octavian, was a junior partner initially, with Marc Anthony running the show. The republican legions were defeated and Rome was ruled by a triumvirate, including Octavian, who clashed with Anthony. Eventually, the two divided the Empire: Octavian got Rome and Anthony got Egypt and Cleopatra. Eventually, war broke out between Rome and Egypt. Anthony and Cleopatra committed suicide, leaving Octavian as the sole ruler. The Roman Senate granted him
