— Octavius Augustus, † August 19, 14 AD Columns with Corinthian capitals in the Forum of August on Via dei Fori Imperiali in Rome. “I found Rome built of sun-dried bricks, I leave her clothed in marble.” Such were the last words, according to his biographer Suetonius, of the first and the greatest of all Roman Emperors, Octavius Augustus, whose death occurred exactly 2,000 years ago, on August 19 (a month significantly named after him). It was year 14 AD. Adopted by Julius Ca