What name did Gaius Octavius take when he became emperor of Rome?

Augustus Caesar, who was born in 63 BC and died in 14 AD, was the name of the first (and, by all accounts, greatest) emperor of Rome. Augustus was named Gaius Octavius Thurinus at birth. He was adopted by his great uncle Julius Caesar in 44 BC, and then took the name Gaius Julius Caesar.

Augustus, who was the founder of the Roman Principate, was considered the first Emperor of the Roman Empire from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD. At his birth, the old and wealthy equestrian branch of the plebeian Octavii family added him.

When he finally became emperor, he overhauled every aspect of Roman life and brought durable peace and prosperity to the Greco-Roman world. He shrewdly combined military might, institution-building and lawmaking to become Rome’s sole ruler. He established the foundations which caused the 200-year Pax Romana (Roman Peace). Overall the empire that originated with Augustus lasted, in various forms, for nearly 1,500 years.

Historians state that during his reign, Augustus nearly doubled the size of the empire; added territories in Europe and Asia Minor; and, secured alliances that gave him effective rule from Britain to India. Outside of Rome, he consolidated power in the provinces and instituted a system of censuses and taxation that enhanced the reaches of the empire. He expanded the Roman network of roads, created the Praetorian Guard, started the Roman postal service and remade Rome with a grand forum and practical police and fire departments.