11-07-2006, 11:24 PM
I hate to revive a dead thread, but...
According to Dr. George Pesely, my former Roman history professor, Octavian would have never used the name "Octavian(us)" because it reminded everyone he wasn't "quite as patrician" as those around him. Further, he stated that the use of "Octavianus" and other adoptive-style names (e.g. "Aemillianus") were actually never used in Roman society. Rather, they are only used by later historians or in conversation when using the full names of family members in order to distinguish between father and adopted son. In that sense, Octavian's legal name after being adopted by Caesar would have been only Gaius Julius Caesar with the "Octavianus" used only in circumstances of differentiation. I also recall him stating that in any matter, Octavian never used "Octavianus" as part of his name, but was rather:
1. Gaius Julius Caesar
2. Imperator Caesar divi filius
The latter is a "made up"/honorific name Octavian used for himself.
According to Dr. Pesely, this is what is found in primary sources and that the adoptive name convention was not a formal, much less legal ordnance, but rather informal used primarily by historian and record-keepers.
The name "Octavian" was popularized most by Shakespeare.
According to Dr. George Pesely, my former Roman history professor, Octavian would have never used the name "Octavian(us)" because it reminded everyone he wasn't "quite as patrician" as those around him. Further, he stated that the use of "Octavianus" and other adoptive-style names (e.g. "Aemillianus") were actually never used in Roman society. Rather, they are only used by later historians or in conversation when using the full names of family members in order to distinguish between father and adopted son. In that sense, Octavian's legal name after being adopted by Caesar would have been only Gaius Julius Caesar with the "Octavianus" used only in circumstances of differentiation. I also recall him stating that in any matter, Octavian never used "Octavianus" as part of his name, but was rather:
1. Gaius Julius Caesar
2. Imperator Caesar divi filius
The latter is a "made up"/honorific name Octavian used for himself.
According to Dr. Pesely, this is what is found in primary sources and that the adoptive name convention was not a formal, much less legal ordnance, but rather informal used primarily by historian and record-keepers.
The name "Octavian" was popularized most by Shakespeare.
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