Born 62 B.C.; died 14 A.D. Roman emperor at the time of the birth of Christ, born Rome. He was the heir of Julius Cresar and formed a triumvirate with Antony and Lepidus to control the affairs of Rome. After punishing Caesar's murderers, he eliminated Lepidus, and with Antony governed the Roman world. Antony's repudiation of his wife Octavia, sister of Augustus, led to civilwar, and with the defeat of the former at Actium, Augustus soon welded the Roman state into a compact whole. The emperor patronized art and science, and legislated to reform public morals. He confirmed Herod as King of the Jews, and on Herod's death divided his territory among his sons. The census taken by Augustus's legate is important in fixing the date of the Nativity of Christ (Luke 2).