After defeating Antony and Cleopatra, Octavian received the title Augustus in 27 BC. The Roman Senate granted him this honorific as part of the political settlement that followed the civil wars.
Octavian was Julius Caesar’s adopted heir and defeated Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 BC before conquering Egypt in 30 BC. Although he had become Rome’s dominant leader, he presented the new order as a restoration of the Republic rather than an openly declared monarchy.
On 16 January 27 BC, the Senate awarded him the name and title Augustus, commonly translated as “revered,” “venerable,” or “illustrious.” He was also associated with the title princeps, meaning first citizen. Modern historians generally call him Octavian before 27 BC and Augustus afterward.
Augustus was not merely a personal nickname. It became a formal imperial title used by later Roman emperors. The title Caesar likewise developed into an imperial designation, which is why later rulers carried forms such as Caesar and Augustus even though they were not members of Octavian’s immediate family.