The Sicilian, Book 1: Augustus, The Undefeated

He was Gaetano Salvidienus Rufus, better known by most simply as The Sicilian. He had been raised by the Greek, Apollodorus, upon the Mediterranean island of Sicily after his father Quintus Salvidienus Rufus had been executed by Mark Antony as a traitor, even though his father had secretly been working for the young Roman prince, Octavian.<P> Octavian, who was the nephew, adopted son—and heir to the Great Julius Caesar.<P> Caesar had been assassinated and soon afterwards had become a god—and young Octavian at just eighteen years of age had become the son of a god among the Romans—and eventually became the sole ruler of Rome.<P> He quickly took the name Octavian Caesar. Years later he would transform himself yet again and take the name Augustus—meaning revered, auspicious, augmenting. All honor due to him. The young heir to Julius Caesar seemed to many a bit full of himself in those early days, some like Mark Antony often derided him his youth and arrogance—but few realized the greatness hidden within that youth—until it was too late. Octavian was a young man who had been given many honors and titles, and he would hold the office of Consul of Rome a total of thirteen times throughout his life, more than any other man in the history of Rome. He would be hailed Imperator—victorious general; and Princeps—First Citizen—all important honors and titles he held among many others that he had contrived the Senate to bestow upon him. But honorable titles and grand names were not the true power held by the man. His control over the Roman legions was where his true power lay. And for Octavian—Augustus—that control was absolute. The legions were loyal to him—to a man!<P>