John Williams’s novel Augustus explores the rise of Roman Emperor Augustus

John Williams’s 1972 novel, ‘Augustus’, provides a fictionalized account of the Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus. The story follows his rise to power following the assassination of his adoptive father, Julius Caesar, in 44 BC.

Written in an epistolary form, the novel utilizes a collage of letters, journals, memoirs, decrees, and senatorial reports to present the ‘inside story’ of the era. This multi-voiced approach allows readers to observe the political maneuvering and personal complexities of historical figures such as Mark Antony and Cleopatra.