Octavian's Inheritance
44 BC
At the time of Julius Caesar's murder, Octavian was undergoing military training in Illyria. Once he had landed in Apollonia, in the south of Italy, he learned of the contents of Caesar's will; having no surviving legitimate children, Caesar had adopted his great-nephew, Octavian, as his son and main-heir. Upon this adoption, he assumed his great-uncle's name, Gaius Julius Caesar. This mean that he would have gained the support and loyalty of many of the legions of Rome as they would never consider fighting a Caesar, somebody who they considered to be a hero of Rome.
After Octavian had received a warm welcome from Caesar's soldiers in Brundisium, he demanded that a portion of the funds (700 million sesterces) that had been allotted to Ceasar's intended war against Parthia. He boasts in Res Gestae that "on my own initiative and at my own expense, I raised an army". He bolstered his personal forces with the veterans of Ceasar's army by emphasizing his status as Caesar's heir. As he marched through Italy to Rome, his presence and funds that had been inherited attracted many so that by June, 44 BC, he had an army of 3,000 loyal veterans whom he paid a salary of 500 denarii per man. Building on this, Octavian gained control of two of Mark Antony's legions through an enticing offer of monetary gain on the 28th November.
After Octavian had received a warm welcome from Caesar's soldiers in Brundisium, he demanded that a portion of the funds (700 million sesterces) that had been allotted to Ceasar's intended war against Parthia. He boasts in Res Gestae that "on my own initiative and at my own expense, I raised an army". He bolstered his personal forces with the veterans of Ceasar's army by emphasizing his status as Caesar's heir. As he marched through Italy to Rome, his presence and funds that had been inherited attracted many so that by June, 44 BC, he had an army of 3,000 loyal veterans whom he paid a salary of 500 denarii per man. Building on this, Octavian gained control of two of Mark Antony's legions through an enticing offer of monetary gain on the 28th November.