15. Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, ordered the imprisonment of both his daughter and granddaughter, leading to their deaths, as well as believed responsible for the murder of his grandson
Augustus, born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, reigned as the first Emperor of the Roman Empire from 27 BCE until his death in 14 CE. Named in his great-uncle’s, Julius Caesar, will as his adopted heir, Augustus leveraged his newly found power to institute the Second Triumvirate to avenge the assassination of Caesar in 44 BCE. Ruling collectively as a military dictatorship, Augustus turned on his allies after crushing the “Liberatores” to seize absolute power. Granting himself supreme military authority for life, Augustus instituted the framework of the Roman Empire and ruled over an era of peace known as Pax Romana.
However, Augustus was nevertheless a ruthless political operator and unafraid to punish those closest to him. His only biological child, Julia the Elder, was exiled by her father to Pandateria – an island off the coast of Italy measuring less than 1.75 square kilometers – after being found guilty of strict moral laws governing extramarital affairs. Forbidden to drink wine or to see another man, Julia would die of malnourishment and ill health induced by her decades-long imprisonment. Augustus likewise exiled his granddaughter, Julia the Younger, in similar circumstances, and is suggested to have ordered the murder of his banished grandson, Postumus Agrippa.