11. History’s Greatest Dictator Was Underestimated by Everybody
Just about everybody underestimated Octavius. They took him for a lightweight teenager who had nothing going for him except the famous Caesar name. However, the unprepossessing young man – he was frail and prone to illness throughout his life – was a master politician. So he set out to play the long game. The future dictator paid for public games in honor of Julius Caesar, his adoptive father. He sought to gain recognition and popularity, and lead Rome’s populist faction, fittingly known as the Populares. Octavius also set out to woo Caesar’s veteran soldiers to his side.
He succeeded beyond anybody’s expectations. With a military force at Octavius’ command, Cicero’s faction sought his aid. They bent the rules to appoint him a senator despite his being legally below the minimum age, and sent him against Mark Antony, who was forced to retreat from Italy to Gaul. The consuls in official command of the forces arrayed against Mark Antony were killed, so Octavius got the Senate to appoint him to a vacant consulship, once again despite being legally too young for the position.