The first Roman Emperor (63 BC - 14 AD), originally named Gaius Octavius, who took the title Augustus; also used as an adjective relating to him or that period.
From the Latin family name 'Octavius' (octavian is the English form of the Latin 'Octavianus'). The name derives from 'octavus' meaning eighth. Octavian was his adopted name when Julius Caesar's will made him heir, and later became Augustus.
Octavian's reign marked the official end of the Roman Republic and beginning of the Empire—so one person's name change symbolized the entire transformation of Rome! He also commissioned the poet Virgil to write the Aeneid, directly shaping Western literature.
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