Augustus

For the boat, see Augustus Caesar (boat). Augustus (23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, a native of the Roman Republic, was adopted by his great-uncle Julius Caesar in 44 BC, and was thenceforth known as Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, or Octavian for short. Under the sobriquet Augustus, he became the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14.

Augustus in Days of Infamy
While attempting to find a new airplane to fly after the USS Enterprise was sunk, United States Navy Lt. Jim Peterson remembered  Augustus's famous quote, “Quintilius Varus, give me back my legions!” The quote, and Augustus's own frustration reminded him of his very situation, as he himself felt like shouting, “General Short, give me back my airplanes!”

Augustus in Give Me Back My Legions!
In 7 AD, Augustus ordered Publius Quinctilius Varus to Germany as the new province's Military Governor. He gave Varus command of three legions to help settle the new province for the Empire. He would have preferred to send an experienced military commander such as General Tiberius but he was busy putting down a rebellion by the Pannonians and so settled on an administrator like Varus, the former Governor of Syria.

Two years later, Varus and the three legions were destroyed by Germanic tribes under the leadership of Arminius. Augustus was utterly anguished by this event, privately and publicly demanding, "Publius Quinctilius Varus, give me back my legions!"

That winter, Augustus received a courier from the court of King Maroboduus of the Marcomanni who delivered a preserved head. Arminius had sent this head to Maroboduus to encourage him to join his rebellion but Maroboduus refused and sent the head to Augustus for burial. Augustus personally confirmed that it was indeed the head of Varus.

Augustus in Gunpowder Empire
In an alternate where Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa lived a longer life, Augustus charged Agrippa with the conquest of Germania, which Agrippa completed in short order. Agrippa succeeded Augustus upon the first emperor's death.

Augustus in In the Presence of Mine Enemies
When she discovered that she and her family were secretly Jews in March 2010, Alicia Gimpel began to doubt everything that she had ever been taught, including whether Augustus had truly been the Roman Emperor.