63 B.C.-A.D. 14

Roman emperor who opened up new areas to exploration and trade. He was born Octavius (Octavian), the nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar, and came to power after the latter's murder. Ruling initially as a member of a triumvirate, he became the first emperor of the Roman Empire by eliminating the other two (Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus). He extended Rome's boundaries to the Danube, the Rhine, and the Euphrates Rivers.