Ottavia, sorella dell'imperatore Augusto

The relationship between Caius Julius Caesar Octavian, Emperor Augustus, and his sister Octavia is examined here. The ancient sources do not speak of the mutual feelings of the two siblings, but their actions are entirely consistent. Octavian chose one of Octavia’s sons, Marcus Claudius Marcellus, as his first heir. The latter died prematurely, but Octavia contributed to the construction of the Domus Augusta with her numerous maternities. In the same way, Octavia represented the ideal matronly model that was propagated in the Augustan age and contributed to the imperial evergetism: the portico built by her brother was in fact named after her, a sign that the Roman topography was beginning to be marked by the concrete presence of the emperor and his family, among whom women acquired an important role.