Octavius, The Inexperienced Teenager Plunged into Roman Politics

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  • Octavius, an inexperienced teenager, defied the warnings of his mother and stepfather and set out to claim his inheritance in the cutthroat world of Roman politics.
  • Mark Antony, Caesar's deputy, took advantage of Octavius' absence and seized power in Rome, refusing to honor Caesar's generous gifts to the citizens.
  • Despite his young age, Octavius gained the support of the Senate and became a consul, boasting about his achievements in his memoirs.
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日本語訳を!!

お願いします (5) Although he was still an inexperienced teenager, Octavius was suddenly a public figure. He would soon be plunged into the cutthroat world of Roman politics. His mother and stepfather saw how dangerous this could be. They tried to persuade him to stay away from Rome. But Octavius was determined, and he set out to claim his inheritance. As a first step, he took his adoptive father's name and combined it with his own birth name. He became Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. (6) Rome, meanwhile, was in the hands of Caesar's deputy, Mark Antony. He had seen the assassination and moved quickly to grab power. Octavian was not yet in Rome, so Antony delivered Caesar's funeral oration. His speech helped to persuade people that the dictator's assassins were the enemies of Rome. With lightning speed, Antony took over Caesar's money, property, and all of his official papers. (7) This was not what Caesar had wanted. In his will, he promised a generous gift of money to every Roman citizen. But Antony refused to honor the murdered hero's wish. (8) When Octavian reached Rome, he honored his great-uncle by giving his own money to the citizens. With the help of Cicero's speeches and with Caesar's veterans marching behind him, Octavian earned the support of the Senate. Not only was he elected to the Senate, he also became a consul─even though, according to Roman law, he was too young to hold these offices. Octavian bragged about it when he later wrote his memoirs.

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(5) まだ経験の浅い十代の少年でしたが、オクタウィウスは、突然、公人となりました。彼は、ローマ政治の非情な世界に、すぐに、跳び込むことになるのです。彼の母と継父は、このことが、どれほど危険になりうるか分かっていました。彼らは、ローマに近づかないように彼を説得しようとしました。しかし、オクタウィウスは、決意を固めていました、そして、彼は、遺産を要求するために出発しました。第一歩として、彼は、彼の養父の名前をとって、それを彼自身の出生時以来の名前と組み合わせました。 彼は、ガイウス・ユリウス・カエサル・オクタウィウスになったのです。 (6) その間、ローマは、シーザーの代理のマーク・アントニーの手にありました。彼は、暗殺を目撃して、権力を掌握するために、素早く動きました。オクタウィウスが、ローマにまだ到着していなかったので、アントニーが、シーザーの追悼演説を行いました。彼の演説は、独裁者の暗殺者が、ローマの敵であると人々を説得する助けとなりました。矢継ぎ早に、アントニーは、シーザーのお金、資産、公文書の全てを引き継ぎました。 (7) これは、シーザーが望んだことではありませんでした。彼の遺言で、彼は、気前のよいお金の贈り物を全ローマ市民に約束していました。しかし、アントニーは、殺された英雄の願いに敬意を表して履行することを拒否しました。 (8) オクタウィウスが、ローマに到着したとき、彼は市民に彼自身のお金を与えることによって大叔父にたいする敬意を表わしました。キケロの演説の助けを借りて、また、彼に従って行軍して来たシーザーの歴戦の兵士の助けを借りて、オクタウィウスは、元老院の支持を獲得しました。 彼は、元老院議員に選出されたばかりでなく、執政官にもなりました ― しかし、ローマ法によれば、こうした役職に就くには、彼は、若すぎたのです。オクタウィウスは、後に回顧録を書いたとき、このことを誇っています。

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