His prospects were bleak: Rome was dangerous, engulfed by civil war between power-hungry factions. One of these was led by his great-uncle, Julius Caesar. Then Augustus got a lucky break.

All across Europe, towns were named after him. The modern Zaragoza is the city of Caesar Augustus, while Augsburg ... be crushing the Roman Emperor under their feet. And if you look closely ...

Born into an aristocratic family in around 100 BC, Julius Caesar grew up in dangerous times. Rome could not yet handle its own size and power. The nobility were widely discredited and order had ...