Cn. Octavius was an individual from the Plebeian gens Octavia. His father, likewise called Gnaeus Octavius, was Consul in 128 BC, while his uncle, Marcus Octavius, was a key figure contrary to the changes of Tiberius Gracchus in 133 BC. He was remotely identified with Gaius Octavius, father of the future Augustus.
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The Civil Wars: Appian
The Triumvirate of Octavius 2.1.13
And now civil discord broke out again worse than ever and increased enormously. Massacres, banishments, and proscriptions of both senators and knights took place straightway, including great numbers of both classes, the chiefs of factions surrendering their enemies to each other, and for this purpose not sparing even their friends and brothers; so much did animosity toward rivals overpower the love of kindred. So in the course of events the Roman empire was partitioned, as though it had been their private property, by these three men: Antony, Lepidus, and the one who was first called Octavius, but afterwards Caesar from his relationship to the other Caesar and adoption in his will. Shortly after this division they fell to quarrelling among themselves, as was natural, and Octavius, who was the superior in understanding and skill, first deprived Lepidus of Africa, which had fallen to his lot, and afterward, as the result of the battle of Actium, took from Antony all the provinces lying between Syria and the Adriatic gulf
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Octavius for putting Citizens to death
Cierco, Caesar 4.2.67
Octavius, however, another tribune, who had been induced by those in possession of the lands to interpose his veto (for among the Romans the negative veto always defeats an affirmative proposal), ordered the clerk to keep silence. Thereupon Gracchus reproached him severely and adjourned the comitia to the following day.
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Octavius chosen Praetor
Rubrius attempts to be deprived of his command 4.2.65
The tribune Rubrius, who had been chosen by lot to p31preside over the comitia, was in doubt about it, and Mummius, who had been chosen in place of Octavius, urged him to hand over the comitia to his charge. This he did, but the remaining tribunes contended that the presidency should be decided by lot, saying that when Rubrius, who had been chosen in that way, resigned, the casting of lots ought to be done over again by all
In spite of the fact that eventually he had neglected to be chosen aedile, in around 90 BC, Octavius was chosen Praetor, and in the accompanying year (89 BC) was given a propraetoreal charge in one of the eastern regions. In 88 BC he was back in Rome where he was chosen to be emissary for the forthcoming year (87 BC). While diplomat designate, he was made to make a solemn vow nearby his partner, the popularist congressperson Lucius Cornelius Cinna, that he would maintain the progressions initiated by the current representative, Sulla, and not strips Sulla of his legal charge of the First Mithridatic War. A carefully religious man, Octavius kept his pledge.
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Octavius sides with the citizens
Cinna co-operation 4.2.62
This was preliminary to the recall of Marius and his friends. Although the old citizens resisted with all their might, Cinna co-operated with the new ones, the story being that he had been bribed with 300 talents to do this. The other consul, Octavius, sided with the old citizens. The partisans of Cinna took possession of the forum with concealed daggers, and with loud cries demanded that they should be distributed among all the tribes. The more reputable part of the plebeians adhered to Octavius, and they also carried daggers.
Octavius was not a characteristic supporter of Sulla; he hated both Sulla’s walk on Rome, and also Sulla’s own grudge against Gaius Marius which brought about Marius’ outcast. On the other hand, he was a moderate individual from the Senate, and was incredulous of Cinna’s popularist program. These political contrasts saw the two diplomats very quickly start quarreling in 87 BC over approach, with Cinna resolved to allow Roman citizenship to all individuals in Italy, and to select the new residents and freedmen over the greater part of the Roman tribes. He additionally proposed the review of Marius and every one of his supporters. The new liberation was strenuously contradicted by Octavius, smoothly and overwhelmingly talking against it in the Senate.
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Tribunes vetoed the proposed action
Via Sacra with a very dense mass of men 4.3.45
When Octavius heard this he ran down through the Via Sacra with a very dense mass of men, burst into the forum like a torrent, pushed through the midst of the crowd, and separated them. He struck terror into them, went on to the temple of Castor and Pollux, and drove Cinna away; while his companions fell upon the new citizens without orders, killed many of them, put the rest to flight, and pursued them to the city gates.
Things reached a crucial stage when the Plebeian tribunes who upheld Octavius vetoed the law in the Tribal Assembly. Cinna and his supporters started utilizing viciousness to scare the tribunes to withdraw their veto, prompting a full-scale revolt in the Roman discussion. Octavius immediately accumulated an outfitted gathering of supporters and assaulted Cinna, who was strictly forced to escape the city. Amid the battle, Octavius’ men straightforwardly killing countless emancipated residents, with Octavius utilizing his power as representative to legitimize the killings.
Octavius then wrongfully stripped Cinna of his consulship and his citizenship, and had chosen in his stead Lucius Cornelius Merula. Listening to that Cinna had picked up the backing of the armed force of Appius Claudius at Nola, Octavius and the Senate started get ready Rome to withstand an attack, whilst conveying engages the different promagistrates to arrive to offer some timely help the Senate. Pompeius Strabo was at first unwilling to participate with Octavius, however inevitably moved his troops to the region of Rome, just outside the Colline Gate.
At the point when Cinna and Marius started their attack of Rome, Octavius endeavored to drive a wedge in their positions by offering all the Italian partners who were supporting Cinna the citizenship on the off chance that they surrendered before the end of 87. Strabo meanwhile, playing a twofold amusement with both Octavius and Cinna, endeavored to persuade Octavius to go into transactions with Cinna. An assault by the Marian powers took the Janiculum, yet they were spurned by Octavius and Strabo, yet Octavius endured genuine misfortunes. The misfortunes acquired by Octavius and the sudden passing of Strabo not long after saw his armed force get to be progressively dampened. He lost 6,000 troops in the fight, while Strabo had lost in the range of 11,000, both through the battling and a torment that was going through his armed force. Because of the trepidation of starvation in Rome, Octavius joined his men to Strabo’s units, situated outside the entryways, after which he fled from Rome
