23 September 08

Red and white circlets to mark the birthday of Augustus Caesar, in 63 BCE. His name at birth was Gaius Octavius Thurinus, but after adoption by his uncle Julius Caesar he became Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. He took the name Augustus when he became Emperor, in 27 BCE. According to published histories his birthday was precisely 2070 years ago today (not "2071," because there is no year "zero"). I don't have absolute confidence in correlating our current counting of days and months with dates from that long ago, but we will render to Caesar* that which bears his mark . . .

(*This phrase comes from Jesus' teachings, who was living during the reign of Tiberius, Augustus' successor.)