Ovid and the Domus Augusta anotherdaringconceit,tothedeificationofCaesar.Caesar,unlikeAescula-
pius,wasanativeofRome;but,morethanthat,itwasnotsomuchhisown
deedswhichhadwonhimdivinity,buthisprogeny(progenies)(,–):
‘‘nequeenimdeCaesarisactis/ullummaiusopus,quamquodpaterexstitit
huius’’(noristhereamongCaesar’sactsanygreaterachievementthanthathe
provedfatherofthisman).Theclaimthatwhathadbeeninvolvedwasnatu-
ral,biologicalsuccessionisnowre-emphasisedagain.WereanyofCaesar’s
triumphsgreaterthanthatofhavingfatheredsogreataman:‘‘quamtantum
genuissevirum’’?(–).NotonlytheTriumvirs,buttheRomanpeople,
whopassedthelawof..,andwiththemthenaturalfatherofAugustus,
haveallvanished,toleaveAugustusbothastherealsonofCaesar,andthe
soleauthorof hisdivinestatus.Thepassagemovestothemostvividofall
literaryevocationsofCaesar’smurder,andthenturns,inaprophecyuttered
by Juppiter, to Augustus. But the prophecyalso looks forward to the pro-
spectiveaccessionofTiberius,andfinallyfocusesontoDivusIuliusandhis
temple(,–):
Pacedataterrisanimumadciviliavertet
iurasuumlegesqueferetiustissimusauctor
exemploquesuomoresregetinquefuturi
temporisaetatemventurorumquenepotum
prospiciensprolemsanctadeconiugenatam
ferresimulnomenquesuumcurasqueiubebit,
necnisicumseniorPyliosaequaveritannos,
aetheriassedescognataquesideratanget.
hancanimamintereacaesodecorporeraptam
faciubar,utsemperCapitolianostraforumque
divusabexcelsoprospectetIuliusaede.Peaceoncebroughttotheearth,hewillturnhismind/tocivil
justice,and,mostjustoflaw-makers,willcarrylaws,/ andbyhis
ownexamplewillcontrolmorals;andlookingaheadtofuture/ages
andcominggenerations/willorderoffspringbornofasaintlywife/
tobearbothhisnameandhiscares;/nor,tillinoldagehehas
matchedtheyearsofNestor,/willhetouchtheetheralseatandthe
starsthatsharehisblood./ Meantime,makethissoulsnatchedfrom
themurderedbody/intoastar,sothatforeverourCapitoland
forum/DivusIuliusmaylookforthfromhisloftytemple.If,ashasbeenclaimed,JuliusCaesarhadindeednotbeengivenaverypromi-
nentplaceinearlierAugustanliterature,thatisnotsoinOvid.Equally,in-