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[[File: Augustus Statue.jpg|300px200px|thumb|left|A bust of the young AugustsAugustus-when he was still known as Octavian]]
In the first century B.C. the Roman Republic was torn by a series of civil wars that cost many lives and left Italy devastated. The last and the most important of these civil wars was between Mark Anthony (or Anthony) and his ally and lover Cleopatra and their rival Augustus. This civil war was known as Anthony's War in Roman times. The victor in this civil war was Augustus, for the sale of convenience he will be called Augustus even though technically he was still known as Octavian. After the defeat of Anthony at Actium Augustus was able to make himself ruler of the Roman world and to create the Imperial system, that was to continue in some form or other until the fall of Byzantium in 1453.