A G O S T O. this month's history dates back over two thousand years when in August it acquired its name due to the ambitions of the Roman Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian, known as Octavio Augusto, who does not would be less than Julius Caesar, his predecessor and adoptive father. Augustus, who was not part of the birth name, was a title conferred on him by the Senate, taking the adjective meaning 'excellent' 'Majestic', as denoting August in our language today. In the ancient Roman calendar the year began in March and was named the sixth month Sextilis, but in the year 24 BC, Octavian Augustus decided to give his name and since then, Sextilis called Augustus. Octavio imitated and the late Julius Caesar, who had done the same twenty-one years before the fifth month, until then called Quinctilis, which he renamed Julius in honor of the family Iulia, to which he belonged. However, giving its name to Sextilis seemed little to Octavio, who believed he had not yet achieved the same glory that Julius Caesar, as did Julius 31 días, y Augustus, sólo 29. Por esa razón, el emperador alteró la duración de varios meses, quitando y poniendo días, hasta lograr que su mes tuviera 31 días. Por eso, aún hoy, dos mil años después, julio y agosto tienen 31 días cada uno.
Cabe recordar que los miembros de la familia Iulia, a la que pertenecían Julio César y, por adopción, Octavio Augusto, creían que esta gens había sido fundada nueve siglos antes por Iulo (Ascanio para los griegos), hijo de Eneas y nieto de la diosa Afrodita, según se narra en La Eneida
(La Palabra del Día)
