he was forced into politics upon Julius Caesar's death. 

He formed an alliance with Marc Antony. When they 

had conquered their enemies, Marc Antony took control

of Egypt while Augustus returned to Rome. Because of 

uneasiness and distrust of Marc Antony's relationship

with Cleopatra (it was thought that she was after the 

throne), the Battle of Actium ended their partnership - 

and Marc Antony's and Cleopatra's lives - thus leaving

Augustus as ruler of not only Rome but now Egypt.

This is significant because it changed the course of Roman 

history and signified the beginning of Augustus' reign; you'll 

see why that was important with my next two facts.

though because of a series of invents, they asked him to be their absolute

ruler - though, because he didn't want the targets on his back that Julius

Caesar had suffered as a dictator, he pretended that he was returning

Rome to a Republic (but he wasn't). This is significant because without the

Roman citizens knowing it, he created a dynasty for himself and his heirs.

During his reign, Rome experienced forty years of peace. Rome grew from a

grouping of countries to an empire that stretched from north Africa to the

Middle East to Europe. Because of the peace instilled by Augustus, the arts,

economy, and agriculture scene flourished. This is significant because Rome's

arts and sense of peace were wounded by the civil wars and violence, so

Augustus' steady and relatively peaceful reign provided the chance for Roman

culture to grown again.

http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/au/Augustus_Caesar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus

http://www.ancient.eu.com/augustus/