august

August is a term that we can find as adjective, common noun or own name. The concept comes from the Latin word augustus.

The first meaning of Augustus in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) refers to the adjective that receives the one or that which deserves admiration and respect. For instance: "The august old man resisted with nobility the attacks of the torturer", "His Augustan Majesty will lead the ceremony that will take place next Friday at noon", "The august actions of the firefighters motivated the applause of the community".

Augustus, whose birth name was Gaius Octavian, was the first Roman emperor.

Augustus, the first Roman emperor

Gaius octavius (Cayo Octavio) it's the name of birth of the first Roman emperor, better known as August or Caesar Augustus. Born in the year 63 BC and died in 14 d. C., was adopted by Julius Caesar, who was his great-uncle.

Cayo Octavio became the heir to Julius Caesar on 44 a. C. Later in 27 a. C., started his government and the Senate It allowed him to use the cognomen (a nickname that highlighted actions or characteristics of an individual and that was extensible to his relatives) of Augustus.

Augusto, in this framework, was a treatment of Cayo Octavio and then the other emperors of the Ancient Rome and even their women. In other words, the name of Augustus was linked to a honorary title given that augustus meant, in Latin, "venerable" or "majestic".

A proper name

With the weather, Augustus stopped being just a title and became a first name (August). In addition, as we already indicated, it is still an adjective used to refer to someone honorable.

Various personalities and public figures from Latin America they share this name. We can mention, for example, to the Paraguayan writer Augusto Roa Bastos. Born in 1917 and died in 2005, this author published books such as "I the Supreme" and "The thunder between the leaves" and got the National Prize for Literature of Paraguay and the Cervantes Prize, among other recognitions.

The Nicaraguan Augusto Cesar Sandino (1895-1934), meanwhile, he was a revolutionary who led the resistance of his country in the face of the American invasion between 1927 and 1933. Many years after his assassination, several of his companions created the Sandinista National Liberation Front, who faced the dictatorship of the family Somoza and then acceded to the government of Nicaragua.

On chili, on the other hand, we find Augusto Pinochet (1915-2006). This military man promoted the coup that overthrew the constitutional president Salvador Allende on 1973 and then he stayed in front of the can until 1990, leading a bloody dictatorship.

The clown who acts in partnership with the clown is called Augustus.

The august as a clown

In the circus, the Augustus is the clown who performs in partnership with a clown. While the clown retains an air of seriousness, the Augustus is characterized by his flamboyant appearance and mocking spirit.

It is usual for the august to wear large shoes, wig ridiculous and red nose. It tends to annoy the clown with its behavior, causing misunderstandings, accidents and problems in general.

It should be noted that, in some shows, there's a second august or counter-august. This clown stands out for his clumsiness.