Rome celebrates emperor Augustus' life

Ancient Rome comes back to life, 2,000 years after the death of its first and greatest emperor. Augustus died on August 19 in the year 14. Two millennia later, Rome pays tribute. A lighting display reconstructing the emperor's grandiose forum is one of many events commemorating his remarkable life. After his great uncle Julius Caesar was killed, Augustus led the way. Augustus is a central figure in the history of Rome. Under him it went from a republic to an empire. He transformed Rome into a new and modern city, the one we still live in. Augustus did not only transform Rome, he laid the foundations of a functioning society that still stands. He introduced a taxation system, he built a network of roads and established a It doesn't happen every day that someone is commemorated 2,000 years after his death, but when it comes to Augustus, his legacy is timeless. He found a city made of bricks, he left it made of marble. Centuries of invasions, looting and the elements has left little of Augustus' Rome, but more recently it was neglect and lack of funds that has buried his memory. This is his mausoleum. Once a grandiose monument covered in white marble, it fell into disrepair and became a shelter for the homeless and a rubbish dump for Romans and tourists alike. On Tuesday it opened to the public, a rare occasion. This was a unique chance to see something that since I was a child I always saw as inaccessible. It's a dream to see it, it's beautiful. It's a pity the mausoleum is not always open to the public but we are being reassured they are doing all they can to restore it. Events in his honor will continue throughout the year and what better time to celebrate his life, the month of August after all was named after him. Claudio Lavanga, Al Jazeera, Rome.