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The Ludi Augustales, games in honor of Augustus, were held from October 3 or 5-12. Theatrical performances were a main feature of these Roman games, which were made official under Augustus' successor, Tiberius, in A.D. 14. A Roman calendar from the first century (Fasti Antiates Ministrorum Domus Augustae -- a magistrates list from Antium covering the years 31-51) dates them from the 3rd of October, but other calendars date the games from the 5th. Originally, the Augustales were quinquennial games (from the Latin for '5,' but meaning the event was held every 4 years using Roman inclusive counting) to honor the victory of Augustus at Actium. It became a festival to honor the birthday of Augustus on October 12, which is when the games ended, regardless of the date on which they started. However, the date of October 12 as Augustus' birthday is a problem, as Thayer notes in his article on Augustalia.
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