I've reached the Augustan era...but how?

[Mulceber]

NOOO!!! The Republic is dead, los...[Augustus cuts in] No. I have brought peace to the world, and now the Republic has been restored. I've just *modified* it a little...

Speaking of which, I've noticed a couple big changes since this era began - first of all, it seems like the Eleutheroi have spammed whole stacks of ships in the Atlantic and even some in the Mediterranean. Is that just a coincidence or is there a trigger for that?

Also, I've noticed that since the reforms have come through, I've gotten a LOT of new family members. During the Marian era they were reaching adulthood at a painfully slow rate, but since the Augustan reforms have begun, I've been getting new family members almost every turn - one turn I even got something like 10! Is that supposed to be EB's way of representing Augustus' marriage laws and the 3-child rule? -M