The correct answer to this open question is the following.
Although there are no options attached, we can say the following.
The quote "Augustus could boast that he inherited it brick and left it marble" can best be determined to mean the following.
The quote can be understood as the capacity of teh "knack" few people have to turn some simple thing into a brilliant important one. For instance, a businessman buys a company that is doing poorly and purchases it at a very affordable price, and with the pass of time, this businessman turns the company into a success.
The same could be applied to a politician that gets to the office and inherit a city in poor economic conditions, with problems in education, crime, and other social issues. But the politician has the skills and leadership needed to turn the situation around and deliver great results.