Reactions to the Death of Caesar  Antony was fellow consul of Caesar took control  Summoned the senate on March 17 th  no actions would be taken against the assassins but Casear’s measures and appointments would remain  Diminished the aim of the assassination  Casear’s will left extensive lands to the people of Rome who then led an outcry against the assassins  Brutus and Cassius driven from Rome  Marcus Aemilius Lepidus was elected potifex maximus

Gaius Octavius  18 year old grandnephew of Caesar  Had been abroad studying  Returned to Rome accompanied by friend Marcus Agrippa  Adopted by Caesar in his will to be his heir  Had ambitions to displace Antony as leader of Caesar’s supporters  Sold off his own property to give each citizen some money  Antony was loosing ground to Octavian so took his army to Gaul and when the current governor did not leave, Antony besieged the city (Mutina)  Cicero proposed that the senate eliminate Antony (who they feared wanted to be dictator) – The Phillipics  Octavian given membership in the Senate and authority subordinate to only the consuls  Troops defeated Antony in Gaul and Mutina was relieved

Octavian as Consul  Both consuls died in the fighting  Octavian insisted that he be made consul in order to give rewards to his men  The senate refused the request  In August Octavian marched on Rome at the head of 8 legions  He became Consul  Formally condemned and outlawed Caesar’s assassins as well as Sextus Pompey  With the help of Lepidus, Octavian reconciled with Antony

The Second Triumvirate  Formed legally in 43 BC - Triumviri reipublicae constituendae  Lex Titia  Given authority to make laws without reference to the senate or people, exercise jurisdiction without appeal, and nominate all magistrates  In practice, they did continue to consult the senate and people and elections were held  Antony took responsibility for Gaul, Lepidus for Spain, and Octavian for Africa, Sardinia, and Sicily  Main priority was to punish Caesar’s assassins  Antony and Octavian were to have 20 legions each (5000 per legion)  Lacked the means to pay this many men so resorted to confiscations and proscriptions (300 senators and 2000 equites)

Battle of Philippi  Caesar deified in 42, Octavian now was the “son of a god”  Octavian and Antony moved east against Brutus and Cassius  Met in Macedonia at Philippi in late summer of 42  Each army had about 100,000 men  Antony had displayed his skillful generalship and increased his military prestige  Assumed the more attractive responsibility of remaining in the East  Octavian did not prove to be a good general (had to be bailed out by Antony)  Both Brutus and Cassius committed suicide as a result of their defeats in these battles  Marks the end of the republican cause

Sextus Pompeius  Had gathered enough troops and support that he was able to cut off the grain imports to Rome  Abandoned hostilities by 39 BC  Octavian married Scribonia, relative of Sextus Pompey, in 40 BC (had only child, Julia, in 39)  Retained control of Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and given the Peloponnese  Relations with Sextus Pompey quickly deteriorated  Octavian divorced Scribonia in 39  Antony delayed handing over Peloponnese  Battles in 38 and 37 against Ocatvian and Antony  They renewed the Triumvirate in 37 as well  Agrippa, elected consul in 37, finally defeated Sextus Pompey in 36 BC in a sea battle at Naulochus  Sextus escaped to Asia Minor but was tracked down and executed in 35 BC

Lepidus  After Sextus’ defeat, Lepidus decided to try to rise over Octavian  He demanded Sextus’ land troops surrender to him but Octavian objected  Octavian entered Lepidus’ camp and invited all the troops (Lepidus’ and Sextus’) to recognize him as their commander which they did  Octavian took Africa and Lepidus was forced to live in exile

Antony in the East  Remained in the east following the battle at Philippi  Reestablish good relations with Egypt  Had met Cleopatra through Caesar in Rome  Personal relationship ensued  Cleopatra gave birth to twins a year later  Antony spent the winter of in Alexandria with her  Helped strengthened Cleopatra’s rule  In 40 he married Octavia, sister of Octavian  Continued relationship going with Cleopatra  had another son with Cleo in 36  In 36, Antony set out against Parthia  Had success but eventually lost one-third of his army

Clash between Antony and Octavian (36-30)  In 36, Rome essentially had two rulers  Antony in the East  Octavian in the West  Octavian wanted to be sole ruler so intensified propaganda against Antony and Cleopatra  Antony spent another winter with Cleopatra (35-34)  Would finally divorced wife, Octavia, in 32  “Donations of Alexandria”  “Married” Cleopatra  Distributed lands to Cleo, his sons, and Caesar’s son  Gratified Egyptians

Propaganda  Made Antony seem less Roman  Made himself seem less autocratic  Antony did not help himself – gave Cleo title “Queen of Kings”  Antony identified with Dionysus, Osiris, and Alexander  Octavian identified himself with Apollo and, later, with Venus

Battle of Actium  Divorce of Antony and Octavia broke any last ties between Octavian and Antony  Octavian declared war on Cleopatra in 32 (but not Antony)  Naval battle at Actium  Octavian and Agrippa blockade Antony and Cleopatra  Antony and Cleopatra flee  Antony’s generals desert

Aftermath of Actium  Octavian invades Egypt, plunders and brings back as much as he can  3 day triumph in Rome (29 BC)  Civil War in Rome is over  100 years of peace to follow – Pax Romana  Literature, building programs, moral reforms