The Second Triumvirate
43 B.C.E. -12 B.C.E.
Octavian
• Julius Caesars sister’s grandson
• Trained by Julius Caesar
• Adopted son of Caesar and heir to the
throne due to Caesar’s will.
Marc Antony
• Son of a military commander
• General for Caesar, cavalry commander
• Controlled Caesars funds
Lepidus
• Statesman elected consul with
support of Pompey
43 B.C.E.
• Octavian and Antony agreed to a sharing of power.
• They, along with Lepidus who was the Pontifex
Maximus (high priest) are designated by the
Senate as a Triumvirate with dictatorial powers for
five years.
• Octavian, Antony and Lepidus agreed to eliminate
Senators and members of the Roman aristocracy
whom any one of the three considered a threat to
public order. Altogether 300 senators and two
thousand lesser level aristocrats are executed.
42 B.C.E.
• The Senate deemed Julius Caesar as having been
a god. This enhanced Octavian's status still
further.
• Antony and Octavian undertook a military
expedition to the east to defeat Brutus and
Cassius.
• Brutus and Cassius kill themselves.
• The Triumvirate then divide up the Empire.
• Anthony gets the east and Gaul. Lepidus gets
Africa and Octavian gets the west except for Italy
which was to be under common control of the
three.
• The alliance of Octavian and Antony was renewed
and further confirmed by Antony marrying the
32 B.C.E.
• Antony divorces Octavia,
Octavian's sister.
• Octavian reveals that
Anthony's will calls for the
granting of Roman territory
in the east to the
Cleopatra. Furthermore it
reveals plans for
transferring the capital of
the empire from Rome to
Alexandria.
• The sympathy and
allegiance of the Roman
public are with Octavian
31 B.C.E.
• Antony decides to bring his
forces to the western side of
Greece. Cleopatra
accompanies him.
• Octavian sends a military
expedition to Greece.
• Octavian’s fleet blocks in
Antony and Cleopatra's
fleet.
• Cleopatra, for fear of being
captured, pulls her ships out
of the battle and heads back
to Egypt thus ensuring the
defeat of Anthony's forces.
• Anthony and some of his
ships escape from the battle
and follow Cleopatra.
30 B.C.E.
• Octavian invades Egypt; Anthony commits
suicide and Cleopatra follows.
• Cleopatra's son by Julius Caesar is sent
into hiding on the Red Sea coast of Egypt
but Octavian tracks him down and kills
him.
• Octavian annexed Egypt into the Roman
Empire and put it under his direct control.
28 B.C.E.
• Octavian was appointed the president of
the Senate.
• Although Octavian was all powerful but
determined to cloth his rule under the
republican traditions.
• Octavian was awarded the name
"Augustus"- (the honored one) and
thereafter he was referred to as Caesar
Augustus.
12 B.C.E.
• 12 BCE: Augustus becomes Pontifex
Maximus after Lepidus dies
• Republic- a state in which the supreme
power rests in the body of citizens entitled
to vote and is exercised by representatives
chosen directly or indirectly by them.
• Emperor- supreme ruler of an empire
(group of nations)