Caesar's Heirs - Eric Huntsman
10/29/2007
Caesar’s Heirs
After Caesar’s assassination, the Roman state stood on the brink of catastrophe
23. Caesar's Heirs
The Rise of Octavian
Caesar’s will had adopted 19 year old grandnephew, C.
Octavius , as his son and heir
Heir to Caesar’s fortune, name, and clientela
C. Iulius Caesar Octavianus
Returned from Apollonia (in Macedonia), where he had been training with Caesar’s army
Cicero initially friendly towards Octavian
Saw him as a counter to Antony
Built up a faction, challenged Antony
Differed over avenging Caesar
Ludi Victoriae Caesaris and the astrum Caesaris : “Behold, my father become a god!”
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23. Caesar's Heirs
Unstable Politics
In 43 B.C., Antony leaves the consulship to moderate
Caesarians Hirtius and Pansa
Brutus and Cassius seize Macedonia and Syria , begin to raise troops
Cicero begins to attack Antony
The Philippics , a series of anti-Antonian troops in heated
Roman invective
Octavian receives rank of praetor and a special grant of imperium
Decimus Brutus refuses to yield Cisalpine Gaul to
Antony
Antony besieges him in Mutina
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Confusion at Mutina
The Senate sends Hirtius , Pansa , and Octavian to relieve Decimus Brutus
Antony defeated, but the outcome is unclear
Hirtius and Pansa die in battle
Octavian left in charge of all senatorial forces, refuses to deal with Decimus Brutus
Decimus Brutus flees but is later killed
Antony flees to Caesarian generals in Transalpine Gaul
Octavian marches on Rome
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23. Caesar's Heirs
Octavian and the Triumvirate
With support of his legions, Octavian and a cousin, Q.
Pedius are elected suffect consuls
Lex Pedia established tribunal to punish the murderers of
Caesar
Decree declaring Antony a public enemy revoked
Met large Caesarian army of Antony and Lepidus in Gaul
Agreement at Bologna
Octavian resigned consulship
Avoiding the name dictator, lex Titia established a formal commission, tresviri rei publicae constitutendae
This is an actual state institution unlike the informal “First
Triumvirate,” which was a political alliance of Caesar,
Pompey, and Crassus
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The Second Triumvirate
See App.
B Civ
. 4.1.2–3 (LR I no. 115)
Established for 5 years by lex Titia
Purpose
reorganize the state and defeat Brutus and Cassius
Powers
Absolute military and civil power
Nominated all magistrates in advance
Territorial divisions
Antony : Cisalpine Gaul and Gallia Comata
Lepidus : Transalpine (Narbonese) Gaul and Spain
Octavian : Africa, Sicily, Sardinia
Initial actions
Proscriptions to destroy enemies (including Cicero!) and collect money for troops (App. B Civ . 4.1.2–3 = LR I no. 115, pp. 324–25)
Deified Caesar
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Philippi: Moving against the Assassins
Caesar’s assassins had raised forces —
“Republican” legions and auxiliary forces from the provinces
Lepidus left in Rome as consul
Antony and Octavian moved
East against Brutus and
Cassius
The Caesarians and the
“Republicans” (sc. oligarchs) met at a site in Macedonia near Philippi
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Battle of Philippi,
42 B.C.
Set battle fought at
Philippi in Macedonia
Brutus defeated
Octavian , who was “ill”
Antony defeated
Cassius , who committed suicide
In a second battle,
Brutus lost to Antony and also took his life
Abandoning the clementia of Caesar,
Octavian insisted upon death for many
“Republicans”
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The Triumvirate after Philippi
Lepidus was suspected of negotiating with a left-over
Pompeian, Sextus Pompey
Restricted to a command in Africa
Antony, the dominant partner, added all the East to his holdings in Gaul
Remained in the East, reorganizing the provinces and collecting tribute
Met Cleopatra, Roman ally and Ptolemaic queen of Egypt, in 41 B.C.
Octavian gained the two Spains but was left with difficult tasks in the West
Needed to defeat Sextus Pompey in Sicily and the islands
Was responsible for discharging and paying for tens of thousands of troops
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