Civil war to Actium Flashcards
(22 cards)
Cicero Philippics MA duplicitous x3
88 ‘fortune of Roman people eliminated the business of that day’
‘what an escape that was of yours’
89 ‘how in vain my very accurate prophecies….as long as you were afriad you would promise everything…you had stopped being afraid you would be yourself again’
Phillipic burning x3
90 ‘fine panegyric…was yours [for Caesar]’
‘you- who hurled those firebrands…with which Caesar was nearly burned’
After assassination Suetonius claims burning of Brutus and Cassius house (85)
‘you who launched those attacks on our houses’ (91)
Philippic: king, restore republic
‘you removed the title ‘dictator’ from the constitution for all time’ ‘appeared to show…hatred of kingly power’ (91)
‘republic seemed re-restablished, but it did not appear so to me’
(92 - desc. of exemptions)
MA corruption
x.ref Claudius ‘actual empire of the Roman people has been reduced to a market’
Corruption charges:
93 - ‘700 million sesterces [from]..temple of Ops’ ‘you owed us 40 million sesterces on the idea of march’ (then disappeared)
Example of Crete ‘there was nothing in the whole world…that this fellow was not ready to sell’
Sicily made Latins ‘intolerable’, ‘Antony has received a large sum of money’ for the law (BUT ‘how much I love the Sicilians’)
Deiotarus affair (also philippic 94) ‘deserving of a kingdom - but not through Fulvia. 600 cases are similar’
Cicero letter 113 Brutus and Caesar
Spring 44, Ad Atticum 14.1
Brutus: ‘a great question what he wants; but whatever he wants, he wants it badly’
Caesar ‘I must be a most hated man: Marcus Cicero is sitting waiting and cannot get to see me at his own convenience’ (quasi-monarchical)
Cicero letter 14.12 assassination, character Octavian, republic ended
‘O deed that was noble, yet incomplete’
Character of Octavian
‘very respectful and friendly…followers call him Caesar(I don’t)….I do not think he can be a good citizen’
‘we will be lying discarded’
Cicero Ad Atticum 15.11 Brutus defence, regret
Protecting Brutus : ‘on this defence the res publica depended’
‘I said they ought not to go on and on about the past’ (about not killing MA)
Octavian against republic
“He seized the consulship at 19, marching against Rome as the city were his enemy…Senators hesitated to obey Cornelius… said loudly: ‘[My sword] will make him consul, if you don’t.’” - Suet 26
“Augustus twice considered restoring the Republic… On reflecting, however, that both his own life and the security of the State might be jeopardised… he decided to retain power in his own hands.”
— Suetonius, Deified Augustus 28
Octavian soldiers relations
promised to give his soldiers ‘5000 denarii each if they were victorious…by means of lavish gifts, Octavian bound them to himself’ (Appian 3.48)
“Octavian incited the army to anger against the Senate’ (3.86)
“When Octavian saw their state of eagerness, he led them directly from the assembly… having crossed the river Rubicon from Gaul into Italy’ (3.88)
“The colonies were established with the purpose of preventing the Republic from ever lifting its head…”
— Appian, Civil Wars 5.12
“The soldiers… chose the best lands… they had no respect even for their rulers… the soldiers depended on the men who had given them the land to continue in power.”
— Appian, Civil Wars 5.13
Octavian seeking power
“Although Octavian knew [the Senate used him to fight Antony], he desired nevertheless to take the lead in humbling Antony.”
— Appian, Civil Wars 3.51
“[The Senate] awarded him… the right to declare his opinion among the consulars… and to stand for the consulship ten years before the legal age.”
— Appian, Civil Wars 3.51
Octavian proscriptions
“The Senate was inordinately terrified… Cicero, who had so long been in evidence, was nowhere to be seen.”
— Appian, Civil Wars 3.89
11.
“He pardoned them all in order to acquire a reputation for clemency, but not long afterward they were listed among the proscribed.”
— Appian, Civil Wars 3.94
Events - formation of 2nd triumvirate
(43 BCE)
Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus met near Bononia.
Legally appointed via tribal assembly (with Tribune R. Titius).
Given 5-year powers to make laws, nominate magistrates — effectively three dictators.
Goal: avenge Caesar and reorder the state.
Proscriptions & Cicero’s Death
300 senators, 2,000 knights targeted.
Motivation: secure control, fund armies.
Cicero: most famous victim — head and hands nailed to the Rostra.
Echo of Sulla’s earlier brutality.
Battle of Philippi (42 BCE)
Brutus & Cassius (Republicans) vs. Triumvirs.
Cassius lost the first battle, committed suicide.
Brutus defeated in the second, also committed suicide.
Republican cause ended.
Scullard: “The Republican cause was lost; Caesar’s murder was avenged.”
Octavian Consolidates Power in the West
Resettled 100,000 veterans → land confiscations → unrest.
Perusine War: Fulvia (Antony’s wife) and Lucius Antonius rebel.
Octavian besieged Perusia; ruthless after victory.
Treaty of Brundisium (40 BCE) reconciled Antony & Octavian. (Appian 5.127 ‘wary of encroaching on Antony’s dominions’
Sextus Pompeius & Naval Conflict
Sextus controlled Sicily, Sardinia → threatened Rome’s grain supply.
Pact of Misenum (39 BCE): he was promised power & consulship.
Octavian attacked but lost → turned to Agrippa.
Agrippa’s naval innovation (harpax) led to victory at Naulochus (36 BCE).
Lepidus tried to claim Sicily, was outmaneuvered and sidelined.
Rise of Octavian’s Popularity
After defeating Sextus: granted ovation, sacrosanctity, golden statue.
Restored order: built public works, improved water supply & cheap corn.
Revived Roman traditions: expelled astrologers, banned eastern rites.
Antony’s Decline in the East
Allied with Cleopatra → had twins.
Failed Parthian campaign; 22,000 men lost.
Donations of Alexandria (34 BCE): Caesarion named JC’s true heir, Cleopatra & children given territory.
Antony alienated Rome; seen as shifting loyalty eastward. (“People began to hate him for what he did for his children in Alexandria… It appeared to be theatrical and over the top, and to show hatred for Rome.”
(Plutarch, Antony 54))
Final War of the Republic — Actium (31 BCE)
Octavian launched propaganda war: read Antony’s will to Senate.
Accused Antony of planning to move capital to Alexandria.
Battle of Actium: Agrippa’s naval tactics forced Antony & Cleopatra to flee.
Most forces surrendered; Octavian declared victory.
Scullard: “Victory of the West over the East.”
Aftermath & Octavian’s Triumph
Octavian annexed Egypt as imperial province.
elder son by Fulvia & Caesarion executed; Cleopatra’s children spared (raised by Octavia).
Closed Temple of Janus (symbol of peace).
Held triple triumph in 29 BCE (Illyricum, Actium, Egypt).
Scullard: “The Republic and liberty had gone; men turned gracefully to their new saviour.”
Senate mistakes
“The Senate… passed a decree praising Decimus… directing Octavian to assist the consuls… and voted that the state should pay the legions that deserted from Antony…” Appian3.51
3.80 - pushing Octavian to Antony ‘being spurned by the senate…desired reconciliation with Antony’
‘inordinately terrified since they had no military force….
‘complained that they had insolently deprived Octavian of the command
‘resented that they had given him the honour of distributing the money… [and] that they had made the army hostile’ (3.89)
Coins
Denarius of Brutus 43 (two daggers ‘Ides of March’ + pileus) (freedom and assassination)
Denarius of Antony 43 (lituus - augurs) (laureate head of JC - show Antony as heir)
Denarius of Octavian and Antony 39BC (‘Caesar imp’ - Octavian taken name of Caesar) (Antony - symbol of peace - caduceus)
Octavian and Agrippa (38BC) ‘DIVI.IVLI.F’ - son of divine julius - Octavian as heir. Agrippa close to Octavian ‘consul designate’
