Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Aftermath of Caesar's Death - Coggle Diagram
Aftermath of Caesar's Death
Mark Antony and the New Caesar
after Caesar's death there was a power vacuum
Antony had the support of the army in Italy, and also won over the urban masses by appealing to their emotions
however, within a few weeks of the assassination, it was revealed that Caesar had named C. Octavius as his heir and had adopted him as his son
Octavius was the grandson of Caesar's sister
in 44 Octavius was 19 years old, and studying in Greece when he heard of Caesar's murder. He returned to italy to claim his inheritance
in Rome he was poorly received by Antony obvs, and so Octavius turned to the Optimates, who were against Antony, and now lead by Cicero
in 43 Antony went north to command in Gaul, allowing Cicero in Rome to launch a major attack on him (known as the Philippics). He persuaded the senate to send an army against Antony under the consuls and joined by Octavius
Antony was defeated, and the consuls were killed, so Octavius took over the army and demanded the consulship for himself
although the senate declared Antony a public enemy, they did not secede to Octavius' demands, causing him to march on Rome with the army and obtain the consulship by force
he had his adoption validated by the people and became C. Julius Caesar Octavianus, and the plebs rallied to him as Caesar's heir
Triumvirate
November 43, Antony, Lepidus, and Octavius (Octavian) were appointed as triumvirate
they divided the empire among themselves and purged their opponents
some sources say as many as 300 senators (including Cicero) and 2000 knights were killed in this reign of terror
in 42 Octavian and Antony marched against Brutus and Cassius (who had assassinated Caesar) who controlled the eastern provinces, and defeated them in Philippi
after this victory there was a new distribution of the empire
Octavian received Italy and most of the Western provinces, and command against Sextus Pompey (who was occupying Sicily)
Antony took over command against the Parthians in the east
and Lepidus received only Africa
42-31BC
Antony
in 39 Antony led a campaign against the Parthians, which ended in failure in 36, but he did manage to overrun armenia in 34
after that he stayed in Alexandria with Cleopatra who he loved
after Actium, he escaped to Alexandria where he committed suicide with Cleo
octavian
In italy Octavian tried to settle the veterans (of the battle in 42 against Brutus and Cassius), on land confiscated from specific towns
he was resisted by one of the consuls, Antony's brother Lucius who eventually took up arms on behalf of the Italians who would be displaced by this proposal
Lucius was besieged in Perugia which fell early in 40BC, he was spared but his men were not
Octavian finished off sextus Pompey in 36, and conducted a successful campaign in Illyricum in 35-33
from 33 onwards he consolidated his position in Italy and initiated a propaganda war against Antony, by exploiting Roman prejudice against Orientals regarding Antony and Cleopatra
in 32 the people took a personal oath of allegiance to Octavian -
coniuratio totae Italiae
- and the Battle of Actium in 31BC followed