From Caesar to Augustus

8/14/2019 From Caesar to Augustus

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Catilinarian conspiracy (63)

Cicero, the optimate, defeats conspiracy led by a popular politician,Catiline

gave his enemies ammunition executing popular leaders withouttrial made Cicero a lot of new enemies


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First Triumvirate (60) / branded as the Three-Headed Monster

Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus

three popular politicians who cooperate to gain their own endsCrassus lesser partner, killed fighting Parthians in 53 (his death

removes a buffer between Caesar & Pompey)Pompey and Caesar supposedly friends, but really rivals, growing

further and further apart throughout the decadeCicero invited to join but turned them down he was suspicious of

their motives; eventually Cicero chose to support Pompey asthe lesser of two evils


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P. Clodius Pulcher (tribune 58)

born a patrician Claudiuschanged pronunciation of his name to match working-class

pronunciation (sister Clodia followed suit)went through a formal ceremony to become a plebeian (transitio adplebem), so he could stand for tribune

as tribune in 58, worked to support Caesar and attack Cicero

Cicero's exile (58-57)

Clodius as tribune passes law exiling "any Roman who executesRoman citizens without trial" (read: Cicero)

Pompey, Caesar do nothing to help Cicero (angry because Cicerorefused to join triumvirate)

rival gangs: Clodius (Caesar's man), Milo (Pompey's man)beginning of a period of increasing anarchyPompey, harassed by Clodius, helps to bring Cicero back from

exilerivalry with Caesar and Clodius driving Pompey into optimate

camp[Caesar, Clodius] vs. [Pompey, Milo, Cicero]


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Civil War (44-31) / Tyrannicides

Brutus and Cassius, ringleaders of Caesar's assassination

claimed to be leading the campaign to "restore the republic"

defeated at Philippi in 42 B.C.


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Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius)

Caesar's lieutenant and right-hand mandelivers famous funeral oration

bitterly attacked by Cicero in hisPhilippics

Bust of Mark Antony

Octavian

Octavian: sickly 18-year-old great-nephew of Julius Caesaradopted in Caesar's will as his son and heirtakes up mission of revenge against Caesar's assassins


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Octavian


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Second Triumvirate (43)

alliance ofOctavian, Antony and Lepidus (minor figure, soon"shed") against Caesar's assassins Brutus & Cassius

triumvirs = three men, formally appointed to emergency rule for fiveyears (job: to rebuild the government, which they never did)

reappointed for a second five-year term after first expiredperiod ofproscriptions (Cicero one of the first victims) -- a blot on

Augustus' early career, long rememberedVergil's family farm confiscated during these same proscriptions42 BC Octavian defeats assassins Brutus and Cassius at PhilippiAntony aligns himself with Cleopatra, last queen of Egypt

final civil war: Antony & Cleopatra in the east, Octavian in the westOctavian's propaganda: west vs. east; Roman mos maiorum againstcorrupt East, wicked queen

Octavian defeats Antony at the battle ofActiumoff the coast ofGreece (31)

Antony & Cleopatra commit suicide in Egypt (30)


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Settlement of 23

major illness -- Augustus almost dieddeath of his heir Marcellustwo pillars of Augustus' power granted:

maius imperium("greater power")(power of the senate) -- notlimited in place or time

tribunician power(power of the people) -- even thoughAugustus was a patrician by adoption

ESSENTIAL INNOVATION: power without officeunlimited either by colleagues or term limits -- essentially

monarchical but in republican guiseallowed Augustus to retain control without monopolizing

republican officescould be shared with others while Augustus still living (given to potentialsuccessors)


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2/25/10 6:ctium.gif 600600 pixels

Page ttp://www.livius.org/a/battlefields/actium/actium.gif


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Battle of Actium, by Lorenzo A. Castro, 1672

Documents

From Caesar to Augustus