Octavian Political Foes

Next he disposed of Sextus Pompeius and his hostile fleet. Thanks to his friend and general, Agrippa, and the ships left to him by Antong, he defeated Pompeius and destroyed by fleet. The general then fled to the east which was destroyed by Antony (Morey, 1901). Next was to deal with Lepidus and his twenty legions. Octavius outmaneuver Lepidus with no battle. According to Morey (1901), he appealed to the soldiers by walking to the camp. Using his charisma the army deserted Lepidus. Lepidus was disposed of his position as triumvir, but remained his position in his office as ponifus maximus, in the condition that he remained quiet. Using his diplomacy and force, Octavius remained one of the rulers of the Roman World (Morey, 1901).

The Effectiveness of Octavian in Enlisting Senatorial Support for his New Administration in the Period 30 to 19 BC.

Compare and contrast the ways in which the passage below attempts top discredit Anthony with the ways this is done in the speech attributed to Octavian die ( in reading 1.1 of book 1. Chapter 1.)

The other two triumvirs agreed to grant Julius Caesar the office of consul in 59 BC. He was appointed the governor of Roman Gaul in 58 BC and built up an army there. Caesar marched north into Gaul and defeated the Helvetii. Caesar's military contributions to the empire were significant, but he destroyed the Republic with his civil wars. His march on Rome exploited the precedent of Sulla, whose own march was due to far more legitimate political issues. Caesar simply didn't want to be prosecuted for the innumerable laws he broke during his consulship, and so refused to lay down his arms when ordered by the Senate and People of

The Roman Empire was a significant player in the world scene during the rise of the Multi-Cultural Empires. Specifically, there were two Roman leaders, Augustus and Constantine the Great who had significant influences on the Empire. The Roman navy and the Mediterranean Sea played a significant role in Rome’s ability to expand its territory and power. Perhaps even more significant than any of its leaders or its expansion was their political structures and how they changed over time. Overall, the influence of Rome and its inhabitants are still felt today.

Prior to the formation of the second Triumvirate, Julia Caesar had been brutally assassinated, which plunged Rome into another Civil War. The second triumvirate was formed when the Lex titia was passed in 43BC, making the position of Anthony, Lepidus and Octavian the highest constitutional office in the Roman state. As Scullard stated, “In place of the dictator Caesar, there were now three dictators.” The second Triumvirate was created to strengthen political control and used their power to legally hunt down those who had conspired to kill Caesar. This resulted in Civil War between the Second Triumvirate and Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Phlipii 42, which undermined the authority of the Senate as most leaders died in battle. Eventually,

Octavian enabled the long, nonviolent time of the Pax Romana, (Latin for Roman peace) by changing Rome from a frail, collapsing republican government to a powerful empire. He is known as the first, and one of the greatest, Roman Emperors ever. Octavian was born on September 23, 63 BC, and died in 14 AD. Born with the name Gaius Octavius Thurinus, he was adopted posthumously by his great-uncle Gaius Julius Caesar via his will, and then was named Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. This happened in 44 BC when his great uncle, Julius Caesar, was assassinated by a group of conspirators. Additionally, he received the name “Augustus” a term meaning “the revered one” from the Roman Senate in 27 BC. Because of the various names he had, it is

The third and final component of the Flavian dynasty is Caesar Domitianus Augustus, the self-proclaimed “God” and ruthless dictator who reigned from AD 81 to 96.

His election into the consul was however not without controversy. There were claims of bribing between the parties involved that tried to get Caesar elected into the senior post in Rome. After being elected into consul, he joined forces with two other wealthy and influential individuals in the empire to form the First Triumvirate. This is further seen in his personal choices of the family he married into. He married off his daughter to Pompey, a member of the First Triumvirate. The members of the First Triumvirate had taken control of much of the state. He was rather forceful in his statements to give out areas of land to the needy; he went further and intimidated the opponents with military use.

Shortly after Caesar was betrayed by his own people (led by the republican nobles Brutus and Gaius Cassius) his great nephew and adopted heir Octavian, joined forces with Mark Antony to crush Brutus and Cassius and divided power in Rome with ex-consul Lepidus, in what was known as the Second Triumvirate. With Octavian leading the west, and Antony the east, a tension was soon to be developed, because the greed of power is inevitable. Around 31 B.C Octavian triumphed over Antony and crushed him in the battle of Actium, and by 29 B.C Octavian was sole ruler and leader of Rome, and all its provinces. To avoid meeting Caesar’s fate, he made sure to make his position as absolute ruler acceptable to the public by apparently restoring the political

In 44 B.C., at age seventeen, Octavius went to Apollonia to finish his academic and military training. While in Apollonia, Octavius learned of the assassination of his great-uncle, Julius Caesar. Upon his return to Rome, he found out that Caesar’s will made him, Caesar’s adopted son and heir to his political and personal fortune. Octavius was advised not to accept the inheritance because of his youth and inexperience in Roman politics. Nonetheless, he accepted his inheritance. As a result of his adoption and Roman custom protocol, Octavius’ name changed to Gaius Julius Caesar (hereafter “Octavian”), which was necessary for securing military support and funds. Julius Caesar’s supporters, including many from the Senate, rallied around Octavian

allegiance to him. Octavian elected himself consul, but in 27 BC offered to lay down his

With this act the Caesar, Pompay and Grassus, made publicly known about the Triumvirate. The next demand Caesar made was to make every senator to swear an oath to respect the land distribution law. Unlike the previous similar event when Saturninus demanded swear of oath from the senators, this time around, all senators did

At this point in the play, Antony and Octavius are making plans to gain back the empire from Brutus and Cassius. In the above passage, Antony expresses his views on humanity, specifically Lepidus, comparing Lepidus to a creature. A creature is very wild, beastly, and untamed, which is why Shakespeare used a horse because a wild horse is very powerful and strong. Once a horse is tamed it becomes an obedient, mindless tool with no self-determination and will.

To assert political power in the Roman Empire Octavian’s first action was to gain loyalty among the Roman people and build his reputation. In Illyricum at the time of Caesars assassination he took with him a small group of friends that went to the south of Italy to visit Caesars allies and clients. Whilst there he assessed the position in Rome and the best course of action he could take to gain control. Once in Rome he concentrated on commemorating Caesars death and seeking vengeance against his assassins which was in contrast with Antony’s views. Octavian then began to build a relationship with the Roman mob, they were one of Caesars main power bases and very influential in the Roman Empire. To build a positive relationship he first paid the legacies that were left to the people of Rome by Caesar. As the processing of Caesars will was held up and Antony refused to return Caesars money Octavian pad the people out of his own pocket. This action gained loyalty and began to pave the way for a constructive relationship between Octavian and the Roman people.