4. Gaius Julius Caesar
•The Death of Caesar and the fall of the Republic
•Julius Caesar assumes perpetual dictatorship of Rome
•Refuses title of “Rex” – “King”
•Imperator Emperor “Lower” than a king
•Champions of the old Republic seek his death
•Cassius was the mastermind of plot
•Brutus was the reluctant yet key player
•The Ides of March
•Three days before Caesar was to depart for Parthia
•Senate was about to declare him Rex/King over the
Roman provinces (not Italy or Rome)
•Many bad omens warned of that fateful day
•Caesar was stabbed to death by senators
5. Republicans Caesareans
Antony
Majority Brutus Legions
of the Lepidus and
Senate Cassius People
Octavius
Civil War Begins
6. Octavius Lepidus Marc Antony
(Caesar Augustus)
Second Triumvirate
7. Marcus Antonius
•Born in Rome to a prominent family
•Grandfather (same name) supported Sulla
executed by Marius
•Distant relative to Julius Caesar
•Step-father executed by Cicero
•Julius Caesar’s “Chief Lieutenant”
•Was “Master of Horse” in Rome
•Poor performance resulted in a fall from
favor with Caesar
•Most likely to take Caesar’s place
•Powerful General
•Inept Politician
8. Marcus Aemilius Lepidus
•Caesar’s “Master of Horse” at the time
of his assassination
•Was able to bring about order in Rome
in the aftermath of Caesar’s death
•Had more political clout at the
beginning of the Trimuvirate
10. Octavius/Caesar Augustus
•Relatively unknown great-nephew of
Julius Caesar
•Julius Caesar adopted him as his son
(posthumous)
•Caesar appoints him heir in his will
•19 years old at the time of Caesar’s
death
11. Aftermath of Caesar’s Death
•Mark Antony
•Turns the Roman citizens against Caesar’s
assassins
•Seeks to consolidate power and remove
contentious senators
•Fights Brutus and Cassius in Northern Italy
12. Aftermath of Caesar’s Death
•Octavius
•Encouraged by parents to forfeit his claim on
Caesar’s inheritance and submit to Mark Antony
•Encouraged by supporters to raise an army in
Greece
•He does neither
•Goes to Rome and raises army in Italy
•Claims his rights as Caesar’s heir
13. Aftermath of Caesar’s Death
•Lepidus
•Originally goes to Hispania (Spain) as governor
•His command of the legions in Spain make him
a power player to be included in the Triumvirate