The Second Triumvirate is a world history encyclopedia.
The Second Triumvirate was a political alliance formed after the assassination of the Roman dictator Julius Caesar.The Roman Republic was ruled as a military dictatorship by the triumvirate for organizing it.The Second Triumvirate was an official, legally established institution, whose power in the Roman state was given full legal sanction.
In November of 43 BCE, the Senate recognized the triumvirate and gave them supreme authority for five years and the task of hunting down conspirators involved in Caesar's assassination.Caesar was deified as Divus Iulius in 42 BC.Rome's terrorities were divided between the triumvirs after Antony gave his stepdaughter to Octavian in marriage.The Second Triumvirate brought back proscription because of Caesar's murder.In order to fund its forty-five legions in the second civil war, it murdered a large number of its opponents.They were defeated by Antony and Octavian.Antony married Octavian's sister.
The Second Triumvirate was not stable due to internal jealousies and ambitions.Antony spent most of his time in the East, while Lepidus preferred Antony.There was a dispute between Lepidus and Octavian regarding the allocation of lands after the Sicilian revolt.In 36 BC, Lepidus was forced into exile and stripped of all his offices after being accused of attempting rebellion and of taking power in Sicily.His former provinces were awarded to another person.Antony married Cleopatra in order to use Egypt as a base to dominate Rome.There was a third civil war between Antony and Cleopatra.After Actium's defeat in 31 BC, Antony and Cleoptra would both commit suicide in 30 BC.In 27 BC, after the defeat of Antony and the marginalisation of Lepidus, the name "Augustus" was changed to "Octavian" and he became the sole master of the Roman world.10
The post of suffect consul (consul suffectus) was extorted from the Senate by a man who was 20 years old.In October 43 BC, he, Antony and Lepidus agreed to unite and seize power and so met near Bononia, now Bologna.[13][12]
The triumvirate of new leaders was established in 43 BC as the Triumviri Rei Publicae Constituendae Consulari Potestate.The second triumvirate was embedded in the constitution as part of a shared rule over Rome.The power of the Triumvirate was limited by law to a five-year term, but the only other office qualified to confirm the Republic was the dictatorship of Sulla.
The Triumvirate had a dictatorship that was expunged from the Republic's constitutions after Antony obtained a lex Antonia that abolished it.The members of the Triumvirate saw no contradiction in holding a supraconsular office and a consulate at the same time.[15]
In 44 BC, Lepidus' possession of the provinces of Hispania and Narbonese Gaul was confirmed, and he agreed to hand over 7 legions to Octavian and Antony in the event of defeat.Cisalpine Gaul was retained by Antony and he was given authority over Sicily and Sardinia.All of the most important provinces went to Antony and Lepidus, which Richard said was "effectively eliminating himself as a person."[17])
Proscription was used to refill the treasury.Their main targets were opponents of the Caesarian group.Marcus Favonius, a follower of Cato and an opponent of both triumvirates, and Marcus Tullius Cicero, who had opposed Caesar and excoriated Antony, were the most notable victims.Thescription of Cicero's younger brother seems to have been done to destroy his family.Caesar's legate and Lepidus' brother were the most shocking proscriptions for ancient writers.They were added to the list because they were the first to condemn Antony and Lepidus.They both survived.[19]
The nephew of Caesar died before the proscriptions began.Caesar's legate Aulus Hirtius and Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus died fighting on the Senate and were replaced by a second pair of suffects.During the ten years of the Triumvirate (43 BC to 33 BC), there were 42 consuls in office, rather than the 20 expected.
After the first civil war of the post-Caesar period, the Triumvirs immediately set about prosecuting the murderers of Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus.In 42 BC, Octavian and Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius in two battles.
The provinces of the Republic were divided into spheres of influence after the victory.After Caesar's deification as Divus Julius, "the Divine Julius", and now as "Imperator Caesar," Octavian took control of the West.The province of Cisalpine Gaul was absorbed into Italy.Antony took over after Narbonese Gaul was absorbed into Gallia Comata.Spain was taken over by Octavian.Lepidus was offered control over Africa.There was a report that Lepidus had been negotiating with Sextus Pompey.He would have Africa if he were proven innocent.The distribution of land to his veterans took place in Rome.Antony was in the east to bring control of the territories to triumvirate.
The reduced role of Lepidus can be seen in the fact that there are less coins depicting him from this point on.[21]
Farmers were dispossessed in favor of soldiers as a result of Octavian's land redistribution.The brother of Antony stood up for the farmers.The conflict led to the Perusine War, in which Lucius gathered an army of supporters.Fulvia was Mark Antony's wife.Rome was held by two legions by Lepidus, but he was defeated by Lucius and forced to flee.In the winter of 41–40 BC, Lucius withdrew to Perusia, where he was besieged by Octavian.He surrendered in exchange for clemency.The result was that Lepidus was confirmed as governor of Africa and that his own legions would control Italy.The death of Calenus, Antony's supporter, strengthened his control over the west.The Treaty of Brundisium was signed in September 40 BC and confirmed the new distribution of power.Antony's wife died at the same time.Antony was to marry his sister, Octavia, as a symbol of the renewed alliance.
Sextus Pompey over Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia made the economic problems caused by the eviction of established farmers worse.Problems with the grain supply were caused by Pompey's navy intercepting Roman shipping.In 39 BC, Antony and Octavian decided to negotiate an agreement to stop piracy.Sextus was confirmed in possession of the islands by the Pact of Misenum in order to stop his piracy.According to one source Sextus' second-in-command Menas advised him to kidnap and kill Antony and Octavian while they were celebrating the deal at a dinner.[ 24]
Conflicts continued despite the agreement.Sextus was accused of raiding Italian towns.Sicily was attempted to take by force in the following year.He was defeated in naval battles.He arranged a meeting with Antony, who was going to attack Parthia.Antony agreed to deliver ships for the attack on Sextus in exchange for troops to fight the Parthians.Lepidus supported a joint attack on Sicily.
The campaign against Sextus was commanded by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, who won in 36 BC.The Triumvirate was renewed for a second five-year term in 37 BC.
The Second Triumvirate was unstable due to internal jealousies and ambitions.Antony and Lepidus had differing opinions on who should succeed Caesar as Pontifex Maximus in 43 BC, but both preferred Antony.During the campaign against Sextus Pompey, Lepidus raised a large army of 14 legions and a navy.Several of the main towns in Sicily were captured by Lepidus.He felt that he was being treated as a sub instead of an equal.This led to an ill-judged political move that gave Octavian the excuse to remove Lepidus from power.Lepidus argued after the defeat of Sextus Pompey that it should be absorbed into his territories.He should be brought back to his former provinces, which had been guaranteed by the Lex Titia.Lepidus was accused of fomenting rebellion.Lepidus' legions in Sicily defected to Octavian and he was forced to submit to him.All of Lepidus' offices were taken over by Pontifex Maximus.He was sent into exile by Octavian.[26]