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<p>[QUOTE="IdesOfMarch01, post: 2829615, member: 39084"]Following Julius Caesar’s assassination, Octavian (later to become better known as Augustus Caesar) left his military training in Apollonia, Illyria, and traveled to Italia to find out more about his own status as Caesar’s grand-nephew. Octavian discovered that under the terms of Julius Caesar’s will, he was adopted as Caesar’s son and main heir to two-thirds of Caesar’s estate.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]666674[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]666676[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Octavian</b> (Wikipedia Image) <b>Marcus Antonius </b>(Wikipedia Image)</p><p><br /></p><p>In 43 BC, Octavian, Marc Antony, and Marcus Lepidus formed an alliance called the <i>Second Triumvirate</i>. This alliance was supported by a law passed by the plebs – the ordinary citizens of Rome. The triumvirs proceeded to write proscriptions – basically banishment and death sentences – against a large number of senators who were believed to be enemies of the triumvirate. These senators had their land and assets seized, and those who did not flee were executed.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]666678[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]666679[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Brutus</b> and <b>Cassius</b> (Wikipedia images)</p><p><br /></p><p>The triumvirate was opposed by the co-conspirators Brutus and Cassius, who built armies and a base of power in Greece, hoping to restore the republic and avoid tyrannical rule following Julius Caesar’s assassination. After two battles at Philippi (in Macedonia) in 42 BC, the armies of Brutus and Cassius were defeated by the triumvirs’ army (mainly composed of Antony’s soldiers). Cassius and Brutus both committed suicide following their defeat.</p><p><br /></p><p>As is the custom following a military victory, the winners divided up the spoils: Octavian received Gaul, Hispania, and Italia; Antony received Egypt, allying himself with Cleopatra, Caesar’s former lover and mother of Caesar’s infant son Caesarion; Lepidus received the province of Africa.</p><p><br /></p><p>Unfortunately, Octavian had a problem on his hands: how to reward the soldiers who had been under his command in Macedonia. Typically, these soldiers would receive land and loot, but there was no government-owned land to give them. Instead, Octavian confiscated civilian land in as many as 18 Roman towns, evicting some or all of these citizens and awarding their land to the soldiers. Not surprisingly, this led to a period of unrest and an uprising led by Lucius Antonius, Marc Antony’s brother. Octavian won this conflict in 40 BC, but spared Lucius and his army due to his kinship with Antony.</p><p><br /></p><p>Notably, Octavian married his wife Livia in 38 BC, and the second triumvirate was extended for another five years beginning in 37 BC. However, internal conflicts among the triumvirs and their armies caused it to gradually crumble. Following a victory against rebel Sextus Pompeius, Lepidus’ troops actually defected to Octavian’s side, being weary of the constant wars and finding Octavian’s promises of money more than they could resist. Lepidus surrendered to Octavian, was allowed to retain the office of <i>pontifex maximus</i>, but was ejected from the triumvirate.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now the Roman armies were divided between Octavian and Antony. Not making the same mistake twice, Octavian settled his discharged soldiers outside Italia while guaranteeing Roman citizens their rights to their property. In addition, Octavian ensured his own safety, as well as Livia’s and his daughter Octavia’s safety, by forcing the Senate to grant him tribunal immunity from prosecution.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]666680[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Cleopatra</b> (Wikipedia image)</p><p><br /></p><p>In the East, Marc Antony’s campaign against Parthia was going poorly, and when Octavian failed to support him with sufficient troops, he turned to Cleopatra (with whom he was having an affair) whose army was sufficient to support his efforts. Octavian used this opportunity to vilify Antony, implying that by leaving his wife Octavia (Octavian’s sister) and taking a “Oriental paramour” Antony was becoming less Roman.</p><p><br /></p><p>In 32 BC, Octavian forcibly entered the temple of the Vestal Virgins, found Antony’s secret will, and publicized the terms that gave away Roman-conquered territories to Antony’s sons (by Cleopatra) to rule, and designated Alexandria as a tomb site for Antony and Cleopatra. This made it simple for the Senate to officially revoke Antony as a consul and declare war on Antony and Cleopatra.</p><p><br /></p><p>Octavian’s great general, Marcus Agrippa, won a decisive naval victory at Actium in 31 BC, and Antony fled to Alexandria in 30 BC. Octavian pursued them, and after a losing battle in Alexandria in 30 BC, both Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide – he, by falling on his sword, and she, by the bite of an asp (supposedly).</p><p><br /></p><p>Guarding against possible future conflict with Julius Caesar’s son by Cleopatra, Octavian had Caesarion executed but spared Cleopatra’s children by Antony except for Antony’s oldest son.</p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, in 27 BC, Octavian pretended to return full power to the Roman Senate as well as relinquish control of his armies and the provinces they controlled. In reality, because of his now-immense wealth, the loyalty of his former soldiers, and the relationships he had established with individuals and groups throughout the empire, Octavian was fully ensconced as emperor and Rome’s ruling authority.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>About the Coins</b></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]666681[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>The Brutus and Cassius denarii were struck to pay the armies of the two co-conspirators. The jug and lituus are priestly symbols, probably used to represent the noble and just nature of their cause, with divine support. Once described in coin literature as “rare,” these denarii have become more plentiful due to the discovery of a hoard, although ones in uncirculated condition still command a premium.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Antony and Octavian aureus, struck to celebrate the formation of the second triumvirate, includes the legend “III VIR R P C,” an abbreviation taken to mean “one of three men for the regulation of the republic.” It is shown on both the obverse and reverse since it applies to both Antony and Octavian.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Antony and Cleopatra denarius was struck in 32 BC by a mint moving with Antony, and used to pay his armies. These denarii are difficult to find in well-preserved condition and the auction house describes this specimen as “Rare and in unusually good condition for the issue. Minor mark on obverse cheek and area of weakness on reverse, otherwise about extremely fine.”</p><p><br /></p><p>Feel free to add your own images and history.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Next: Augustus Caesar</b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="IdesOfMarch01, post: 2829615, member: 39084"]Following Julius Caesar’s assassination, Octavian (later to become better known as Augustus Caesar) left his military training in Apollonia, Illyria, and traveled to Italia to find out more about his own status as Caesar’s grand-nephew. Octavian discovered that under the terms of Julius Caesar’s will, he was adopted as Caesar’s son and main heir to two-thirds of Caesar’s estate. [ATTACH=full]666674[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]666676[/ATTACH] [B]Octavian[/B] (Wikipedia Image) [B]Marcus Antonius [/B](Wikipedia Image) In 43 BC, Octavian, Marc Antony, and Marcus Lepidus formed an alliance called the [I]Second Triumvirate[/I]. This alliance was supported by a law passed by the plebs – the ordinary citizens of Rome. The triumvirs proceeded to write proscriptions – basically banishment and death sentences – against a large number of senators who were believed to be enemies of the triumvirate. These senators had their land and assets seized, and those who did not flee were executed. [ATTACH=full]666678[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]666679[/ATTACH] [B]Brutus[/B] and [B]Cassius[/B] (Wikipedia images) The triumvirate was opposed by the co-conspirators Brutus and Cassius, who built armies and a base of power in Greece, hoping to restore the republic and avoid tyrannical rule following Julius Caesar’s assassination. After two battles at Philippi (in Macedonia) in 42 BC, the armies of Brutus and Cassius were defeated by the triumvirs’ army (mainly composed of Antony’s soldiers). Cassius and Brutus both committed suicide following their defeat. As is the custom following a military victory, the winners divided up the spoils: Octavian received Gaul, Hispania, and Italia; Antony received Egypt, allying himself with Cleopatra, Caesar’s former lover and mother of Caesar’s infant son Caesarion; Lepidus received the province of Africa. Unfortunately, Octavian had a problem on his hands: how to reward the soldiers who had been under his command in Macedonia. Typically, these soldiers would receive land and loot, but there was no government-owned land to give them. Instead, Octavian confiscated civilian land in as many as 18 Roman towns, evicting some or all of these citizens and awarding their land to the soldiers. Not surprisingly, this led to a period of unrest and an uprising led by Lucius Antonius, Marc Antony’s brother. Octavian won this conflict in 40 BC, but spared Lucius and his army due to his kinship with Antony. Notably, Octavian married his wife Livia in 38 BC, and the second triumvirate was extended for another five years beginning in 37 BC. However, internal conflicts among the triumvirs and their armies caused it to gradually crumble. Following a victory against rebel Sextus Pompeius, Lepidus’ troops actually defected to Octavian’s side, being weary of the constant wars and finding Octavian’s promises of money more than they could resist. Lepidus surrendered to Octavian, was allowed to retain the office of [I]pontifex maximus[/I], but was ejected from the triumvirate. Now the Roman armies were divided between Octavian and Antony. Not making the same mistake twice, Octavian settled his discharged soldiers outside Italia while guaranteeing Roman citizens their rights to their property. In addition, Octavian ensured his own safety, as well as Livia’s and his daughter Octavia’s safety, by forcing the Senate to grant him tribunal immunity from prosecution. [ATTACH=full]666680[/ATTACH] [B]Cleopatra[/B] (Wikipedia image) In the East, Marc Antony’s campaign against Parthia was going poorly, and when Octavian failed to support him with sufficient troops, he turned to Cleopatra (with whom he was having an affair) whose army was sufficient to support his efforts. Octavian used this opportunity to vilify Antony, implying that by leaving his wife Octavia (Octavian’s sister) and taking a “Oriental paramour” Antony was becoming less Roman. In 32 BC, Octavian forcibly entered the temple of the Vestal Virgins, found Antony’s secret will, and publicized the terms that gave away Roman-conquered territories to Antony’s sons (by Cleopatra) to rule, and designated Alexandria as a tomb site for Antony and Cleopatra. This made it simple for the Senate to officially revoke Antony as a consul and declare war on Antony and Cleopatra. Octavian’s great general, Marcus Agrippa, won a decisive naval victory at Actium in 31 BC, and Antony fled to Alexandria in 30 BC. Octavian pursued them, and after a losing battle in Alexandria in 30 BC, both Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide – he, by falling on his sword, and she, by the bite of an asp (supposedly). Guarding against possible future conflict with Julius Caesar’s son by Cleopatra, Octavian had Caesarion executed but spared Cleopatra’s children by Antony except for Antony’s oldest son. Finally, in 27 BC, Octavian pretended to return full power to the Roman Senate as well as relinquish control of his armies and the provinces they controlled. In reality, because of his now-immense wealth, the loyalty of his former soldiers, and the relationships he had established with individuals and groups throughout the empire, Octavian was fully ensconced as emperor and Rome’s ruling authority. [B]About the Coins[/B] [ATTACH=full]666681[/ATTACH] The Brutus and Cassius denarii were struck to pay the armies of the two co-conspirators. The jug and lituus are priestly symbols, probably used to represent the noble and just nature of their cause, with divine support. Once described in coin literature as “rare,” these denarii have become more plentiful due to the discovery of a hoard, although ones in uncirculated condition still command a premium. The Antony and Octavian aureus, struck to celebrate the formation of the second triumvirate, includes the legend “III VIR R P C,” an abbreviation taken to mean “one of three men for the regulation of the republic.” It is shown on both the obverse and reverse since it applies to both Antony and Octavian. The Antony and Cleopatra denarius was struck in 32 BC by a mint moving with Antony, and used to pay his armies. These denarii are difficult to find in well-preserved condition and the auction house describes this specimen as “Rare and in unusually good condition for the issue. Minor mark on obverse cheek and area of weakness on reverse, otherwise about extremely fine.” Feel free to add your own images and history. [B]Next: Augustus Caesar[/B][/QUOTE]
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