[Multi-AAR] - History of men - EB part

[Fixiwee]

Give me a safe commander, not a rash one
-Augustus
The Battle of Cassopia, 35 BC

The Roman Empire, by Wolfgang Schreier, Bonn 2003

The Roman civil war had seen battles its big battles. The first one was the Battle of Aeclanum in Italy in 79 BC where the Optimate Silanus had defeated and killed the Popular Calatinus. Then Caesar and Nero stood ground in Cabalum, Gaul in 48 BC. And now the last battle of the Great Civil War was happening in Greece: The Battle of Cassopia in 35 BC between Octavian and Marc Anthony. It is no coincidence that Octavian revived old legends and history, publicly talking about the good old Publius Valerius Maximus Macedonicus, who invaded and conquered most of Greece some 150 years ago. Now Octavian sailed from Italy to Greece as well and he tried to use Macedonicus name to his propaganda effort.


Octavian preparing to embark against Marc Anthony.


The fleet landing in Greece.

Octavian appointed Agrippa as his commander in chief who was also in charge in landing the troops in Greece. Soon after Octavian landed Marc Anthony started moving against his position and on the 13th of April the two triumvirs met in combat.


Octavian and Agrippa landed their troops without difficulties.


The battle.


Roman troops getting ready for battle.


As soon as Anthony moved in, Octavian used his light cavarly to harras the enemy, forcing him to attack.




Marc Anthonys praetorians tried to break through the line.


But Octavians inexperienced troops stood their ground.


More and more troops are enganged into battle.




Marc Anthony gets dragged from the horse and killed during the battle.


Octavians rival is dead.


Marc Anthonys troops start to withdraw...


...and Octavians troops are cheering.


Even Anthonys Egyptian elite Phalanx fled from the battlefield.


Octavian had won the battle. He was now the sole ruler of the Roman Empire.


Octavian’s win in Cassopia concluded the Roman civil war. Marc Anthony was dead and Cleopatra fled to Egypt. He continued to march to the East but province after province subdued to Octavian. In 34 BC Cleopatra tried to negotiate with Octavian trying to save her Empire. But Octavian refused and prepared to march into Egypt. Cleopatra did not want to be captured and strangled in Octavian’s triumph so she committed suicide. Egypt was now in the hand of the Roman empire, de jure but didn’t become a Roman province.

Octavian now controlled the east, where he remained for the time being establishing himself as the new ruler after Marc Anthony. The eastern provinces started to worship him divius filli – the son of God (Caesar). After another year of work in the eastern provinces Octavian then returned to Rome in 32 BC and announced that the civil war was over. And unlike Caesar who had said the same, Octavian was right.

[Fixiwee]

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.
-George S. Patton


Princeps Augustus

Res gestae divi Augisti, written by Augustus

[10]
It was the year 725 ab urbe condita [28 BC] when it became obvious that the Roman State was safe and no one threatened to destroy the Senate and the people of Rome. Therefore it was my honest desire to give back my special powers given to me by the people of Rome. It was agreed in the Senate that in the following year [27 BC] I would give up this position.
After this had happened I was now one among many senators, but no one would doubt that I surpassed them all in my prestige. It came to me as a honour when the Senate asked me to continue my exceptional work for the Roman Republic. The Senators stepped up as a whole, started to applaud and announced that I would be granted the name ‘revered one’. […]

The Roman Empire, by Wolfgang Schreier, Bonn 2003

After Octavian Caesar had returned to Rome in 32 BC he would confirm his dominion on the basis of the Roman constitution. At first he celebrated a triple triumph: Over Illyria (that means Marc Anthony, but without naming him), over Egypt and over Cleopatra. The Senate swore to acknowledge all actions done by him and in 30 BC the temple of Janus was closed.
Now he was the sole ruler in the Roman state.
But that meant he stood before the same problem like Silanus, Nero and his adoptive father Caesar: How do you bring the personal power and prestige into an enduring and legal form?
Octavian was more cautiously then any other of his predecessors. His position as a triumvir was obsolete, and for the time being he was content as a consul, a position he held until 23 BC.

Something strange happened on the 13 January 27 BC. Augustus laid down his potestas, some sort of special power he had. He does not tell us what sort of potestas, probably because of the constitutional issue he had with it, but it is most likely that he still had the power of a triumvir given by the lex titia. He gave up this power in a great act of state, in which the state would be put up on a new basis.
What happened in January 27 BC? The ex-triumvir and holder of triumviral power laid down his position and integrated himself back into the political system. He was now a senator, one among many, but the one thing that divided him from the others was his extraordinary prestige, his actoritas.
The Senate then asked him to continue ruling the troubling provinces for a ‘limited’ time. These provinces where the Spanish and Gaulish provinces, as well as Kilikia, Syria and the somewhat special Egypt: For these provinces Octavian received the imperium proconsulare which was a normal republican position. He only received it for a limited time, but each time this position was prolonged: In 27 BC for 10 years, 18 BC for five, 8 BC and 2 AD for ten years and finally in 12 AD for five years.

Octavian had become the Princeps Civitas, the leader of the Roman State. His resignation in 27 BC only became a believable political move, because it had some sort of seriousness in it. Of course we don’t know what was real and what was staged. But the Roman society had become so weary of civil wars that it wanted peace.
Besides that Octavian was honoured by the Senate in numerous ways: his house was decorated with laurel, he received the corona civica (civil crown) and a golden shield where his virtues where noted: virtus (virtue), Clementia (mercy), iustitia (just) and pietas (devotion).
Octavian also received an honorary title and it is something he mentions above of all: The Senate awarded him the name Augustus, the revered one – and finally we can call him the way history got to know him: as the first Emperor of the Roman Empire.