Roman Empire: New Wars Old Enemies Part Two

Still, Brutus and his republican comrades didn't want war with the triumvirs until they went too far. They even issued statements that "for the sake of ensuring harmony in the Republic, they were even willing to live in permanent exile, they would furnish no grounds for civil war." But then Octavian marched on Rome a second time, the Triumvirate was formed and the straw that broke the camel's back was the proscription which harkened back to Sulla's days of terror. Now peace was not an option. Brutus knew he was not yet strong enough to face Antony and Octavian together so he marched east to join Cassius. They also needed to recruit more men and raise money for their legions' pay. In addition, Cassius wanted to secure their position to the rear and get rid of potential enemies, like the island of Rhodes with its powerful navy. Finally, after squeezing as many men and as much money as they could from the east, Brutus and Cassius were ready to take on the triumvirs. They were heading towards the battle where the two largest Roman armies to ever go to battle against each other would meet. Thrace was a largely ungoverned territory to the east of Greece and Macedonia. Today it would be where European Turkey, northeastern Greece and southern Bulgaria would be.

Long ago Greek colonists had founded the city-states on the coastline and mined the areas deposits of gold and silver. Sometimes they would recruit Thracian soldiers. But they left the warlike and independent tribes largely to themselves in the interior. The Romans had won control of these lands from the second century BC on, but it was an uncertain and uneven dominance. It became a Roman province in 46 BC. It was through this area that the Romans paved the great highway, the Via Egnatia. This huge artery and gateway to the east for the Romans went from the Adriatic Sea to Byzantium and the provinces of Asia Minor. The town of Philippi, named after Philip of Macedon was at the road's eastern end. Philip had rebuilt the town as a stronghold against the Thracian tribes. It had plenty of water from springs and was on a high ridge, which Philip put walls around. Directly to the west of Philippi was the Hill of Dionysus, with a gold mine called the Refuges. And just over a mile beyond this and a couple from town, two hills stood on either side of the Via Egnatia. The Via Egnatia continued across a mountain pass called the Symbolon, or Junction, on the small port of Neapolis. A few miles out to sea was the island of Thasos. This is the description of the area where the huge Roman armies would meet.

On the side of the triumvirs were forty-three legions (more than two hundred thousand men if they were at full strength). But Octavian and Antony had to station about twenty-one or twenty-two legions in Gaul and northern Italy to stop any uprisings that might occur. So this left them with twenty-one or so legions and thirteen thousand cavalry for their engagement with Brutus and Cassius. On paper the two sides were fairly matched. Brutus and Cassius had about nineteen legions (around 70,000 men) and twenty thousand foreign cavalry including some of the famous Parthian mounted archers. One thing against Brutus and Cassius was that man of these men had served under Julius Caesar and most likely remembered him with affection. Mark Antony was far and away the most able soldier for the Triumvirate, and in all probablility planned the campaign. Antony's first goal was to prevent the republican forces from overrunning Greece and taking their fleet into the Adriatic before Antony had a chance to transport his own men there and build a base of operation. Antony sent an advance guard across the Adriatic Sea, which then marched down the Via Egnatia past Philippi and through the Symbolon all the way until it reached the two further passes that were the only known routes to Asia.

This force was outflanked and had to retreat. Brutus and Cassius were greatly relieved by the strong defensive position the two hills in front of the town provided. The generals built fortified camps on each hill connected by a palisade. If they could deny Antony battle long enough he would have to run long supply lines across Greece. Brutus and Cassius could halt or at least slow down shipments from Italy with their navy. In time Antony and Octavian would have to retreat due to a shortage of food-and where indeed could they go if the escape route was sealed off. When two eagles alighted on the silver eagles of their standards it seemed a good portent for the republicans-so much so that they decided to feed the majestic birds regularly. Octavian became ill when his and Antony's legions made it through the republican blockade and disembarked at Dyrrachium. He was so sick he had to be left behind with his army. His boyhood friends-the able, masculine soldier Agrippa and the effeminate, cultured Macenas said that Octavian was suffering from dropsy (where too much fluid accumulates in the body's tissues). This always seemed to happen every time Octavian was faced with a great personal challenge or crisis. It is true his health had never been that good and he had come close to dying when his adoptive father, Julius Caesar was alive.

It does make us wonder if on occasion the illnesses were stress induced or psychosomatic in origin. This incident would lead to charges of cowardice later on. Octavian's health didn't get better but when he learned that Antony was in a bad position from which to fight and that events weren't going well he immediately left for Philippi. This had to have been a very trying time for Octavian as he didn't trust Antony and was of course, terrified of a republican victory. Cassius Dio notes: "[Octavian] heard of the situation and feared the outcome in either case-whether Antony, acting alone, should be defeated or should conquer, for in the first case, he felt that Brutus and Cassius would be in a stronger position to oppose him, or in the latter case, Antony would be." Octavian arrived eventually and shared camp with Mark Antony. There was a time in which nothing much happened except from a set of small skirmishes.

I may try to do the next post this evening-need to take a break-in either case hope to have it here soon. The image is of Brutus on a Roman coin. Best to anyone stopping by!