Roman Empire: New Wars Old Enemies Part Four

The nervous tension in addition to being ill had probably brought him to the point of collapse. For whatever reason, the young man wasn't in a very celebratory mood and far from showing his adoptive father's famous clemency. About 14,000 regular soldiers negotiated their surrender with Antony and Octavian in return for a pardon. There were a great number of the noble republican leaders who had died. However, there was a remainder of distinguished prisoners of war to deal with. Octavian decided they should be executed. One of their number simply asked for a proper burial. To this request Octavian replied, "That's a matter for the carrion birds to decide." Another situation was recorded that a father and son begged for mercy. Octavian agreed-to a point-that one of them be spared. The decision of which one would be made by playing morra. This was a game where a player would try to guess the correct number of fingers his opponent would show. They refused to play, and the father offered his life for his son's and was executed. The son then overcome with grief committed suicide, as Octavian coldly watched them die. Octavian's behavior was so insulting and wretched that when the remaining captives were led off in chains they courteously saluted Mark Antony and shouted obscene oaths and insults at Octavian.

The common folk of Rome must have felt very relieved. Eight years of confusion, uncertainty, bloodshed and outrageously high taxes brought about by the civil wars were apparently coming to an end. Some had to have been questioning what manner of government they were going to have. A triad of rulers was inherently unstable. Antony and Octavian had actually been enemies, but united for a common purpose, however, they were still rivals for Julius Caesar's inheritance and the hearts and minds of the legions and the people. When you factored in his age Octavian had shown great skill at politics, of course he would have been advised by some of Caesar's men, but still he had come so far. Octavian had shown how far he would go to attain power. His treatment of the war prisoners of Philippi was somewhat of an aberration. He could be cut-throat, act deceitfully and kill, but Octavian's misdeeds were always planned with a carefully thought out goal in mind. Octavian had learned of politics from Julius Caesar. He never had the slightest intention of restoring the Republic. This came from a mixture of personal ambition and a belief that the Republic really had been too unwieldly and had outlived its usefulness. I wonder also if a huge part of Octavian's soul really believed deep down that he was a true divi filius-the son of a god. For now, even though he had accomplished a great deal his postition was anything but secure. Mark Antony had been the real winner at Philippi.

Antony's command and conduct on the battlefield put Octavian's to shame. Octavian would have to accept Antony's dominance for the time being and would have to wait for opportunities to better his own standing. Antony and Octavian staged a magnificent sacrifice in honor of their victory. After this the two parted company. Mark Antony stayed in Greece for a bit, attending games and listening to scholars. Once he had enough of that he went on to Asia Minor, as the senior triumvir he had chosen the east as opposed to battle-scarred Italy. Antony was tired of trouble-ridden Rome. In the East he could continue the traditions of Rome's proconsuls: pretending to love Greek culture and at the same time mooching off of them; patronizing local kings and fighting the Parthians. There seemed to be many echoes of Pompey the Great in what Antony was doing. In the months and years that followed some of the remaining republicans would tend to go towards him and the East, perhaps hoping that Antony would someday want to get rid of his meddlesome colleague and restore the Republic. However, for now all Antony seemed to be focussed on was having a good time. Octavian was carried back to Italy.

He became so sick during the journey that he stayed at Brundisium for awhile; Octavian was not expected to survive at one point and a rumor actually started that he was dead. Another place that followers of Brutus and Cassius went-even Cicero's son-who were still determined to fight until the last man was Sicily. This, of course, was where not only Sextus Pompeius was, but also two republican admirals, Lucius Staius Murcus and the arrogant and proud Domitius Ahenobarbus. However, many survivors of the war shared the view of one of Brutus's military tribunes, a chubby young man called Quintus Horatius Flaccus-he is better known as Horace and became a very great poet of the time. Horace had seen the horrors of war at Philippi and they gave him a hatred of armed conflict that would not be subsumed. Years later he wrote a poem to welcome a friend back to life as a civilian after a long spell in the military. The two men had fought together at Philippi, as the poet laments. The poem evokes quite well that while Horace recognizes and is a bit amused by his own cowardice; he doesn't have anything good to say about the bravery that lands a man in his grave:

We two once beat a swift retreat together

upon Philippi's field

When I dumped my poor shield,

And courage cracked, and the strong men who frowned

Fiercest were felled, chins to the miry ground....

In my laurel's shade

Stretch out the bones that long campaigns have made

Weary. Your wines been waiting

For years: No hesitating.

The battle-scarred landscape of Philippi and the evidence of the carnage there, slowly returned to normal. However, to make sure a remembrance of the events there was secured in the annals of history the town was renamed Julia Victorix Philippi (Victorious Philippi of the Julian Clan) and some soldiers sent to settle there. I should have enough information for at least four more articles and perhaps more if I am able to work on this tonight. Either way I would like to have the next post here soon. Best to anyone stopping by! The image is a three layered sardonyx cameo of Octavian/Augustus Caesar.