Download Wars of the Second Triumvirate: Battle of Philippi

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Wars of the Second Triumvirate: Battle of Philippi
Conflict:
The Battle of Philippi was part of the War of the Second Triumvirate (44-42 BC).
Dates:
Fought on two separate dates, the Battle of Philippi took place on October 3 and 23, 42 BC.
Armies & Commanders:
Second Triumvirate
Octavian
Mark Antony
19 legions, 33,000 cavalry, over 100,000 total
Brutus & Cassius
Marcus Junius Brutus
Gaius Cassius Longinus
17 legions, 17,000 cavalry, approximately 100,000 men
Battle Summary:
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Following the assassination of Julius Caesar, two of the principle conspirators, Marcus Junius
Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus fled Rome and took control of the eastern provinces. There
they raised a large army consisting of the eastern legions and levies from local kingdoms allied
to Rome. To counter this, the members of the Second Triumvirate in Rome, Octavian, Mark
Antony, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, raised their own army to defeat the conspirators and
avenge Caesar's death. Leaving Lepidus in Rome, Octavian and Antony marched east into
Macedonia seeking the enemy.
As they moved forward, they dispatched Norbanus and Saxa ahead with eight legions to search
for the conspirator's army. Moving along the Via Egnatia, the two passed through the town of
Philippi and assumed a defensive position in a mountain pass to the east. Moving west, Brutus
and Cassius wished to avoid a general engagement, preferring to operate on the defensive.
After flanking Norbanus and Saxa out of their position and forcing them to retreat, the
conspirators dug in to the west of Philippi, with their line anchored on a marsh to the south and
steep hills to the north.
Aware that Antony and Octavian were approaching, the conspirators fortified their position,
which straddled the Via Egnatia, and placed Brutus' troops to the north of the road and Cassius'
to the south. The Triumvirate's forces soon arrived and Antony arrayed his men opposite
Cassius, while Octavian faced Brutus. Eager to begin the fighting, Antony tried several times to
bring about a general battle, but Cassius and Brutus would not advance from behind their
defenses. Seeking to break the deadlock, Antony began building a causeway through the
marshes in an effort to turn Cassius' right flank.
Quickly understanding the enemy's intentions, Cassius began building a transverse dam and
pushed part of his forces south in an effort to cut off Antony's men in the marshes. This effort
brought about the First Battle of Philippi on October 3, 42 BC. Attacking Cassius' line near
where the fortifications met the marsh, Antony's men swarmed over the wall. Driving through
Cassius' men, Antony's troops put them to rout and seized their camp. To the north, Brutus'
men, seeing the battle in the south, attacked Octavian's forces.
Catching them off guard, Brutus' men drove them from their camp, forcing Octavian to hide in a
nearby swamp. As they moved through Octavian's camp, Brutus' men paused to plunder the
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tents allowing the enemy to reform and avoid a rout. Unable to see Brutus' success, Cassius fell
back with his men. Believing that they had both been defeated, he committed suicide. As the
dust settled, both sides withdrew to their lines with their spoils. Robbed of his best strategic
mind, Brutus decided to attempt to hold his position with the goal of wearing down the enemy.
Over the next three weeks, Antony began pushing south and east through the marshes forcing
Brutus to extend his lines. While Brutus wished to continue delaying battle, his commanders
and allies became restless and forced the issue. Surging forward on October 23, Brutus' men
met Octavian and Antony's in battle. Fighting at close-quarters, the battle proved very bloody
as the Triumvirate's forces succeeded in repelling Brutus' attack. As his men began retreating,
Octavian's army captured their camp. Deprived of a place to make a stand, Brutus ultimately
committed suicide and his army was routed.
Aftermath & Impact:
The casualties for the First Battle of Philippi were approximately 9,000 killed and wounded for
Cassius and 18,000 for Octavian. Casualties are not known for the second battle on October 23.
With the death of Cassius and Brutus, the Second Triumvirate essentially ended resistance to
their rule and succeeded in avenging the death of Julius Caesar. The battle marked the
highpoint of Antony's career as a military leader, as his power would slowly erode until his
ultimate defeat by Octavian at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.
Sources
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http://www.readeasily.com/jacob-abbott/00158/001580068.php
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Brutus*.html
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Augustus*.html
http://www.unrv.com/fall-republic/philippi.php