Download Rise of an Empire

The Rise of the
Empire
Caesar’s death
plunged Rome
into another Civil
War
One side is led by the
men who killed him
The Other side is led by
three men; Caesar’s
grandnephew
Octavian ,Antony, and
Lepidus
After
defeating
Caesar’s
assassins
these 3 men
created…
Octavian
took west in
Rome
Antony took
east in Rome
Octavian forced Lepidus
to retire from politics

Octavian and Mark Antony came into conflict

Mark Antony fell in love with Cleopatra VII of Egypt and
formed an alliance with her (Caesar’s Ex…)

Octavian told the Romans that Mark Antony (with
Cleopatra) planned to make himself the sole ruler of
the republic

Alarm spread among the Romans and enabled
Octavian to declare war on Antony

In 31 B.C off the west coast of Greece, Octavian
crushed the army and navy of Antony and Cleopatra

The couple then fled to Egypt

A year later as Octavian
closed in on them, Cleopatra
and Mark Antony killed
themselves
Period of
civil wars
were
over--but so
was the
republic
Octavian now
stood on top of
the Roman world
, alone at age 32
He lay the
foundation for
a new system
of government

Octavian knew that many people, including Cicero,
Rome’s greatest public speaker (his ideas influenced the
writers of the United States Constitution) favored a
republican form of government

In 27 B.C. Octavian appeared to do just that.
 He gave power back to Senate, seemly putting them in
control.
 However, he gave himself the title, Imperator or
commander-in-chief, and kept control of the army.

In time Imperator came to mean emperor. Octavian
takes the name, Augustus, “the revered or majestic
one” and becomes Caesar Augustus, first emperor of
the new Roman Empire. 