How did the Second Triumvirate avenge Caesar and then turn on itself, ending in Octavian's victory at Actium and the end of the Republic?
The Second Triumvirate and the end of the Republic: the alliance of Antony, Octavian and Lepidus in 43 BC, the proscriptions and the death of Cicero, the defeat of the Liberators at Philippi, the breakdown between Antony and Octavian, the propaganda war, and the battle of Actium in 31 BC.
An OCR A-Level Ancient History depth study guide to the Second Triumvirate and the end of the Republic. Covers the alliance of Antony, Octavian and Lepidus in 43 BC, the proscriptions and the death of Cicero, the defeat of the Liberators at Philippi in 42 BC, the breakdown between Antony and Octavian, the propaganda war over Cleopatra, and the battle of Actium in 31 BC, with source evaluation.
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What this dot point is asking
The depth study ends with the Second Triumvirate and the end of the Republic. This page covers the alliance of Antony, Octavian and Lepidus in 43 BC, the proscriptions and the death of Cicero, the defeat of the Liberators at Philippi, the breakdown between Antony and Octavian, the propaganda war over Cleopatra, and the battle of Actium in 31 BC. The prescribed sources include Plutarch's Life of Antony, Appian, Cassius Dio and Cicero's Philippics, and the essay rewards a ranked argument, built on the sources, about why Octavian won.
The answer
The Second Triumvirate and the proscriptions
The Second Triumvirate marks a further stage in the breakdown: power was now openly shared among three warlords with legal authority to kill and confiscate, and the Republic existed in name only.
Philippi and the division of the world
Philippi is the death of the Republican cause: with Brutus and Cassius gone, the question was no longer Republic versus autocracy but which autocrat would rule.
The propaganda war and Actium
The alliance broke down over the 30s BC. Antony's base in the east and his relationship with Cleopatra of Egypt (to whom he gave Roman territory in the Donations of Alexandria) gave Octavian the material for a masterly propaganda war, painting Antony as the besotted slave of a foreign queen who threatened Rome. Octavian publicised Antony's will and had war declared on Cleopatra, turning the conflict into Rome against the foreigner rather than a civil war. The decisive factors were:
- Octavian's control of Italy and the west and the loyalty of Caesar's veterans.
- His propaganda, which legitimised his cause and discredited Antony.
- The naval generalship of Agrippa at the battle of Actium in 31 BC, where Antony and Cleopatra were defeated and fled to Egypt, killing themselves the next year.
Actium ended the period and left Octavian master of the Roman world, the position from which he created the principate.
Examples in context
A model answer ranks the material and propaganda factors and flags the Augustan bias of the tradition.
Try this
Q1. Assess the importance of propaganda in Octavian's victory over Antony. [20 marks, depth essay style]
- What the marker wants. An argument from the sources that Octavian's propaganda (Antony as Cleopatra's slave, the will, the war on Cleopatra) was crucial in legitimising his cause, weighed against his control of the west, the veterans' loyalty and Agrippa's generalship, with a judgement and source evaluation.
Q2. At which battle in 31 BC did Octavian defeat Antony and Cleopatra? [2 marks]
- Cue. The battle of Actium, a naval victory won with Agrippa's generalship, after which Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt and killed themselves, leaving Octavian master of the Roman world.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR H407/21 201920 marksAssess the reasons why Octavian defeated Antony. [shown at the 20-mark cap; the depth essay is worth 36 in the full paper]Show worked answer →
A Section B depth-study essay (AO1, AO2 and AO3), shown at the 20-mark cap (worth 36 in the full paper).
Factors. Octavian's control of Italy and the west and the loyalty of Caesar's veterans; his masterly propaganda, which painted Antony as the slave of the foreign queen Cleopatra who had betrayed Rome; the publicising of Antony's will and the declaration of war on Cleopatra; Antony's strategic errors and desertions; and the naval victory at Actium in 31 BC won with Agrippa's generalship.
Judgement. Argue from Plutarch and Dio that Octavian's command of the west and his propaganda were decisive in turning the struggle into Rome against the foreigner, with Actium completing the victory; the top level argues from the sources and judges, noting the pro-Augustan tradition.
OCR H407/21 202112 marksHow useful is Plutarch's Life of Antony for understanding the breakdown between Antony and Octavian? [shown at the 12-mark source-utility style]Show worked answer →
A source-utility evaluation (AO3) on a prescribed source.
Value. Plutarch gives a rich biographical narrative, valuable for Antony's relationship with Cleopatra, the division of the Roman world, the propaganda war, and the events leading to Actium.
Limitations. Plutarch writes long after the events and draws on a tradition shaped by Augustan propaganda hostile to Antony (the besotted slave of Cleopatra), and his moral-biographical purpose colours the portrait; the picture of Antony must be tested.
Judgement. Highly useful for the narrative and for how Antony was remembered, but the Augustan, moralising tradition must be allowed for. Top answers judge usefulness for the enquiry.
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Sources & how we know this
- OCR A Level Ancient History H407 specification — OCR (2017)
- Plutarch, Life of Antony; Appian, Civil Wars 4 to 5; Cassius Dio 47 to 50; Cicero, Philippics — Perseus Digital Library