The Roman Civil War: 49-31 BC Trivia Quiz

Answer: "Let the die be cast"

For months Caesar (representing roughly the Populares or more populist side of Roman politics) and the Roman Senate (the Optimates or more oligarchic side) had negotiated Caesar's return from Gaul. The Senate had requested that he leave and resign his position with the army he led, but he feared prosecution and being at the mercy of his enemies.

He offered to resign if Pompey would resign his command as well. Ultimately those enemies refused to let Caesar dictate conditions and left him no choice, as he felt, and the "die was indeed cast."

Answer: He fled Rome with much of the Senate to the south

Pompey was allied with the Roman Senate, which feared Caesar's popularity and his ambition. Caesar had moved with characteristic speed with only one legion, but the effect on his opponents was panic. Pompey eventually crossed the Adriatic to Greece, while Caesar occupied Rome. The latter would first deal with and defeat a Pompeian army in Spain before moving against his great rival.

Answer: Dyrrachium

Caesar suffered a sharp setback at the Battle of Dyrrachium but gave chase across Greece to Pompey and his army.

Answer: Pharsalus

Caesar defeated Pompey decisively at Pharsalus, crushing his left flank and driving it back onto the base camp. Pompey and some of his men fled to Larissa in Eastern Greece.
The losses for Pompey were heavy, including many from the Roman Senate among the dead. Caesar stated that they had brought this fate on themselves.

Answer: The Egyptian king had beheaded Pompey

Caesar was supposedly aghast at the death of Pompey. But he would still manage to get himself involved in a nasty war between his soon to be lover Cleopatra VII and her brother Ptolemy XIII over who should rule Egypt. The Alexandrine War nearly cost Caesar his life and his army, but in the end he prevailed and put Cleopatra on the throne; she in turn gave him a son, Caesarion.

Answer: In North Africa

After dealing first with Pharnaces and then with an army mutiny back in Rome, he moved against the Optimate army of Cato the Younger, Metullus Scipio and King Juba of Numidia. Again moving with greater speed than his opponents, he defeated them at the Battle of Thapsus (in modern Tunisia) in April 46 BC. Cato, Scipio and Juba all committed suicide rather than face the wrath of Caesar. Caesar would enjoy a great triumph in Rome which many, including Plutarch, considered in some part to be in bad taste since Romans had shed Roman blood.

But Caesar had one more campaign to fight.

Answer: Spain

In what turned out to be his last campaign, Caesar defeated the Pompeian forces under Pompey's sons, Sextus Pompeius and Gnaeus Pompeius, in Spain at the Battle of Munda. In an era when transporation was limited by sail, horseback or foot, Caesar had crossed the Rubicon and captured Rome from his Senatorial enemies, fought two campaigns in Spain, a campaign in Greece, one in Egypt, another in Asia Minor and a campaign in North Africa, in just over four years.

He repeatedly stole a march on his enemies, all the while governing Rome from afar.

But his continued accumulation of power, and popularity with the people of Rome, would be his undoing.

Answer: Marc Antony

According to one ancient historian, some sixty men participated in the attack, though he only suffered twenty three wounds. Antony is said to have been nearby and to have fled the scene when he heard the shouting. If the assassins thought they had saved the Republic, many of the people did not feel the same, rioting at Caesar's funeral and attacking their homes. Though undoubtedly Caesar "was ambitious," many of his political and economic reforms were popular with the lower classes. Antony would attempt to capitalize on his patron's popularity with the people. Octavius, who had been adopted posthumously by his great uncle Julius Caesar and made heir of his vast fortune in his will, would have something to say about that.

Answer: Octavius

With the death of his uncle/father in March 44 BC, a very young Octavius maneuvered himself as defender of the Senate and the Republic. Antony initially became leader of the Populares, but he had gradually made himself unpopular with Caesar's followers and Octavius' adoption made him appear the heir apparent.

The Senate had awarded Antony the province of Macedonia for the year 43 BC, but he felt that was too far from Rome and asked that he be awarded Cisalpine Gaul (the area above the Po River).

A problem arose because the Senate had already awarded that province to Decius Junius Brutus (an assassin of Caesar, but not the more famous assassin Marcus Brutus). When the Senate and Decius refused his request Antony moved against Decius in December 44 BC at Mutina (modern Modena in Northern Italy). Octavius and the Consuls Hirtius and Pansa counter-attacked when the Senate declared Antony an enemy of the state.

Answer: The Senatorial army defeated Antony; he retreated and joined forces with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus

Antony was tactically defeated and forced to retreat, but he joined forces with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus from Transalpine Gaul and that made his army the largest standing at the time. So it was a strategic win for him overall. Meanwhile relations between Octavius (Hirtius and Pansa had been killed at Mutina) and the Senate were turning sour as he declared himself Consul. Octavius set about prosecuting Caesar's assassins, M.Brutus and Cassius (who are referred to as "Liberators") and, unable to come an agreement with the Senate, began negotiations with Antony and Lepidus, who already had a total of 17 legions together.

Answer: Formation of the Second Triumvirate

The Second Triumvirate agreement gave Antony, through an ally, Gaul, and the prospect of the eastern provinces; Lepidus, Spain; and Africa went to Octavius, with Italy divided between them. Their next priority was the defeat of the Liberators, Cassius and M.Brutus, who were ensconced with an army in Rome's eastern possessions.

Answer: Philippi

The Battle of Philippi left Cassius and Brutus dead and the Second Triumvirate victorious, with Antony the first among equals, ruling over the eastern provinces, by far the largest share of Rome's holdings. He also maintained control initially in Gaul. Octavius took control in Spain and Lepidus, whose power was dissipating, was left with smaller areas in North Africa.

But the two most powerful men's ambitions and relationships with women would shape the politics for the next decade.

Answer: Cleopatra VII

Antony became involved with Caesar's lover, Cleopatra VII, who would have three children by Antony. Meanwhile Octavius would nearly go to war with Antony's then wife, Fulvia, who had raised an army back in Rome, and then nearly go to war with Antony himself. In the end both sides backed down, but clearly Antony and Octavius were headed for another collision.

Answer: Announced the Donation of Alexandria

After his conquest of Armenia, Antony declared at a triumph in Alexandria that the Second Triumvirate--and the alliance with Octavius--was over and that his children were made rulers over Armenia, Media and Parthia (Alexander Helios); Cyrene and Libya (Selene); and Syria and Cilcia (Ptolemy Philadephus). Cleopatra and Caesarion were announced as the Queen and King of Egypt respectively.

But more importantly, Caesarion (Cleopatra's son with Caesar) was made the legitimate heir of his father; this was a direct threat to Octavius, who had obtained Caesar's right to rule Rome by way of adoption.

It also did not help when Antony divorced Octavia Minor in 32 BC, the older sister of Octavius (he had divorced Fulvia earlier in 40 BC) and "married" Cleopatra.

The war between Antony and Octavius to decide the fate of the Republic was on.

Answer: Actium

Supported by Cleopatra's fleet, Antony intended to invade Italy, but never made it west of Corcyra, making camp finally on the southern side of the Gulf of Ambracia (Western Greece near the Adriatic). Battle was joined mainly at the instigation of Octavius' general, Marcus Agrippa. Antony, outnumbered in ships by almost two to one, suffered a decisive defeat at Actium. Like so many second pace finishers in Roman politics, Antony committed suicide in 30 BC and Cleopatra, who refused to be made a part of Octavius' Triumph, followed suit soon after.
Octavius now became Caesar Augustus and Pricipep(First Citizen) in 27 BC and would garner unprecedented power for one man.
The Roman Republic, nearly 500 years old but on its last legs for nearly one hundred years, was now completely dead and the Roman Empire was born.
It would last nearly fifteen hundred more years.