SH+P6+2016+Battle+of+Philippi


 * Aim - Kelsey Haley **

The Battle of Philippi began on October 3, 42 BC, after the death of Julius Caesar with the Roman republic as the assassins of Julius Caesar, Cassius and Brutus against the triumvirates, Mark Antony and Octavian. The battle was fought and commenced by “the members of the Second Triumvirate in Rome… to defeat the conspirators and avenge Caesar's death” (Hickman). However, Julius Caesar was loathed from aristocrats due to his power and that he favored the poor. He was a threat to the senate, for the fact that Caesar was to become a dictator for life, which lead to his death. Both sides were at fault for the commence of the war. During the war, the triumvirates tried to build a road south of the city of Philippi, but the plan was unsuccessful for the reason that the Roman republic discovered their plan and built another road. The battle officially began when Antony’s army stormed Cassius’s camp, causing Cassius to commit suicide. The goal of Antony and Octavian’s revenge for the assassination of Julius Caesar was met after the suicide of Brutus, causing the end of The Battle of Philippi.

Wasson, Donald. “The Murder of Julius Caesar.” //Ancient History Encyclopedia//. N.p., 15 May 2015. Web. 05 Jan. 2016.

Fife, Steven. “Caesar as Dictator: His Impact on the City of Rome.” //Ancient History Encyclopedia//. N.p., 18 Jan. 2012. Web. 05 Jan. 2016.

Hickman, Kennedy. “Wars of the Second Triumvirate: Battle of Philippi.” //About Education//. N.p., 17 May 2015. Web. 05 Jan. 2016.


 * Audience -Katie Izatt **

The Battle of Philippi was just a small part of the Civil War of the Roman Republic. This battle took place after the assassination of Julius Caesar and was fought between his assassins, and those who wished to avenge him, the triumvirs. These two sides are the main audiences of this term, because they are the two groups of people who were most affected by this battle. They were the intended audience of the other as these two sides went to battle over control of the Republic. “Caesar continued to consolidate his power and in February 44 BC, he declared himself dictator for life. This act, along with his continual effort to adorn himself with the trappings of power, turned many in the Senate against him” (“The Assassination of Julius Caesar”). The goal of the conspirators and assassins was to gain control of the Roman Republic from the triumvirs, who, with Caesar, had slowly been taking away the power of the Senate and creating more of a democracy than a republic. The triumvirs, on the other hand not only wanted to avenge the death of Caesar, but also wanted to keep control of the republic and not lose all the power that they had gained. The triumvirs were victorious and remained in control of the Republic. Although they claimed to want to keep the Republic, Octavian eventually overthrew and killed Marc Antony and took sole control of Rome, turning it into a monarchy. The Battle of Philippi was a battle for revenge and power, and all of the Republic was its audience.

"The Assassination of Julius Caesar, 44 BC." //EyeWitness to// //History//. N.p., 2004. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.

Hickman, Kennedy. “Wars of the Second Triumvirate: Battle of Philippi.” //About Education//. N.p., 17 May 2015. Web. 05 Jan. 2016.


 * Historical - Natalia Jacobson **

The Battle of Philippi had a great impact on the history of Rome.The day of October 42 BCE Roman armies met each other near Philippi. The two men who killed Julius Caesar, Brutus and Cassius, came from the southeast. Then the triumvirs Marc Antony and Octavian, came from the west in order to get revenge for the murder of Caesar. Marc Antony attempted to avoid Philippi by building a path through the wetlands to the south of the city. If he succeeded in this plan, he would have cut off the enemies line of communication. However, Cassius found out about his plan and built a dam. While he was busy, Marc Antony told his men to attack his camp. They were successful in this attack, and Cassius, believing he lost everything, had killed himself. Cassius “ interpreted them as more of Antony's forces and so committed suicide - as it happened, on his birthday - rather than be captured” (Cartwright). This was a bad idea since Brutus had at the same time defeated the army of Octavian and had taken over the the camp of Marc Antony and Octavian. In the end both sides had won a victory and suffered a major defeat. The historical impact was great, and as a consequence of the battle, the triumvirates were victorious and Rome became a monarchy.

Cartwright, Mark. "The Battle of Philippi 42 BCE." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 25 Nov. 2014. Web. 05 Jan. 2016.

Hickman, Kennedy. “Wars of the Second Triumvirate: Battle of Philippi.” About Education. N.p., 17 May 2015. Web. 05 Jan. 2016.


 * Cultural - Trinity Peters **

To avenge the death of their ruler, Julius Caesar, as well as continue the regulation of Rome’s Republic, Gaius Octavian and Mark Antony created an alliance and fought in a war, known as The Battle of Philippi. In the end, they were able to successfully maintain the Republic in which Octavian would take the place of their assassinated ruler, thus creating a “piece of the puzzle” for America’s Government (Cartwright). Before his death, Julius Caesar declared, “I came, I saw, I conquered.” The Founding Fathers of the United States of America structured the stepping stones of the current governmental system, and they were successful because of the combination and range of knowledge each had about historical governmental systems as well as ancient history itself (Anderson). They believed that the republic Rome had formed was a very effective model of a system in which the citizens were involved and not all of the power was essentially given to one person, but instead divided (Anderson). Not all of the ideals were taken from Rome’s governmental system and as time continued, America’s government also began to change and develop (Anderson). When citizens “came” together and created the city of Rome, they eventually had to begin to form a government. Similar to the United States in the late 1700s, they had a vision of how they wanted their city to be structured; they “saw” in their minds the future and how their ideas would be beneficial for their city. Once a government was developed, they “conquered” whatever they could achieve. In a similar manner, the United States “came” together, “saw” a vision for their future, and “conquered” their vision by taking action and making the most of what their governmental system offered. The Romans were known for building roads where they not only created pathways to specific destinations, but also, indirectly, built roads for the future to mold.

Anderson, Mike. "Roman Republic – Model for the United States." //Mike Anderson's Ancient History Blog.// N.p., 25 Jan. 2012. Web. 05 Jan. 2016.

Cartwright, Mark. "The Battle of Philippi 42 BCE." //Ancient History Encyclopedia//. N.p., 25 Nov. 2014. Web. 05 Jan. 2016.